The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-03
"SYLPH" EXPLAINS.


Shrewd lawyers when called upon to de-
fend individuals charged with grave crimes
generally advise their clients to keep 81
lent tongue. The reason of the advice is
obvious. There IS danger land the more
guilty the accused may be, the greater Is
the danger--that the admissions may not
tally with known facts. II "Sylph" Bah
cock has no friends capable or willing Of
advising him, we will venture word of
advice-although, we are aware that these
recreant sons of Vermont little like to hear
advice from their native hills-and that is
That you are talking too much with your
=" mouth, 'Sylph'." We venture this coun-
sci, because he is reported as explaining
that his St. Louis kilograms were aent to
political friends who he did not sup
pose we're connected with any whisky ring,
and, in fact, "such combination was not
then known to exist )" by which, we are
to understand that he was telegraphing
relative to political matters and without
regard to whisky ring" because no such
ring was known to exist.
Let us see how this explanation tallys
with probabilities and known facts. Let
us refer to the kilograms. Under date of
March ia, 1874, Joyce telegraphs to Bah
cock: make d. call off his scandal
"hounds that only blscken the memory of
poor Ford and friends. -Business !" Very
innocent and political this looks What,
pray tell us, had Babcock to do with call
ing off "scandal hounds?" 1t is not very
reasonable to believe that he had any con-
troll over 3D." but 1t is more than probable
that he could keep the "scandal hounds
from gaining the ear of the president, and
this he seems to have done pretty effect
ually. 1t ioas "business" and he "meant
business" Perhaps some political move
ment was on foot at that time, but If there
was, 1t concerned only the life of the
"whisky ring" and this Babcock must
have known.
More significant still are the kilograms
to Babcock of December 3, 1874. "Has
the secretary or commissioner ordered
"anyone here ?" and his reply, two days
after, "Cannot hear that anyone has gone
or is going" The dispatch, too, of Oc-
tober 81, 1874, "Are things right? How?;"
of February 8, 1876, "The enemy weakens.
Push them > of April 90, Crush out
st. Louis enemies y and more significant
still, the ''Slyph" telegram of December
10 1914 u,r;ttap md oapt bv DohoooL hin,
self: ~ succeeded. They will not go. VI
Is there any hypothesis on which these can
be explained consistent with innocence and
ignorance of the knowledge of "whisky
ring?" Babcock, in his haste to con-
vince the country that he is not a knave,
would have it believe that be is fool.
Could Babcock have been ignorant OF
the existence of "whisky ring ?" Let
the facts answer. That there was such d
combination was an open secret in ST.
Louis as early as 1871, and was matter OF
newspaper discussion during that and the
, following year. 1t may be true, but it II
hardly possible, that this matter ESCAPED
Babcock's notice, but if Murdoch, former
ly collector of internal revenue for th,
second Missouri district, is 10 be believed
> the fact of its existence, and Joyces con
| uection Herewith, was brought home t
him during the latter year. According tt
his statement, he had reported that Joyc,
, had told him that more crooked whisky
must be allowed to be manufactured in hi
district, giving him directions as to the dis
, tribution of the.amounts to be paid by tn
distillers for the privilege. Soon afte
e making this report, he was removed
Whereupon he made an affidavit, embody
: ing the statement contained IN his report
(; and forwarded it 10 the president. No
: hearing from this, he wrote to Babcock in
+ forming him Of his letter to the president
h and enclosing an affidavit of Joyces col
e rupt proposition, which letter and affidavi
b, he procured personally delivered. If thi
e statement 10 true, and it appears to be al
# thentic, there can be no doubt of Babcock
9 guilty knowledge and completely. If true
). it explains the kilograms to and from Bal
cock, and they are capable of no REASONABLE
o explanation except on the hypothesis G
d his connivance with the ring. Babcoc
O could not have been the only ignorant ma
In the country he is either knave or
O fool, and try as much as he may, we dout
# whether he can convince many who kno'