The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-05
MIR. ALD1gE'B EXPLANATION.


IlpMeoaAr Sunday morning. headed "Wh,
Represents Uliune2" III another cululn,
wa print lii ful the gentlenail's speech te
ported ly ai experienced stunoataphef, ant
corrected by his own hand. That any unplpaa
mt issue should have arisen between this
jpurnal and ltr. Aldige or any other Demo
sstatie Representative, we deeply regret. But
without uftJvuratiUii u any nature, and IL
s,,,si utter establishment that gentleman from
his place IA the House of Representatives,
assaIied tiH Ia the tnest violent aud uniustliia-
Bile manner. Ills words were ftsw, indeed but
No could scarcely have found 81 many IN the
language 81 notifying 10 our feelings as
Democrats. or SO dispaiagiig to that indie
f,pndanee Of Individual interests and factions
III our party which ~ has been our pride aid.
wa will not deny H. uften uui boast, to pufsHe,
What motive prompted the aentlemans at
tack In d secret SO far as we know, within his
avn busuin: we have yet been unable 10 guess
it That the issue has been raised, however,
III beyond question, aud we. shall force Mr.
Aldine to retire from the position he has as
s,,med or prove hIa innocence Of the charge
No have matte against him and the tr,itl, Of
The allegations he has made against the DEM
ut'iaATs moa
tn his speech yesterday he was singulatEy
tpticent upon the charges he had made
against The DEMOCRAT. and confined himself,
aH the public will perceive by peitisal Of his
very ingenious speech In our columns this
morning, To specioua, but, we sincerely re-
Alet til say, unsatisfactory defense Of himself
anainEt the attack we made upon his extraoi+
.linary course LII relation b. the election Of the
Fiscal Agent.
we charged that Mr.. Aldlge, aftef having
Hi chairman Of nh investigating committee vi
Tho Legislature III 1870, Ii All able and elabo-
rate report. charged Mr. Ogiesby with being
guilty III d penal crime and after denouneing
him uti the floor Of the House as a felon. had.
within utr personal knowledge, used every
tpnablp esettlun to elect him Fiscal Agent
oil The State In ts7T To this charge Mr.. AL
slige attempts very tame defense. If It was
nntrue II we had done him any injustice by
this charge. he ought to have nade reply so
clear. full and convincing that 1t would have
forced uB In all honor 10 promptly rettaot our
Injurious wordH aud tender him ali apology. |
with the fearful language of his report |
against Mr.. oglesby, quoted In our article, |
staring him In the fnee, and cur charge that |
he had supported Mr.. OgleHhy subsequently TO
that report ringing through thecity, he ought |
to have been able TO show to the people of
louisiana not only that he had not been All
active supporter Of Mr., oaleshy, but that he
had used hia high social position, his large
business influence and his undouhted aagaeity
and ability 10 defeat him. unhappily the
gentleman has not done tho latter. and we
aasert that he has not daptvved tho charge
That hs actually and strenuously supported
Mr.. oglesby.
Tn critically reviewing The letters written
by Mr.. Aldigc to Lieut. Gov. Wilts, Hon.
Allen Jumel. Auditor Hon. VIII. A.
Strong, Secretary of State, and the
Treasurer. and the answers Of these officials
we fail to find single sentence which, taken
IN connection with facts within the personal
of tho manager Of the DEMOCRAT
In tho leaat exculpatcs him. Tho sum and
of Mr.. Aldige's defense Is that, dur
ing the canvass for the fiscal agency, he
said 70 Gov, Wits and the Treasurer.
uu things betap eVaut, he preferred the
State National Bank as Fiscal Agent.
III Ia to hc regretted that ii was impossible
FOR Mr.. Aldige TO go further in his defense,
III he had gone beyond these tame and
puuiyucs,ting letters he would have been
forced TO acknowledge that he did not regard
.a.ll things IA equal" indeed, that he had as-
sumed on the streets, and In those places
where public opinion In these matters Ia
largely shaped and influenced, that the Louis
lana National Bank. whose president he had
reported and denounced Us a felon, was the
only bank IN the city which was strong enough
III sustain tho credit of the State. He himself
stated 10 the manager Of the DEMOCRAT.
az the time of the contest, that the
State National Bank was unable to meet the
obligations which the Fiscal Agent would
have To assume. On the other hand, he earn
estly endeavored to prove that the Louisiana
National could do so; that it was the only
bank In New Orleans that could, and that it's
selection IA Fiscal Agent would have a very
effect upon State bonds.
We may not give Mr.. Aldige's exact words,
but we give faithfully. perhaps less strongly
than he uttered It, the substance of what he
said. 1t IL evident therefore; nay, 1t is ALSO
htply indisputahle, that Mr. Aldge did do
what was In his power TO make the Louisiana
National Bank the Fiscal Agent He said, in
deed. that all things being equal. he preferred
The state National; but we have shown from
his own words, uttered TO the manager Of this
oaper, that no did not regard all things as
uual. but that he regarded the bank Of Mr.
lrlesby, whom he had denounced, as 50
anperior in strength and power that he used
lis influence on public opinion in its favor.
1t was on the very theory of the election OF
dr. oglesbys bank, advanced 70 the manager
L the DEMOCRAT by Mr.. Aldige- that II would
improve the bonds--that the bondholders,
makers and spectators combined insa move
aent to have that bank chosen. The words
uttered by Mr., Aldige, when the
manager OF this paper pointed out to him the !
annsistency Of his conduct. and which he
ailedt he deny or explain yesterday, that ne