Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-06-23
Democratic Prescription.


IL IS well known to naSt af ear reader:
that while JoHS WESrWoRru. present
Mayor of Chicago, was a member of III,
Democratic party, he was considered i;
bis political friends an honest, uprich,
man-one who would scorn to DO Il dis.
/ honorable act. But Since Mr.. Wentworth
has declined to act with the pro-slar, r.
party, and is considered q 8 black Renub.
llcan," the vengence of " the pargy'' Is
showered upon him withQut stint or mea-
sure. Every member of Congress, we
presume, after the close of the session.
receives his proportion of the Public
Document, for distribution among the
people. These Documents are sometimes
sent III Boxes, at other times I'D Paper
Wrappers, or Canvass bags, which we
presume are seldom if ever returned To
the Department. While Mr.. w. was a
member Of Congress, he received a guam
tity of Documents in Canvass bags, and
his former political friends have just dis
covered that thpse bags are still in his poa-
session, and had HIM arrested for steal
ing the I. S, Mail Bags We give be-
low the result Of the examination esore
Judge Drummond, which we fnd III the
Chicago Tribune. To what meauuess
will not political prejudice cause men to
stoop
TIE GREAT MAILBAG ROBBERY.
In the matter of the arrest and tria! Of
Mayor Wentworth, yesterday, OH the
frivolous charge OF stealing |. :. maIl-
bags, 1t was proven before Judge Drum
mond,
lst. That the bags had been sent to him
from Washington, while he was a mem-
ber of Congress, filed with documents
for distribution AMONG the people.
%. That these canvas bags were Meth
er stolen nor embezzled.
Sd. That the Department nor it officers
ever asked for their return, and conse-
quently they were not used by the Mayor
fer the purpose Of defraudmg the Gov
ernment.
4th: That thcEe is no law making i,
obligatory upon members of Congress TO
return canvas mall-Lags sent lg them with
public documents.
9th. That scores of those BAGS have
been delivered 10 Senator Doug las, and
the Postmaster of Chicago never ordered
him t9 bring them back, nor is it known
that he ever voluntarily returned them to
the Department.
9th. Documents are often sent in pa
per wrappers, sometimes IN boxes, and at
other times iii canYas bags that it has
not been customary for VI. c.. to send
back TO Washington either the wrappers.
boxes or bags. Judge Drulnmoud stated
that he had often received documents in
boxes, and had never return ed them, nor
had he been requested so to do.
9th. That mail bags in prolusion were
in possession Of the Buchanan, Fremont
and Fillmore cipbs last fall, and il was not
known whether they had ever been re-
turned.
When the testimony was concluded,
Judge Drummond read the law on the
subject of stealing, embezzllng or appro-
prlating property OF the Government, and
in few lucid sentences showed that the
present case came within none of the
provisions of the statute, and that no Of
fence had been committed. He then per-
emptorily dismissed the prosecution, ad.
minstering Il pretty sharp rebuke to those
who trumped it up. The Attorney for
the prosecutors apQlogized for bringing
it before his honor, and plead tha, il was
done IN discharge of official duty, where
the zeal of the officer cutran the offence.
The parties Instrumental in getting up the
absurd charge have dropped it as a dog
would i hot dumPling, fter burning their
fingers. Groclletts maxim is 4 good oue
to fellow in such cases.