, 1876-02-02

minor disagreement botwoen tho Government
witnesses. In spito Of nil tl1ie, McKEE could
not yindcnta himself from tho direct evil
tenco Of his Identification with tia Ring.
Hero was the weak point In his cnsc,-tho
absenco OF n coniidont, straightforward, out
spoken, nrd convincing defonso. aovcral
members of tho 1ting-MEoRuE, cosoAs.
NON, Firznor, ENoEhkE, TnoRrp-testined
to tho consultations with MoKxr. to
tho putting nsflo OF his ahnro Of tho
Ring nsonoy, to Tho dirk and mys-
tcrions interviews, to tho bnok stairways and
accrct meetings. Hero was Mr.. AfcKEE's
opportunity to establish his innocence, II ho
Ind beon an innocent mou. If ho had nover
In my way been implicated In tho whisky
frauds, lie could have run down this circun-
stantial testimony and exposed It's falsity.
1lc Gould hnvo shown TINT ho was not n party
to my Of theso mysterious and crooked why's.
1fo could hnye produced Ills business books
mud biz private lccounts, conld haro shown
his receipts from nll sources md expenditures
for ali purposes, and could havo demonstrated
to tho satisfaction Of my jury TINT ho was
gniltlcss Of all connection with rings or
frauds Of whatever description. But ho
failed to do this. 1]ia counsel were
forced to content themselves with coercing
unimportant contradictions from tho wit
ncsscs, and with tho effort TO break down their
testimony by harping on the fact TINT they
wero conEpirators md swintllors. But this
much they lad alroaly confessed, and tho
scathing tlcnuciation Of tho "Tall Sycamore
| Of tho Wabash, failcd TO bring upon them any
contempt or discredit which they had not nj
rent1y anrnetl. Their evidence WINS not con-
tested in any essential matters, aud tho jury
| were forced to conviction Of MIR, MoKEE's
guilt.
| Tho verdict in tho S1cIEE case suggests re-
Elections TINT mist DO brought home to men
in this and other cities who know in their
own loarts that thoy nro guilty Of similar
charges TINT hive boon brought against them.
1t is notice TINT the sympathy Of loose city
1norals docs does not influence the Jury Of
countrymcn TINT are gathered together by the
United States Courts, and TINT local pEogsuro
does not count for 80 much in these trials as
1lB.1al. The decentralization Of business customs
which betrayed mau Of large means and
high position like AIcIkEE into n Ring for
EHG1tlQH LHH fUFEEllIlEHt alutH ilpt EALGllA ~
tho country districts, md rural Jurors do not
listen to evidence in these cnscs under per-
sonal bins that money-making is sufficient
provocation to excuse q resort to bribery
and conspiracy in order to sharo tho spoils
Of m illicit trnffic. Mr.. Mckee violated nc
of1icial oath, but ho violatcl Inv Of tho land
nil ths sano, md d;srcgardel the honorable
motives TINT ought to guide ovcry business
man, whether tolned by statute or not
United States jnriea, as n rule, aro not made
mp of men who think it no harm To cheat thu
Government, or those who believe tina
money getting atones for all devices that may
be adopted to TINT end. If tho Government
prosecutions in this city shall prove to bo ~
vigilaut, aggressive, and untiring as the.
havo been In ST. Louis, tho same class o
js,rymen will bo found, and 10 guilty maj
will bo permitted to escape.