Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-21
HAYES SYMPATHY FOR I,HIEYES

The incident related in our news columns
yesterday as occurring in the United States
court at Indianapolis is calculated to awaken
general surprise and indignation throughout
the country. The grand jury came into open
court, and by their foreman, Gen. Hascall,
reported that the district attorney had received
instructions from the President of the United
States against prosecuting certain party for
alleged enbezzlement in the First National
bank of indianapolis, meaning Carew Miller,
and they had been requested to investigate
the matter, and desired to know from the
court whethe it was their duty to proceed
with tbs case, the Instructions of the Pres;-
dent to the district attorney to the contrary
Notwithstanding. This is the first instance
of record in which the interference of the
President in behalf Of known criminals has
been made the subject Of complaint in open
court, but unfortunately it is not the only
instance in which that official has interposed
to shield criminals from justice. It has long
been matter of notoriety in Chicago that
the United States district attorney, acting
under instructions from Washington, refused
to present the cases of those concerned in
the custom house building frauds for inves-
tigation to the grand jury, and for a long
time, until forced to do SO by public senti-
ment, refused to consent to the Indictment
of defaulting postmaster, Gen. Macarthur.
In the conduct Of the whisky cases in that
city the same popularity has been noted.
Suit after suit for the collection of penalties
for frauds upon the revenue were dismissed
by the district attorney s.uEder instructions
from Washington,' and criminals have gone
UNPUBLISHED while the government has been
defrauded out OF hundreds of thousands of
dollars. In Cincinnati the same policy was
pursued. Although there was pri7aG tlscie
case against the distillers there for frauds on
the revenue, they were never prosecuted, but
the officers who seized their establishments
were promptly removed. It begins to look
as If district attorneys were appointed for
the purpose of facilitating and assisting the
escape of criminals rather than for the pur-
pose of procuring their punishment for evil
done.
The case in point is an extraordinary
one in some respects. The man &C.
cused OF ENLIGHTENMENT is respecta-
BILE rogue who admits his guilt, aud like the
late Boss Tweed asks, 'sWhat are you going
to do about it?' He was at one time in the
confidence of John G. New, the late treas
urer of the United States, and Mr.. Wyman.
the present treasurer. When detected in
populations he resigned his place in the bank,
made call upon MIR. New, and together
they went on visit to Washington. A sin
gle day suficed to elk things,' and when
Miller returned to Indianapolis he publicly
announced that he would not be prosecuted;
that he knew too much about some things.
and the authorities would not dare to modest
him. When the boast was made public we
were inclined to regard it as piece of
bravado, but the developments of Tuesday
go to show that he spoke by authority, and
to lead to the presumption that he knows too
much about some things.
The charge of Judge Gresham in reply to
the communication of the grand Jury does
him honor. He resented executive inter
foren CO with the work of the court in moder-
ate though fitting terms, informing the
jurors that Mr.. Hayes mas no more right to
control their action than the Gear of Russia.
He was hardly emphatic enough, however, in
denunciation of the impertinence of the
champion and defender of thieves. He
ought to have told the jury that Hayes has
no moro right to interfere with them than
has the humbest citizen, and that when he
attempts to do so he commits felony, for
which he is liable to Indictment and punish
ment, notwithstanding his high Office. He
should have informed them that the
man who seeks to save thief from punish
ment is himself little better than thief.
When the highest official in the nation not
only honors distinguished scoundrels with
high Office, but descends to an attempt to
bulldoze tho courts of the country on behalf
of lesser scoundrels, it is high time that
something was done. His offense at Indian-
apolis is an improbable one, and he certain
ly should not go UNPUBLISHED. We do not
wonder that he has sympathy for criminals.
for he holds his Office by virtue of the great
est crime in history, but his open manifesto
ton of that sympathy is none the less repre-
henslble and pernicious.
The Man. Has Been Discharged.
st. Peter Tribune
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