Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-08-12
A Rascai's Plea for Justice which
an Honest Wan should Heed.

John Mcdonald was one of President
Grants cronies and he was the principal
revenue officer OF the United States gov
eminent in the district where the great st.
Louis whisky frauds were perpetrated
and exposed during the term of office OF
Secretary Bristow. Every rational person
who watched the events of that time
with any care, knows that the Grant
administration did almost everything
within its power to prevent the
success of Mr.. Bristow in exposing these
frauds and bringing their perpetrators ~
Justice Members of the Presidents
official household, like Babcock, acted as
spies for the conspirators, and the Presi-
dent himself put papers given to him in
confidence in Babcock's hands after he
knew that Babcock was suspected by |
others of treaehery to the prosecution. |
The Presidents higb-soun6ing order,
''let no guilty man escape" was shown by |
experience to be an intentional obstruc- |
ton to justice, since it was purposely used
10y that pretentious humbug, Attorney
General Pierrepont, to prevent the lesser
rogues from turning states evidence and
convioting the real manipulators of the
frauds.
But nothing could save all those con-
cerned; for some had relied on their
powerful connections at Washington for
safety to such an extent thai they took no
care TO give even friendly prosecution
opportunity to cover their tracks.
Mcdonald was convicted and sentenced to
prison, Mckee, the owner of the Globe
Democrat, the principal Republican paper
of Missouri, was also convicted and
subsequently pardoned and his paper
became at once, thereafter, athird. termer.
Mcdonald, however, was left to languish
in jail and bear the reputation of the chief
sinner in that gang of thieves. He now
comes forward with his own statement OF
the case and makes such revelation in
his forthcoming book as only one familiar
with all the details OF the great conspiracy
could make. Every man he accuses at
once denies everything Mcdonald
says, and points to the latter's
conviction as evidence that he is not
worthy Of belief. Undoubtedly they have
some color of right to make this appeal,
for they were not convicted, but those who
watched the conduct of the trials in those
cases will not consider escape from con-
viction any evidence whatever that those
turned loose were any better or more
worthy of belief than those sent to jail.
But there is one man who, throughout
the whole of that stormy time, held the
respect of honest and honesty.loving men,
and secured the execration of thieves and
rascals, and that man was Mr.. Benjamin
Ii. Bristow, then Secretary of the Urea.
sury. He is man whose word has not,
so far as we know, been questioned by
honest, well.informed men, and to him
Mcdonald makes an appeal in Letter
printed elsewhere to which We thinh
MI brlstoW is'as al honorable man. oouno
to make direct and straightforward re
sponse' Necessarily as the man VINO IN
stitrted the prosecutions which broke NJ
the whisky ring (however they failed tt
punish It's guilty MEMBERS Mr. bristo"
must know Whether some ana prooaoi.
are true or false. Mcdonald appeals t
him as witness to answer whether the,
are true or false. Mcdonald
man punished for his sin
and broken down in reputation by hi
punishment. but he has a right to iustic,
If he is assailed as liar when he is tellir
the truth and auy man knows he is tellin
the truth it is that mans duty. whe
appealed to to sneak. 1t il peeuliarly NJ
Bristow's duty, because ali over til
country there are men who supported hi
and newspapers which stood by him
his hour of trial mot for his sake buf +,
the sake of truth and honesty. Heowest ii
same fealtv to truth and honesty no,
which brought him the ONLY support
cot then and as ona of the pevs,aps
'i 80 S ~ 49, "N"'t'P
which believed in Bristow, and believes.
him yet, we feel confident that he will l
shrink from the duty of saying wheth
or not this man McDonalds story is tr
or false, let the truth hurt whom Il ma