The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-07-24
DROVE OF SCOUNDRELS.

A DROVE OF SCOUNDRELS.
We have seldom seen anything more
brutal IN the examination Of witnesses
than the manner In which Gov. Cox
bull-dozed E. L. Weber last Thursday
Mr.. Weber is not, it is true. a man Of
very high moral perceptions nor savory
political record; but that lie no excuse
for the rude and nnfeeling assaults of
the Ohio gentleman upon the, charac-
ter of his dead brother, aud we in
stinctively sympath;ze with the resent
ment manifested by the witness. The
zeal of Gov. Cox, however, to prevent.
or discredit. the disclosure, of the, viii
tainies OF his'party in Louisiana has
defeated his purpose and provoked the
very result lie desired to escape. The
testimony of Mr.. Weber given before
the committee Thursday and Friday
is of the MIST extraordinary nature;
and yet there is not an intelligent cit
izen of Louisiana who does. not know
that every word lie uttered was true.
"If there was villainy," said Weber to
Gen. Cox, it was on the part of John
Sherman and the visiting statesmen"
On Friday lie said to the Governor,
"you have ruined me, and now I will
ruin them all. IfI am to go down,
they shall 60 down with me, by God.
If am a rascal they were all rascals,
all of them.n'
By all of them Mr.. Weber meant
John Sherman, Stanley Matthews, the
sanctified Job Stevenson and the other
visiting statesmen, together with Kel-
logg, Packard, Mad. Wells, Tom An
derson and the other worthless who
stole the electorel vote of Louisiana
and attempted to steal our State Gov.
ernment. Mr.. Weber did not utter
mere furious denunciation of these
men. Before be: used these epithets,
and after he had done so, he related
facts which ere within the knowledge
of all we'll informed men in this State,
and the mere recital of which was COM
petent to brand npon the brow of
every one of the gang, from John Sher-
man down to the dirtiest sneak among
them "ScoUNDREL."
Certainly Weber was himself one of
the party. But that does not weaken
his testimony. Tho rascaiities he tes-
tifies to were notorious at the time;
they were exposed by the Louisiana
press; they were denounced through
out the State and throughout the whole
country. They could not be proved
by direct testimony because the gang
were enjoying their plumber aud the
fruits of their villainy, and none OF
them would "squeal."
But it was impossible to always pre-
serve the harmony of such an infamous
combination. Indeed, it is wonderful
how such a gang of rascafs embracing
men like John Sherman, and crea.
lures like j. W. Jones, the professional
forger, so long kept faith with each
other. We were certain, however, the
breakup would come sooner or later
and it has come now, Weber, in OK.
posing the rascalities of his associates
has not spared himself; he has told the
whole story, and though the Republi
can press may try to discredit him
though they will turn their mud bate
ries upon him with view of shielding
the balance Of the gang, the damninl
record cannot be expunged; it is thu
truth, and the country will accept j
as the truth. Indeed, we are certain
that if Governor Cox were to expos,
the secret feelings Of his own heart h
would express the conviction that TIN
pretensions Of Packard were based Of
villainy and that fhe counting of thu
electoral vote of Louisiana for Haye
was an act of damnable fraud, dis
graceful to Hayes, disgraceful to tn
! Republican party, to Congress, th
electoral Commission, and the Who'll
country. Nay, we think we woul'
find that he is now ashamed of hi
i. party and cause and disgusted wit
the gang of thieves, bribers, bride
takers, forgers, blackmailers and swim
dlers who for eight years ran Louisian
. on the reconstruction policy. IjE q.
! Mr.. Weber did not spare himself
=, He said only in palliation of his PAL
, in the rascality he detailed, that b
was young man and that he ha
been tempted and corrupted by tn
: leaders of Governor Cox's party. TIL
plea in abatement is good one. We
: Der and his brother aud j. E. Ander
son were yet young men when Govern
I or Cox's party of great moral ideas be
gan to reconstruct Louisiana. Thes
young men were, perhaps, not pos
sessed naturally Of high sense
: integrity. But under heathful condi
e tions Of society they might have live
r honest lives and made good and ussf'
e citizens. Bnt'the statesmanship Of tn
s North decided that Louisiana had .
f be plundered and Inundated, and the
sent down men like Warmoth and Ke