The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-08


and paid at least $200Q,000 worth OF these
claims, at least half of which were owned by
or Northern Radical members OF
Congress. knew one Instance where negro
congressman from Alabama got a $63,0O0
claim through for property destroyed near
Tuscumbia by one Of the Federal
cavalry raids. He had bought the
claim from the widow OF the man who owned
the property at the time 1t was destroyed; or
rather ne had taken charge OF 1T, agreeing 10
give her half OF 1t. But she declares that sne
never saw any Of the money, except about
$500, which she received from the sable con-
gressman 10 cover the expenses OF q trip 70
Washington and several months stay Wnlle
the claim was pending. The husband OF this
woman was Confederate officer, and died
soon after the close Of the war from the eff
fects OF wounds received at the battle OF
Nashville.
| venture to say that out Of the one hundred
and forty odd millions that have been paid
out OF the treasury on account of war claims,
fully one-half has found its way into the
pockets of the carpet-baggers and niggers
whom Radiealism brought into Congress-, or
into the equally dsreputabe and unde-
serving hands Of the horde OF lobbyists claim
agents and political camp-followers gen
orally who fourished here with them. Under
these circumstances 1t Is small wonder that
the phrase Southern claims" has become a
byword hereabouts, and 1t will be long
time before the public mind becomes dis
abused of the impression that an affidavit Of
"loyalty" from Southern claimant means
simply that another small raid on the treasury
la in progress.
speech and l shall miss my reckoning II 1t
does not prove to be a nail In the collin OF
the whole class OF Southern loyalists" as
claimants for war damages.
EADS IS HERE,
working up his projects In the quiet, noise
49, ri
cess in the past. The modus oDerandi fs TO
take nice suite OF rooms at the "toniest'
hotel In town, whichever that happens to be,
and then spend about six weeks In working
up his schemes with members and Senators,
whom he takes in hand one or two at time
and plies them alternately with seductive
dinners and bewilderiDg treatises on hy-
biography, hydraulics and every other de-
partment Of science relating to the watery
element except the art OF drinking 1t. This
process Is kept up until within few days
OF the close OF the session, when 1t sud-
denly transpires that Eads wants something
then 1t appears that everybody is on his side,
and away he goes with his money, leaving
| less adroit people to won der how 1t has been
done. When Eads first came here with
HIS JETTY SCHEME,
he had uphill work. The project was new,
| the locality was not represented by anybody
who had permanent Interest In It's welfare,
and Eads had to rely wholly upon his arts of
argument and persuasion. Finally, after sev.
eral months Of hard work, he got the opposl-
| ton narrowed down to that horrible old bas-
soon from Michigan, Conger. the champion
verse. But Eads was not to be baulkec
at even Conger. On the contrary, ht
quietly employed Conger's son az
his private secretary, and In the twinkling o.
an eye that irrepressible old congressiona
slangwhanger was transformed into one o
| his most earnest advocates. We all remem
ber how Eads worked his relief bill through
| last year. Now he wants modification o
his contract, so as to enable him to draw In
stallments on the basis OF the mean depth o.
| his channel. He finds that 1t sc0urs away 81
much more rapidly In the middle than at tn
sides that in order to obtain any given fega
depth at all points between the ietties he mus
| afford practical channel for commerce soms
four or five feet deeper That is to say, sup
pose he has legal depth OF twenty-slx feet
| the middle OF the channel for a considerable
| wldth-enough to admit the passage Of ships
will be thirty to thirty two feet deep. Owing
to these and other engineering miscalcula
tions he finds that he is doing his work ant
spending his money great deal faster thar
he can get his pay under the law.
| or course. the rules OF equity apply In suct
o case; but just at this time Eads is laborine
under an embarrassment that has not both
cred him In any of his prior operations here
1t lies In the fact that the efforts OF the dele
cations from the lower river States are con
| centrated upon the leveeS 10 Jne exclusion o.
everything else.
| EADs' MODIFICATION
means from s75e,000 TO 100000 out of th'
treasury Immediately, for which he would
otherwise have to wait year or two, whereas
our representatives will consider themselves
lucky IL they get s3,000,000 for the entir'
Ievee interest this session. They regard Eads
therefore, as In their way, and one OF then
told me recently that he was mot disposed Il
allow Eads to carry off 100000 to save th'
Jetty Company from embarrassmen ent. ant
have 1t charged to the general account OF th
Southwest or the Mississippi valley, to be de
Quoted from the amount Congress nigh
otherwise be willing to appropriate to tn
leveesp r.
On account of this opposition 1t appears Il
me that Eads will not be likely to find a.
smooth a road as he has hitherto Travelled II
pursuit of congressional aid or indulgence
He will probably fail to secure his modification
this session. A. G. b.