The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-06-04

Of Senator Garlaud's recent powerful
speech In the Spotford- Kellogg case: "
Senator Morton said in the case from
which read little while ago, that It
was not unnatural FOR a man who had
been bribe4l to swear that he had never
been bribetl.' We are now Pelnitted to
the question whether this testimony,
taking it with all OF its cross firing and
cross-tracks Of the witnesses, IS worthy
Of belief. 1t is said on the part Of the
sitting Senator and those who contend
that he should be here, that you cannot
believe these persons ON oath. Then
more horrible and more frishtful Is the
record explaining 1t, Mr.. President,
when we see here more of these per.
sons than you can count upon your
fingers and toes honored by tho high
est offices and the highest trusts. % Vet
they cannot be believed upon oath.
Some of them have been confirmed by
the Senate. All who are Id the custom.
house, if / understand the law, have to
be confirmed and ratified by the Sec-
retary of the Treasury, who is now q
prominent candidate, for the, highest
Office in the gift of tho American peo-
pie. Horrible, horror beyond horror,
the Senator form Louisiana rides upon
these men to the Senate aud turns upon
them aud says: "You We're worthy to
elect me to the Senate, but you cannot
be believed upon oath In the Senate to
which go;" like the man who climbs
to the place he occupies and kicks over
the ladder that carried him up success
fully. Saturn, cold and remorseless,
perhaps hungry, turned upon his Off
spring and made choice repast.
1t may be true that this would be
dangerous testimony to take into q
court to convict mon who had not been
associated with that class of persons.
There is a familiar maxim in the law
which 1 wish to read now to the Sem
ate as applicable to this case. You can
never unkennel fraud except by the
testimony Of those who are partici-
pants in that fraud. You can never
bring to light the horrid and heliish
deeds of conspiracies except by the
testimony of conspirators. You would
never get q conviction in tho Five
Points Of New York City unless you
took the testimony of people who had
their existence and breathing in such n
place. AS to all these dens, who but
inmates can prove what has occurred
there? Wharton In his Legal Maxims
lays down: n', ..'. u4sr.,r.
Tests ntpama,is su0icH "d ftctun, IN m-
pamn,i .- .. ..s.r
A strun,pet is Il sufficient witness to a
fact committed in II brothel. ..| OBJ
Mr.. President, ever since the cnunci-
alton of these principles there has never
yet been IL trial of conspirators for any
unlawful purpose, or Il trial Of persons
for offcnscs committed in 1ewd places
or in places notOriously Infamous,
where the offenders were not tried upon
the testimony of those who lived in
and Inhabited such places. The sitting
member was there with those people,
and they We're his friends, so friendly
to him as TO send him to the United
States Senate. II the world would not
know him from himself, they would
know him from his associates, accord
ing to the maxim laid down there. 1t
is probable that you would not find
the most exalted characters for virtue
and for veracity in place Of that sort.
The testimony is that they were barri-
caded there and with none to associ
ate with but themselves. II this testi-
mOny cannot be believed, the PROPOSE
tiOn proves too much. 1t Is all a chaos;
it is all nothing if those who hatcheti
out the credentials of the sitting MEM
bcr cannot he believed on oath. Take
that horn of the dilemma, that they
are not to be believed at all, and every
thing is swept from under them. Three
or four or five have been confirmed by
the Senate to positions; twenty or more
have gone into the custOmhOuse.
An honorable Senator told me the
other day that he had examined this
testimony and that he could not con-
vict Il dog upon it, There Is old dog
Tray, who is known in historic song
as gentle and kind and devoted
friend, but he was convicted because
he was found in bad company. 1t is
true in law, in social life, in religion,
in politics, in everything, and you cam
not escape, it, that "birds OF a feather
flock together" "Tell me with whom
you walk and will tell you who you
are" Tho plea itself Is set up by the
persons who have done this slimy
thing for the State Of Louisiana and
for the sitting Senator that they cannot
be believed on oath. They are infam-
Gus now, but they were good enough
to do tho work of electing the sitting
member; and it is asking little too
much of human credulity for the sit.
ting member to tell us they cannot be
believed on oath. am sorry it Is so;
! am sad that it Is so.
MIR. President, have laid my views
in this case before the Senate under q
sense Of duty. Probably neither bv