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Cwwkamtd Ul AeqiittnLWilliam Pitt Kellogg Is at present a Congressman front Louisiana and formerly was Governor and UnitedStates Senator. He has just been found guilty o! receiving $60,000 i*om a Star-ronte contractor named J. B. Price, and ac putted. The paradox of the assert'on is only apparent. The payment of the money ana the payment of it to Kellojrg for his iniiuence fn getting a contract* were not only proved, bat admitted; the offense was demonstrated And confessed. But because the transaction look place live years ago, it was held to be barred by the statute of l.mitations. The court, thereupon, directed the acquittal of Kellogg.It may be asked, how did the Law Department of the Federal Administration come to arraign this man on a defective indictment? It will never be possible to say whether this waa by accident or design. The indictment put the date of the reception of the bribe at June 1C, 1879. It was shown that at the date named Kellogg cashed the drafts given to him as bribery money— and that was not quite five years ago. Bnt it was also shown that he received the drafts about throe months before he cashed them. The court hold that the reception of the drafts was the date of the Lrilery, not tho time when they were turned into money. The Administration lawyers declare that they did not know the drafts were three months old when cashed; but the informer Price, on whom they relied for conviction, swore on the stand that he told the Government counsel that very fact.It is a miserable business. Kellogg has been acouitted because bis crime has aged;* the indictments against Price have been nolled, because he turned informer, albeit a useless informer, and all the remaining charges against Brady have been canceled*, because, since the nolleing of the indictments against himself. Price declares he will not be a witness any more. An even month before the ChicAgo Convention, the Arthur Administration presents the last of the Star-routers with a complete acquittal. The further announcement is that Kellogg and the rest of the Louisiana delegation to the Republican National Convention have declared for Arthur.Such incompetcncy and corruption combined ought to injure the Administration with its party, but so far it has only gained it delegates. A more condemning commentary on political Republicanism than these facts make could not be made. As for Kellogg, there is nothing in his previous career which conflicts with tne offense just admitted by him, and only by a habit and history of such offenses has he been sble to keep his place in the or- j ganized crime, which goes by the name of Republicanism in Louisiana..—Albany Argus.
Newspaper Details
The Colfax Chronicle
Colfax, Louisiana, US
Sat, Aug 02, 1884
Page 2
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Anonymous
USA 24 May 2022
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