The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-19
KELLOGG'S CASE.


KELLOGG's CASE.
For more than three years tho Senate OF
| the United States has permitted VIM. Pitt
Kellogg to occupy the seat OF Henry M. Spot
ford and, without the shadow Of right, to ap-
pear Us the representative of q State. the
people or which have time and again scorn-
fully disowned him, and to whom he Is as much
an allen as any Of the other carpet-baggers
who, since the advent Of honest government
In the South, have betaken themselves to
colder and more congenial climes. For more
than three years Louisiana has by this ex-
traordinary conduct on the part Of the Senate
been practically debarred from the constitu-
tionnl right Of representation In that Inn
portant body. and the curious anomaly has
been presented to the country and the world
OF Democratic State represented by a Radi-
cal OF the deepest dye and most Objectionable
character. .r.z..=
Seated by imperious demands OF party
that felt It's power passing away, and In plain
defiance Of justice and decency, he has sue
ceeded In reta lining his position by the ex-
ercise OF those traits Of character for which
he Is notorious duplicity and cunning until
the pres ent time. while Louisiana has been
PEELED to wait, with such patience as she
could command, the day when this pretender
and lnterioper should be overtaken by that
justice which. though often slow, Is newt
able. What q palpable absurdity has the
presence OF this man in the Senate involved |!
The sham government which he claims his
title under has faded utterly away and left
not a wreck behind" We only Kellogg, who
has been permitted ''c lay superfluous on
the stage Of the Senate, disgracinR that
body by his presence and humiliating Louis
lana by his preposterous pretensions to rep
resent her people,
It appears, however, that the Committee on
Privileges and Elections has. after an exhaus-
tive investigation Of his case, rendered o re-
port declaring that he Is not entitled to
seat In the United States Senate, and that
Henry M. Spofford was duly elected for the
term beginning March 4, 1877. The commit
tee find that he Is not only not entitled to the
seat by reason Of never having been elected
by lawful Legislature, but that the charges
Of fraud and bribery and conspiracy made
against him are correct, and they declare that
ephemeral bubble. the Packard Legislature,
was q part and parcel Of that conspiracy.
This, we presume, will settle the matter for
Mr.. Kellogg. and result In tardy justice being
done to Mr.. Spofford and to Louisiana. or
course, there will be struggle over the mat
ter, and, OF course, the Radicals will declare
the unseating Of Kellogg an outrage and all
that, but when the evidence is all before the
country there will be an expression OF won
u, Al 10 "a
ferred an act which was demanded, not alone
by justice, but also by proper regard for the
dignity Of that body
The desperate fight which kellogg has
made to retain the position into which he was
foisted by political exigency has been very
characteristic OF the man, and In nothing has
he given greater proof Of his venomous In
stincts than In his feeble attempt to assail the
reputation OF Senator Hill, who, as chairman
Of the Committee Of Investigation, naturally
aroused his hostility and awakened his
alarm. The social scandal, which has created
some excitement In Washington, and which
involved Senator ELL, 1t is alleged, emanated
from Kellogg, and was his last desperate
attempt to prevent his expulsion by intimi-
dating the man whom he most feared. Such
accusations are easily made against public
men, and, however false and malicious, are
always disagreeable.and painful. The prompt
and public denial OF the charge by the lady
whose name had been injuriously associated
with Mr.. Hills, strangled the scandal In its
birth and left Mr.. Kellogg nothing to
do but to get up, and, with much show
of injured innocence, declare that the
rumor OF his having had anything
to do with the infamous attempt
to injure the Senator from Georgia false
hood. This denial sounds we'll, and Kellogg
ought to know what C. falsehood is In fact he
may be said to be an expert In that line, hav.
Ing dealt In them so largely, but the facte
are, unfortunately for his assumption of In
jured innocence, against him. It was known
as far back as last January that
such charge would be made against
Senator Hill, with view Of weakening
the report OF his committee. This was moi
mere rumor, but assumed the shape Of an
affidavit, which we presume is In Senator
Hills possession, and which, II Mr.. Kellogg
should succeed In getting his committee Of
investigation as asked for, will be produced
The publication Of the scandal was nicely
timed to meet the requirements Of Kelloggs
case, and had Senator Hill been as easily
frightened as a guilty man would have been
and as, no doubt, Mr.. Kellogg hoped he
would be, very important diversion would
have been created In the latter's favor.
The Senate will be cleaner and more re-
putable and ADLER body when VIM. Pitt Kel
logg ts relagated to the obscurity from
whence he came, and Henry NJ. Spo6ord, the
legally elected Senator from this State, takes
the seat from which he has SO long been I'm.
justly excluded.
L
u A MUNICIPAL PUZZLE.
The Administrators Of this city are mo-
lacking In sagaclty or acumen, and their gen