The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-14
SOUNDINGS FROM THE BOTTOMLESS
PITT,

Wednesday morning is most appropriately
headed. as describing chapter In the history
/ of the depraved being whose career OF crime
marks SO many pages In Louisiana's unhappy
past.
| But Pitt Kellogg, although figuring as The
chief conspirator against the people OF this
State for SO many years, was not alone In the
preparation of those infamous acts which
should cause the actors to hang their heads
in shame, rather than to parade their gull
before the public they have wronged.
The confession Of certain parties to a Grim
inal agreement with W. ?. Kellogg has Ions
since been detailed to gentlemen In this city
and copy, or, what purports to be q copy
OF the document, has long been In our pos
session. At the same time q network 81
evidence has been quietly and surely gath,
cred, with view Of fixing the guilt where Il
properly belongs, IN order that the ends d
justice may be best served.
| Our information does not fully accord, how
ever with the publication in the Times. and
we suspect that In several essential particu.
lars garbled statement has been published
whereby 1t Is sought to convey the impression
that the sole consideration required of Messrs
Blanchard, Catlin q Co was the showing uI
Of Democratic frauds and Irregularities, when
| In point OF fact the bargain with Mr.. Kellogg
| was, we are informed by one Of the principals
for the fabrication Of q complete set Of cleo
ton returns from every parish In the State
| papers which were required by the Senate
| Committee at Washington, and which were
manufactured La rooms over the Office now
| Onannipd nv no
Camp street, by Blanchard Il Co. ..-.mz.@
| The original election returns of 1872 had
been taken from the Mechanics Institute and
had been turned over to the Mitchell Forman
board, and not an iota Of official data of the
election passed into the hands of the Kellogg
board. Hence the necessity of fabricating
tally lists, poll sheets, statements of votes
and supervisors returns for every polling
place and every parish In the State, for use In
evidence at Washington.
The story goes that when these returns had
been forged and fabricated they we're placed
in mattress and secured until the forgers
and fabricators had made their terms with W.
p. Kellogg, substantially as stated In the ar
ticle published in the Times as to compensa-
ton, details Of which we shall publish in due
time @M
When Mr.. Blanchard and his pals had sold
their souls to Kellogg, all manner Of testi-
mony was. given, as can be sc en- from their
published evidence concerning the election of
1872. AS a matter Of history 1t may here be
stated that Blanchard's intended treachery
was known several days before the election Of
1872, and he was In point OF fact disrobed of
his powers, and commission to fill his office
was in the pocket Of gentleman OF this city,
who supervised his every act Every mem
Der Of the Democratic Committee of 1872
knows that he was not relied upon for DAYS
before the election, and In no manner enjoyed
the confidence of the Fusion party. Hence,
any professions concerning thesplans of the
Democratic Committee, were fabrications on
q par with the bogus returns.
We suspect that the real point In this publ
cation lies, however, in the scheme to eiefarne
brother Republican, Gen. W. L. McMilen,
now the Postmaster Of this city, who was
then cooperating with the Fusion party, and
was by the Fusion Legislature elected as
United States Senator. His name is dragged
into this publication as one of certain Sena-
tors said to have been brlbed by citizens to
Legislature. This lie Is SO patent to every
person familiar with the events of that pc
riod, that the publication of such statement.
1t appears to US, could only have been made
with purpose to injure.
Gen. McMillen and Gen. Campbell had been
open and avowed supporters of McEnery long
before the alleged bribery OF Senator's They
had made speeches In the campaign, and at
and before the time they are charged with
having been bought, they were earnestly and
zealonsly labOrlng to install the McEnery
government. These men are now political
Of ours, but common justice i'm
pels us to denounce as false and mendacious
the charges preferred against them
There Is one feature of this matter, however.
which 1t seems can be readily cleared up, and
that is the charge that Mr.. Blanchards
brother, q defaulting tax collector of More
house parish, received his quietus as part
Of the consideration in this infamous bargain,
Mr.. Charles Clinton was, we believe, the
Kellogg Auditor, and Mr.. H c. Dibble was. if |
we mistake not, the Kellogg Assistant Attor-
torney General at the time when Mr.. Blan-
chard's accounts were settled. The official
report OF Mr.. Clinton states that the greater
part of the claim against Blanchard was re-
mitted In compromise, because Of the i'm
proper abstraction or surrender of the party'g
bond.
II, therefore, there is any truth or error in |
ne Times charge, it should not be matter
u much difficulty for these gentlemen to set
he matter right It is well known that such
were frequently and justifiably
made, and We do not say that this one
Uttered from that class. The Times publishes
he charge, and the parties cognizant Of the
acts owe the public an explanation,
THE INSANE AevI na6u