The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-21

sucn lneffable dlsgra e on our civil tribunals.
The plaintiffs are rich, and therefore vulnera-
BILE objects Of legal rapacity. The defendant is
dead, and having been insoivent while living,
it looks very much as if his case had been ia
ken on shares and that the lawyers have from
the beginning expected their fees exclusively
from whatever they could get out of the plain
tiffs. The general reputation Of the counsei
for the defense, warrants this theory and the eh-
tire history of the case from its inception soes
to establish it. ~ :,
Of course the end is not yet. There will
be . motion made before the sitting Judge in
the sunreme Court to set aside the report as
against law, evidence and equity. As there |.
is 10 Barnard or Cardozo now on the Supreme
bench, such a motion has fair chance of
being decided on its merits, and it is possible |
that this monstrous outrage upon justice may
be summary thwarted. But it is well that
such performances should be thoroughly ven
tilated, and held up to the popular view as a
striking commentary upon the dancers to
which community may be subjected when
the courts of law are perverted to the promo
ton OF schemes of private gain.
l am glad to see that there is growing
feeling of impatient remonstrance against that
crying evil
THE LAWS DELAY"
In civil cases there is such chronic tenden-
cy to procrastination among lawyers, judges
and referees that a law suit is becoming to be
considered the matter of life time. The
calendars Of oil tho Co,,rtc oro fill ooco, oro
pending that have been on the docket for
eight OR ten years, and yet these imperturba-
BILE functionaries dawdle along with as pro-
| found an Indifference to the miseries and
wrongs they are inficting as If they had no
part with or sympat y for their fellow beings.
At last, the long suffering victims of these
cruelties are appealing to an enlightened public
sentiment, and it is to be hoped that the agi-
tation will 90 on until thorough reformation
is accomplished. Now that the spirit of re-
form is making itself felt everywhere, work.
ing publication in diplomacy, politics, bust
ness. literature, everything, it is devoutly to
be hoped it may pervade the musty atmos
phere of our courts. and shake the dust out
ofthe crowded pigeon holes of dilatory law
yers.
THE SAN DOMINGO PURCHASE.
The purchase of st. Domingo which has
just. been contaminated has been contem-
plated for number of months, and promises
to prove lucrative enterprise. The Island
has such rare abundance of valuable pros
ducts, is such marvel of fertility and salu ri
ty, and PRESENTS so fine field for successful
Development that 1 haze never been able to
comprehend why the Senate refused to concur
in the statesmanlike views Of the President
in his recommendation of ratification of his
treaty with Baez. Fortunately all the ben
efits which would have accrued to the ceun-
try by its annexation are likely to be secured
under the new arrangement, and we shall
soon see garden Of beauty springing up in
the West Indies, pouring out its tropical
treasures with steadily increasing profusion,
charging the borders of civilization and en-
HANGING the national wealth. Tie exports
of st. Domingo. under semi-barbarous rule,
have been as high as a hundred and one mil
lions Of dollars in single year. With thrifty
population and a government ensuring order
and peace, it is capable of augmenting its
highest former production five fold.
FRANK BLAIR's DEFEAT.
The defeat of Frank Blair sweeps away the
last vestige of the wreck of Liberal Republi-
canisn. There is poetic justice in his fate
but am sorry for him. Blair Joined the
conspiracy purely from motives of ambition.
He had an idea that the;e was to be revo-
luton. He didn't believe that any political
party could keep control of the government
for four successive terms. He had no person
al grievances about patronage to avenge, nei-
ther was he laboring under the delusion
that the administration was corrupt He
knew Gen. Grant well, and had great deal
OF that admiration for him with which he
never fails to inspire men with whom he is
brought into intimate personal relations. But
the General lived in a semi-rebel State, and
was ambitious. Hence he plunged with
characteristic impetuosity into the opposition,
and his petty reward has been a two years
unexpiled Term in the Senate. Now, he finds
himself thrown out by his new allies with
ample leisure to mediate up n the folly of
hoping for forgiveness, much less favor, from
the class against whom and whose kindred
he raised his sword in the proud days of his
career as gallant soldier of the Republic.
Twelve years ago, Gen. Blair was a Republ-
can candidate for Congress and waged war
|
The slave-holding city of ST. Louis. Gen.
Grant was at that time one of the electors of
his district aid voted for his de ,Ocratic OPP
ponent, because Blair was too radical for him.
What a change time has wrought in the two
menl The Representative has gone back
ward, the constituent forward. The one
finds himself remanded to private life in spite,
of his recantaton of radicalsm, the other in
| structed by the great events in W tic he has
borne the most conspicuous part rises to the
| height of the situation, and stands before the
| nation an llustrious type of the new civiliza-
ton which has brought freedom to race, in
| fused justice and humanity into the Const-
tuition and left of the democratic party MOTH
ing but its name.
CITY REFORM.
Mayor Havemeyer's initial exercise of the
appointing power relieved the city Of one very
bad officer, and bestowed upon it very good
one. He conferred the post of Commissioner
| of Public Parks on Salem II. Wales in place
of the notorious Tom Fields who has abscon-
| ded. Mr.. Wales is one of our best citizens,
| and his clear common sense, executive ability
and infexible honesty will make him a valu-
able coadjutor of Mr.. Stebbins and his col
| leagues in that branch of the municipal SER
| vice..
The new Charter will be under considera-
ton by the Legislature during the present
week. IL Is greatly 10 De nOpeu Inat nOtnlnS
will be done to disturb the harmony which
ought to exist between the city authorities
and the Republican majority at the State cap
ital. The Mayor and Comptroller are Demo
Gratis, but not such extreme partizans that
they cannot be depended upon to cooperate
in every well directed measure of city re
form. The best way to strengthen the Re-
publican par y is to make it worthy the conf
dence and support of all good citizens. Puri-
8 bnftpr nafr in, f1,al
We have conspicuous example of this tru-
ism in the fate which has overthrow the
Tweed dynasty, who ruled solely by patron
age, YARMOUTH