The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-11-19

cent respect for truth and justice, and |
who speaks as an expert in writing; with
all the suspicious circumstances that at
tended the reception of the letter, with the
envelope and its erasGFes before him,
with The city postofiice and station
on its back, the letter marked
personal and confidential and addressed
to some person wbom he certainaly did
not know, with the letter before him, the
contents of which would, if true, be
pretty injurious, and il false would do
wrong to his intimate friends as a base
and wicked assassin's st-sb, should have
thought it just To press and cause its
publication without first removing all
doubt as to its character. However much
equitable division may leave for others,
upon Mr. Hewitt must rest the larger
share of the responsibility of the first
publication of base and shameful for
gerry, and his subsequent relations 10 the
forgery do not lift single shadow from
his conduct. He was member of the
national committee. He doubtless knew
the extent and purposes for which il was
taken and used by that committee, and
TINT il went forth to the country with
the sanction of his endorsement. He
knew beyond question that it met speed
lily with the indignant denial of Gen.
Garfield, who denounced the letter as a
base and stupid forgery, and its senti-
ments as brutal"
The judge also says: '1My mind has
reached the clear conviction that the SO
called Morey letter. in body, signature
and all T. parts, is not in the handwrit-
ing of Gen. Garfield, but is altogether
forgery, perpetrated by some person or
BODY of persons for the purpose of de-
ceiving the people and defrailding them
and Gen. Garfield of their votes. Under
our statutes the utterer of forged in
strument, with the knowledge of its fall
sity, is placed IN the same rank of GRIM
inality with the forger. Had the subject
of forgery in this case been instruments
perpOrting 10 be obligations of Gen. Gar
field and he had publicly declared them
to be forgeries, who could thereafter
send them forth and circulate them
throughout the commonwealth with his
representation ofSgen dineness without in
curing penalties of the law. The diff
erence IS purely statutory and in moral
form wholly vanishes.
1.-THE evidence bearing upon Philips
guilt or innocence of the forgery is vol
luminous, and would demand careful
analysis. Taken in connection with 9TH
er evidence in the case, it tends TO estab-
lIsh conspiracy to accomplish a ma
tional crime. The conspiracy points to
men in other quarters, and of far higher
positions, and he may have been their
accomplice, or only their dupe and tool.
It is better, therefore. that the question
of the actual guilt of the forgery be lett
TO the consideration of a jury, before
whom additional and perhaps more de-
cisive evidence may be brought. 1t
must be the wish of all honorable minds
that this case will lead not only to the
discovery and exposure of the guilty, but
to the enactment of laws which will pre-
vent or severely punish Offenses of this
character.
"Whoever may be guilty in this case,
right thinking man everywhere must
look upon the act as an appalling crime,
wholly at war with the safety and sancti-
ty of popular government. Fortunately
no committee and no body of men held
in. their hands the conscience of the peo-
pie, and no party fealty is strong enough
to interpret the sentence of condemna-
ton which honest men of all parties
must pronounce upon such guilt. The
men most criminal in this case may not
be reached by the hand of justice, but
they will find no party willing 10
bear and share with them the Just mea.
sure of infamy and scorn that awaits
them. If they have failed in their guilty
| purpose, so they will fail in securing the
| approval even of them for whose sue
cess they have done the guilty work. II
will be small consolation to know that
they have gained by this forgery few
useless electoral votes, melted an infuri
ated mob to the murder of few unoffend
ing human beings, and caused few Of
their own agents to suffer for perjuries
| and misdemeanors."
The defendant 10 held TO answer upon
the charge of criminal libel, and mus
be committed or give bail for his appear
ance to answer any Indictment that may
be found against him.