New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-10-12
NEW UIM REVIEW, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER II, 1881,
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON. ID e.. Oct. ]

Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, d. G., Oct. 10. i:
More than usual interest will cen-1
ter il. the National Capital for some
time, as several events Of pnblic COM.
Germ are entering upon the scene.
The Indictment already found against
Guiteau is tosbe tried, and the wretch.
probably hing; the star route cases
have all been. called into court for a
beginning: the Senate is about to
meet in extra session, and the SUI.
preme court meets on Monday next.
All these things in connection with
the interest attaching to a change of
administration, are likely to make
Washington as interesting as tits in
mid-winter. Our dist. criminal court
is tribunal Of national and extraordi-
nary interest when its history, or the
history Of its trials are reviewed. It
has tried Surratt for the murder; of
President Lincoln, tried the notori--
Gus burglary cases, the Ottlnan treas,
.ury robbery case, besides Congress.
men for murder, forgery and bigamy
and sent x.Senators and other form
or high officials to the penitent iary.
Next to the Guiteau trial the .peo-
pie of the country are probably most
interested in the star route prosecu.
tons. These cases have been thor
oughly exposed through the press and
there is a conviction in the public
mind that there was under Mr.. Brady
criminal waste Of public money to
say the least. The enormous expen-
diture for chat service, consuming the
entire appropriation for the fiscal year
before the year was half gone, and
creating a deficiency amounting to
millions; the excessive increase Of the
pay Of certain contractors to FIVE or
ten times the amount Of their original
contracts, and facts beyond contro.
ersy and circumstances calculated
to raise presumption of wrong.
When these things are taken in con.
nection with certain other evidences,
and the accumulation Of large for:
tunes by the officials and contractors.
they not only raise the presumption
but inspire conviction in the public
mind which only thorough clearing
up will remove. Even if the accused
escape conviction upon the technicali-
ties, or for lack Of. legal proof of guilt
the circumstances are so strong that
a general doubt ofinnocence will still
exist. = .f
Since the adjournment of the su.
preme court there has been a. vacancy
created, caused by the death Of JUS.
tice Clifford, and justice Hunt, it is
understood, IS still incapacitated for
service. Justice Field is not expect
ed here for several weeks, and the
court will therefore meet with three.
members short. There is much anx.
iety among the bench and the bar on
the subject OF the filling ofthe vacan-
cy caused by the death Of Justice Gil
ford. There is no reliable informa.
ton as to whether President Arthur
proposes to send in a nomination for
the vacancy at the special
session Of the Senate, or whether
he will wait until the regular
session in December, and it is sup.
posed that he may come to some
conclusion in the matter during his
present stay in New York, after
consultation with his friends! q The
justices Of the Supreme Court would
be glad if the vacancy should be
promptly filled, as it would help
very much to Tighten their labors;
but there are difficulties in the way
which the President fully appreci-
ates, and which may probably in.
-duce him to delay making a nomin-'
alton until December. There will
be great pressure to take the new
appointee from the East, as only one
active member of the bench, Mr.
Justice Bradley, is now from that
section, and Justic Clifford was the
only member from New England
But the claims of the South will al.
$50 be presented and urged with per-
sistency,; as it has had no represen-
tatiyes on the bench. of the Supreme
court since the days Of the war. JUS.
tice Woods, who was lately appoint.
ed, although nominally from a south
ern circuit, had neven given up his
residence in Ohio, which State has
today no less than four members on
the bench of the Supreme Court.
Owing to all the circumstances, in
Guiding the peculiar division of par
tics in the Senate, the filling Of this
vacancy by the President will neces.
sarily be surrounded with more or
less embarrassment, and will require
the exercise ofsound Judgment and
discretion.
d It is now said to be President Ar.
thurs intention not to avail himself
of the extra session Of the Senate for
the appointment Of new Cabinet,
but to wait until Congress meets in
December. He thinks, it IS said,
that the Cabinet ministers now in
office should remain to make the an
nual reports on the operation of
their respective Departments, and
that in the mean time he will have