The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-02-10
CHAT sWINDLf."
THE LEON N. CARTER ACT.

tAc mouDtIS VI LILO HOUSE WHO were pres
ent but five, been misled by the fact that
Mr.. Seay, Of Caddo, had introduced the
bill or that we had overlooked it's real ma
ture. With this kind statement, l, of
course, have no cause of complaint, and
am very much obliged to the editor of
that paper for it.
1 propose, however, to enter a little
more into the details and merits of the
subject matter under discussion. The bill
was of a local nature and could not be in
troduced without having been advertised
for thirty days in the locality. 1t states
in the body of it that it was so advertised
in Shreveport before its introduction
This would have carried the notice back
to, say, April 1st, 1884, lacking but less
than two months of tVo gears ago. 1t was
passed, approved and promulgated in
July, 1884, eighteen months ago. Accord
ing to the Times suit was brought and judy
ment rendered on it more than near aqo.
Now, l rise to question of explanation.
Why all this delay in the discovery of
this gigantic swindlei Where was the
clarion voice of the Times and Town Talk
when warning would have prevented the
swindle, if swindle it bet There was not
word of warning, notice or adverse crit
icism, though 1 dare say the very notice
itself was published at the time in the
Times, though as to this I affirm nothing,
for l know nothing. I never saw Mr..
Carter to know him and had no knowl-
edge Of the existence of such man as B.
G. White, who it appears transferred the
claim to Carter, nor did know anything
more about the bill than it was local mea-
sure introduced by Mr.. seay, the Democra-
tic representative from Caddo, and that it
proposed to give one Of Mr.. Seay's local
constituents the right to assert and prove,
if he could, his claim in the Courts of the
State. Therefore know nothing and can
assert nothing about the facts of the mat
ter or the merits or dement's of the
claim itself.
understand from the Tines article that
it is not disputed that the claim is found
ed on contract with the officers of the
State, such as they then were, who had
the legal authority, such as it then was,
to make such contracts; and that it is not
denied that the work was done according
to the contract and is charged for at the
usual rates. I submit that upon these ad-
missions, without notice as to any sort of
objection by anybody, member of the
Legislature before which the bill was
pending, could hardly have justified his
refusal to vote to grant the only thing
asked for, which was permission to estab-
lish the validity Of the claim in the Courts
of the State-unless he voted "no' upon
all bills upon general principles as some
members invariably did. There was
no appropriation asked for in the bill.
! The bill was passed without discussion.
l submit'again that the 63 members of the
House who voted for the passage of the
bill are not amenable even to the charge
Of careless voting, even though the meas
ure should afterwards prove obnoxious
The whole thing went by default. Courts
of justice frequently render judgments by
default which they would not render if
there was opposition.
Iwish to be understood clearly in what
l am now writing. lam not championing
this claim. / know nothing about it. If
its owner comes before the Legislature at
its approaching session, now that its status
is known there will be a thorough inves-
tigatioh If it; and unless it shall be shown
to be legal, correct, just and equitable l
shall vote against it, do not know that
l could justify my refusal to vote for its
payment solely upon the grounds stated
by the Times as the basis Of its present op-
position, that B. G. White was Radical
and that the South Western was Radical
paper. The people are to-day paying in
terest on several millions of State bonds,
issued by Kellogg, the arch robber Of the
whole Radical crew, and I very much
doubt if the proper test of the validity of
any claim against the State is: whether
the present or past owner is or was ever q
Republican in politics; 1 am disposed to
think that test more consistent with the
eternal principles of right is: is the claim
just onei
Having no exciting election on hand to
disturb my mental equilibrium as has the
editor of the Times, may be disposed to
take more cool and dispassionate view
of the subject than he can afford to take
considering the necessity he is under of
stirring up the voters of Caddo by start
ling headlines proclaiming genuine, per-
haps, but rather long deferred, discoveries
Of legislative maresnests! However that
may be, l don't think that my legislative
conscience will permit me to accept the
politics of any man as the sole test of the
merits and justice of his claim. My brief
legislative experience has taught me that
under such rule few, perhaps unwor-
worthy Republican claims might be kept
out, but it would open the door of the
treasury dangerously wide for many un.
worthy Democratic claims to get in.
think an inquiry into the real solid, SUBJ
stantial foundation of the business and
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