Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-03-25
The MCGarrahan Claim,
We see frequently in Republican pal per

We see frequently in Republican papers
comments upon the McGarrahan CHIN
which show an utter ignorance Of the facts
in the case. and a disposition to toady to
the subsidized Congressman and attorncys
employed to rob an honest man of his lust
rights. Our nci shbor Of the Tribuae.
puts his oar into this controversy, evident
" knowing nothing about it, solely for tic
purpose Of toadyins to somebody in position
from whom he takes his cue, and endorses
the declaration made for a fee, that this
claim is the greatest fraud ever recorded
in the widest romance of rascality" This
language, with the proposition reversed,
would express the fact. The fraud is not
in the claim Of McGarrahan, but in the
organized conspiracy and the means en-.
ploycl-cnibracng subornation of perjury
and the open bribery of Judges, members
ofCongrcss, Cabinet officers, and the strong
suspicion of the corruption Of the Prcsi-
dent, who personally ..intcrfered to pre-
vent the issuance of the patent to McGar-
rahan, after the case had been adjudicated
and judicially decided in his favor.
The circumstances of the case are these
McGarrahan purchased Spanish grant
upon which the New Idra quicksilver
mine was situated; entered upon posses.
sion, erected works and was successfully
engaged in producing quicksilver from the
ore at the rate of about $40, 900 week,
during all of which time his right to the
land was never questioned, and to this day
no individual has ever set up an adverse
claim to the property. The immense val.
ue of this mine, amounting to many mill.
ions sf dollars, excited the cupidity of
a gang of unprincpled spectators who Or
ganizcd joint stock company to procure
the reversion of the land to the Govern.
ment, and then jump the claim themselves
and hold it by the corruption of Govern
ment officials. In this way the New Almadin
mine was acquired, the Government being
at all the expense of contesting the claim,
and then, through an accredited Attorney,
surrcnicring the title to new company at
whose instigation the suit was prosecuted.
Suit was commenced in the name of the
Government against McGarrahan, ostcnsi-
bly, to recover possession Of the mine, upon
the claim of the Government to all mines
upon the public domain, and an injunction
granted by the Court restraining McGarra-
han from working it, thus dcprivins him
ofthc means Of defending his rights against
powerful combination of capitalists who
controlled the power of the Government
in their own interests. This case has now
been pending nearly twelve years, and
millions Of dollars have been expended to
worry McGarrahan out of his rights, and
nothing but the manifest justice Of his
claim has enabled him to procure the
means Of defence against such powerful
combination, which has spared no expense
to prejudice his case before the public
Twice have the Courts awarded him the
patent, and on both occasions it has been
withheld through private tampcring with
Government officials. On the last occa-
sion, it will be recollected, the President
te!egraphcd to Secretary Cox not to issue
the paten: until he had further time to
investigate the r'attcr, thus assuming to
reverse the decision of the Courts upon
ritiful prctext which had the odor of
corruption upon it. McGarrahan has been
upon the defensive from tho beginning;
if there has been fraud and rascality he
has been the object and not the iustigator
of it, and with these facts before him the
man who stands up in Congress and charg-
es him with being the author of the vii
lainy which has kept him out of his own
possessions for the last twelve years, gives
the most conclusive proof of being himself
a subsidized scoundrel, which, might be
inferred from the name of Garfelde.
BosToN.-One day during the past
week, one Of our otherwise highly respect
able citizens uttered constructive blasphe-