Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-06-05

and ..run'' in his own interest the paper o
this "honest" oatmeal philosopher. Wi
this Pvthias attachment 20 hostage for thi'
precious Damon to his cell?
From the Brooklyn Union.l
The Eastern District Court is with one
exception. the only Court in the country ii
which the prosecuting officer has succeeded ii
bringing to trial or in procuring the lndict-
ment of the leading and responsible revenue
officials, within whose district, and, presuma-
bly,, by whose negligence or conniyance, the
vast amount of fraudulently made spirits has
reached the market The most noted Of the
officials arraigned for trial in the Eastern
District was Theophilus c. Calhcot, to whose
political complaisance Mr.. Morgan owed his
election to the United States Senate, and
who received the appointment Of Collector Of
the Third Congressional District, Brooklyn,
at the hands Of Mr. Morgan.
When the bill for the abolition OF the
Court in which Mr.. Callicot is arraigned was
printed. it was found to contain provision,
| in elaborate form. for the transfer of all
cases pending in the Court to the Southern
| District. where, as we have shown, they
would have been promptly and hopelessly
| dismissed 1t was also found that the bill
was warmly supported by Mr. Callicot' s
counsel, not only in ordinary ways, but IN
the editorial columns of the New York Tn
bunc. journal which is curiously affected by
the personal desires and antipathies Of its
edit0r-in-chief 1t is further particularly I'M
fortunate that in this case the editor was in
clined to sympathize with his legal contribu-
tor as against the Court assailed, from hay
ing been involved in an acrid and discredita-
bic contest for the appointment of Judge,
which he sought for that distinguished Irish
man, but rather obscure .jurist, VIM. E. Rob
inson. That the release of the client of the
LAWYER and the qualification of the ancient
grudge of the editor were not without inhu
ence on the course of the Tribune is fair in
ference.
If Mr.. Greeley really believed the
Court to be unnecessary, it was indecent to
seek TO sell out his opposition for the priv
lege Of naming a Judge. If his only objec-
ton to the Court was the Judgeship of Mr..
Benedict, he showed his lack of ability to de-
eide that question by urging for the place
such an unqualified scallawag as Robinson.
And when his little piece Of political harlot-
ry fell through, and nobody would buy his
virtue at the price he asked, Mr.. Greeley
showed a petty pique in following up the
case.
1t is not Measuring to think that paper
Of the reputed integrity of the Tribune, and
possessed too, of the store Of constitutional
lore which seems to be exclusively revealed
to that ournal should, under any circum-
stances have been brought to support bill
which struck at the existence of a singularly
efiei' mt Court which, by its assured uncon-
stir .tionally, gave immunity to crowd of
EXP erienced and desperate robbers of the
rev enue, and which was not urged by single
co nsideration of the public good.
We have gone thus infinitely into the his
tory of this singular case, not so much be-
cause it involves the reputation oil the In
J1ne, although the shadow cast on that is
deep enough to deserve attention, but be-
cause it is a striking instance OF the malign
influences to which efficient officers are now
more than ever exposed under our Govern
ment The criminal cases In the Court we
have referred to have disclosed frauds on the
revenue amounting to over three-tourths OF a
million of dollars. 1t was recently stated by
Mr.. Thurlow Weed that one OF the parties to
these frauds endeavored 10 procure defect
i've Indictment from the District Attorney by
a bride Of $50, 900. 1t is known that the
Judge of the Court, in many revenue cases,
has been compelled to make his decisions
without the aid of single precedent, and it
is proper to add that these decisions have
been singularly sustained on appeal. When
il was sa1cht to abolish the Court by meas
ure which set at liberty every person arraign-
ed before Il, we did not deem 1t outside OF
the province of journalism to point out some
of the motiges for the attempt, and the means
employed ,s Il, as illustrating the dangers