The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-07-08
/" Beware Of Widows"

Mr.. Moore, Republican member Of
Congress from Tennessee, gives to the
Republican party the words of warning
once made immortal by the elder
Weller" Beware of vidders." They
are sapping the foundations of the
glorious old party and threaten it with
speedy ruin. Unless the party arouses
itself it is lost. Like Samson. If it sits
in the laps of widows, or rather If it
lets the widows sit in It's lap, its strength
and virtue will vanish and it will fall
into the hands of the Philistines. 1t
must awake, arise, let the widows fall
out Gifts lap, or be forever fallen itself.
Mrs. Wilcox; who is taken as the text
of this eloquent but ungallant appeal to
his party, is a widow. She enjoys the
rare distinction of having been born in
the White House, her grandfather, An
drew jackson Donelson, having been
at the time the private secretary and
adopted son of the President whose
name he bore. She was appointed by
General Grant to aclerkship in the Treas
ury Department. Her conduct in the
Office has been scandalous and outra-
geous She has done her work faithfully
and creditably, but this does not compen-
safe for nor excuse the offenses of which
she is guilty. She is not Republican
and sympathizes with the Democratic
party. She has even dared to talk of the
time when the Democrats may come into
power This her comrades cannot abide,
as it unsettles in their minds the founda-
ton of things, and makes them distrust
the goodness of Providence and the sta
bility of the universe. "This was
more," says Moore, than "Judge Hoax
and T. could stand, and Judge Houk
knew the widow of a Union soldier
"who was in every respect equally
worthy and "Judgc Houk and l"
agreed that she "should have a place
in preference to Democratic sympa-
thizer." II do not believe remarked
Moore with much solemnity, lin this
sentimental appointment to Office" of
Democratic widows. Republican Wild
ows are appointed for practical reasons.
" If the Democrats come into power"
Moore adds, "they ought to turn out
every Republican office-holder and put
Democrats in their places. If they do
not do this they are fools"
One swallow, however. does not make
q summer and one widow does not make
fall-of the pillars of the Constitution.
But Moore knows of another widow in
the Memphis post-office who has hold
of another pier or buttress of the Con-
stitution, and who, by pull altogether
with Andrew Jackson's great grand
daughter, can turn the party and the
country topsy-turvy. In place of this
bereaved political torpedo at Memphis.
Congressman Moore knows an entirely
safe and trustworthy person who ought
to have her Office. His appointment
would restore the edifice to plumb and
the people to confidence. The fact that
this trustworthy person happens to be
Moore's brother-in-law has nothing
whatever to do with it. The question
is solely whether or not he sympathizcs
with the Republican party. If he does
that ends the controversy. To give an
Office to a Union soldiers widow. who
sympathizes with the Democratic party,
and afford her thereby means for pro-
viding for her children. when Moore has
brother-in-law that fits the place like
an umbrella in an umbrella case, is q
sentimental bit of politics which pro-
foundly disgusts Moore. He is a s.prac-
ticar' politician who believes, like Flani-
gan, that parties exist for the Offices and
that Republicans as we'll as Democrats
are 'fools' if they do not act on that
principle. So long as widows are in Office
and congressman brothers-in-law arc
out, our political institutions are in
danger. Moore's superiority over other
Congressman is his frankness. Most of
them believe rs he does about it, but are
more hypocritical, and instead of pro-
claiming it from the house tops hide it
under specious phrases. Free Press