Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-11-30
lanrastcr fatelliQenrer,
WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOV. 80, 1861.
Arthur's Instruments.

The Philadelphia Press pertinently
says that "a president who tries to con-
duct the vigorous prosecution of ring
with some men now in prosecuting
places, including District Attorney Cork
hill, is like a carpenter working with
dull tools. In earnest he may be, but in
the end he will have cut fingers and a
spoiled job" But it nevertheless thinks
that g President Arthur is in earnest in
his determination to hunt down every
thief in the star route gang. His friends
say this, the public believes it, Republi-
cans accept it," These two thoughts
of the Press do not harmonic SO well
as they should. If Mr.. Arthur is only
reasonably fitted by intelligence for
his high place, as the Press no doubt
maintains that he is, it is quite rs obvious
to him as to his editorial critic that dull
tools are not the means by which he
should seek to cut down the star route
criminals; but if this is conceded
nothing remains to sustain the belief
that President Arthur is I" in earnest in
thief in this. star route ring" If his
friends and the public and Republicans
believe this, they must consider him
very weak and stupid man indeed to use
the instruments of prosecution that have
already signally proved their infelicity in
the work. That is word which seems
to express the mental state of the star
route prosecutors. They appear to be
All unhappy set /; unhappy in their aims,
their efforts and their results. If they
want very much to prosecute the men
they are pursuing they must he full of
regret at their ill-luck; and if they
don't want to, they must be sorry that
they are on the hunt.
1t is quite remarkable how the prcsi-
dents proclaimed purpose is defeated 10y
the acts of his subOrdinates. May he it
is all accidental but it is about time
these accidents came to an end. 1t was
hardly accidental either that the new
acting attorney general found himself at
variance with All assistant of the late
attorney general specially employed to
prosecute the star route inquiry. What
ever Mr.. Gibson's proper designation
there was no dispute that he was en-
ployed to hunt down the men Mr.. Ar
thur is SO anxious to punish, as the Press
says everybody believes. And there is
no doubt that he did very good work
against them, and that his report cor
tanned matter which should have been
very desirable 10 ;sn attorney general in
spired by the zeal against the accused
that is attributed to the president. So that
while acting Attorney General Phillips
appears to have good grounds fOrrefusing
to acknowledge Mr.. Gibson's right to
the particular title he assumed, it is not
apparent why he should not have in
c!ined to overlook this unimportant
matter in view of the important assist
ance which Mr.. Gibson gave him in the
work which is so close to the presidents
heart.
There seems in fact To be Il little too
great contrast between the presidents
alleged warmness and his subordinates'
displayed cOldness. We would like to
be credulous of the honest zeal of the
star route prosecution, but really our
faith should be given sOmc little founda-
ton we cannot indulge in the degree of
blindness of the Press, which sees an in
te,llgent president using dull tools for
his work, without disturbance of its con-
filence in his own zeal for its speedy and
efficient performance.