The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-12
THE TELLER COMMITTEE.

Thh lhAu0h OVMMAA 4A0s
81 fear the Greeks, even when bringing
80" The Teller committee suggests to US
~ sdmonition of Virgil. When Blaines res
...t,on Of Investigations was first passed the
s.,eme difficulty therI was experienced In
-1rcnp any reputable Republicans to serve
"A the committee created by it was construed
!. / crushing rebuke to the mover Of the res
.,,,tion and to the policy upon which he had
s-.iocted his presidential campaign. Ia short,
~ blaine was given out as a failure, whose
e.mper and tactics even Tack Chandler con-
Ssmned. while Garfield said Of them that they
.rrld not ego down" with the people who
,.,ro Interested In finance, commerce, and
[srch things as bore upon the material inter-
ssts Of the people.
n has occurred to us that, probably, the
porublicans did not wish o respectable Re-
r,blican Senator to act on this committee,
snd that It was put up for dirty purposes,
-blob could not be subserved by decent men.
II may be an accident that the Craftsmanship
q this committee was reserved for that en-
thusiast, Teller, but 1t looks to US like what
"a "boys" call put up job" on that ex-
eaedinQly recent and unsophisticated Senator
Our suspicious are based upon the character
4 work this committee is engaged in per-
sorming In this city at the present time We
NAV flatter Mr.. Blaine In saying SO, but we
"a not believe that even his partisan preju-
dioe and bitterness could have driven him
into an acceptance Of the Offices poor Teller
i dischargIng con dmore, with a loving zeal
ma an exalted idea Of his Importance In SO
doing.
We are willing to confess that the idea Is
shrevd one. The only difficulty lay In find
ing men in the United States Senate who
we're capable Of lending themselves to Its full
0Ilment. The project was, In few words, to
oollect the testimony on behalf Of the prose-
sution produced before the grand iuries In
the election cases, and publish and distribute
tat public expense, as congressional docu-
ments. for political purposes. To begin with.
The funds for paying the expenses OF the Tel
lex committee arc flched from general
appropriation, devoted to an altogether diff
ierent purpose.
But the dirty feature Of the business is the
sanding OF this committee here at the time
when the city is full OF witnesses summoned
70 testify before the grand jury, and not In
open court, and when the parties accused are
ignorant even Of the indictments against
them and have had no opportunity to sum-
mons witnesses In rebuttal. We all know
what grand jury is for, what sort OF testi-
mony Is brought before it, and the methods
by which It's proceeds. The sessions OF this
inquest Is secret; 1t affords no opportunity
for croes-examination or refutation; 1t hears
only testimony for the prosecution, and Its
cole purpose Ia to develope q probable case OF
guilt, upon which a prosecution may be
based.
This Is the sort Of testimony that Teller has
been commissioned to have printed in pub
pie. No wonder that respectable Republl-
cans, even, could not be fou I'd to serve on such
D committee, and that the craftsmanship Of It
BY sort Of moral gravitation, declined upon
Teller. who happens here with his committee
just at the time when the er parte witnesses
summoned by the district attorney are Ia
the city for the purpose OF appearing before
that secret inquisition, the grand jury. It Ii
the testimony Of these witnesses, protected by
secrecy with absolute immunity from refuta-
ton or legal prosecution for their irresponsi
BILE mendaeity, against whom no proceedings
for perjury can lie, that Teller is making 9
Congressional document for gratuitous dis
tribution. There are few witnesses here OF
the other side. but all these the district at
torney has taken the precaution to shadow
with indictments, or threats Of indictment
and thus to prevent them from giving testi
mony before the committee. under advice D
their own counsel. What is such testimony al
this worth, and who but Teller could be in
duced to bring 1t out?
It Ii gratifying, however, to know that
even under these circumstances, Teller hal
not prosper. Take. for example, the evi
dence adduced In the Fifth Congressiona
District. What does 1t proven First, that tn,
whole trouble In the river parishes in thai
district was over the local offices, and that Il
had no connection with the congressiona
any right to inquire about; and, secondly
that the fight was between two factions
Of the Republican party, and that thu
Democrats had snothing whatever to d.
with 1t. Teller has shown, by his own wit
nesses, that Concordia, one Of the heaviest
negro parishes, repudlated both Fairfax ant
Ludeling. and that Tensas refused to accept
at least Lundeling az the Republican candi
date for Congress, and that 1t Endorsed King
This showing certainly removes these par.
ishes from all congressional investigation
The testimony before this committee shows
conclusively that the troubles in Tensas were
due to fight between two factions Of the
Republican party, both Of which were seek.
ing to secure the Democratic support. The
carpet-bag element, feeling secure OF the
white support, nominated straight out Re-
publican ticket In order to secure the negro
vote. while the Fairfax, or negro faction Of
the Republican party, feeling secure Of
the colored vote, nominated a straight out
Democratic ticket, In order to make Ger.
tain Of the white vote. This Ia all the
Teller committee has made manifest, SO IA,
as these parishes are concerned. Whatever
consolation the Republican Senate may draw