The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-11-26
WASHINGTON.
[FRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 1881.


The great Guiteau trial is fairly on al
last. The scene in the court room TO-DAY
was one of intense interest. Still The
trial did not partake of the sensational
character 1t would undoubtedly have as.
sumed few weeks ago. The public
here has long been surfeited with Gui.
team, OF cousre there is yet much inter.
est, but the predicted demonstration was
wholly lacking. So far from any danger
besetting the prisoner in his removal to
and from the court room, he attracted nc
more attention than common drunkard
in charge of q police man, or thief be.
ing carted away from the Police court in
the prison van. Guiteau himself, though
cowardly and fearing the mob, was evil
IDENTIFY chagrined to find how insignif-
can't he was after all. The twelve jur-
ors were secured on the second day Of
the triel, and yesterday the real work be-
gun, With the examination of witnesses
for the prosecution. The opening ad-
dress of District Attorney Corkhill was
clear, practical and manly, and bristled
with points. The main question was
the motive and responsibility for the
crime, which were well set forth. The
letters Of the prisoner read in course of
the speech show that Guiteau. even up
to last May, had not discovered that he
was Stalwart of the Stalwarts, or that
he was not in full accord with that wing
of the party to which General Garfield
was supposed to belong. The motive of
the miserable wretch is seen to be person
al only, not at all political, and the idea
of conspiracy between him and any
other parties to have no foundation.
Colonel Corkhill is not likely to fail in
keeping up his side of the case. He is
fortunate in being able to do so, for the
leading counsel and brother-in-law of
Guiteau has not so far been obliged to
plead ignorance of criminal law, to ex-
cuse any blunders or mistakes by him
committed. The conduct of Guiteau is
perfectly outrageous 1t was SO abomn-
able yesterday that Judge Cox threatened
to order him out of the room in irons. Il
is probable that the Judge spoke without
reflection, as it is doubtful il tho trial
can legally go on unless the piisoner be
in the court room. There does not seem
to be any reason, however, why gagging
and muzzlinS should net be resorled to
if he continues to turn the court iuto n
beer garden. Whatever might be the ef-
feet of his antics on the jury, they c,r-
tainly have had no effect in altering, in
the least, the popular verdict, which
charges the horrible crime to his super
lative egotism, and not to an insane
mind, for which he cannot be held re-
sponsible.
over the petty looseness in accountability
in the Treasury Department, because it
is really funny to osee how easily the pub
lie overlooks or underlooks the most gi-
gan;ic robbtries. Take the pension bus
iness, for example. The Commissioner
of Pensions has just put III cool request
for Sl00, COO, coo for the next fiscal year,
In the meantime, as Il little deficiency
pocket money, he wants $4,000, 900 at
once. Do you know what SlO0, COO, 900
means? It is big sum of money, more
than the best newspaper man ever made
in year, Fifty million was the def
cheney last year, aud twenty million
more is wanted. Ninety million will see
us through the present fiscal year. Alb,
there is nothing mean about the pension
business. We deal in millions now.
Just think of a job of cerpentering for
Sherman compared with great pension
robbery, which will, it is now estimated
not fall short of $500 000. GOO And yet
Sherman's carpentering. Shermans's bay
rum, etc, Lave created more vigorous
condemnation than this gigantic robbery
of the age.
In The forthcoming ANIMAL repor. of
the Secretary of the Interior, much space
is devoted to the discussion OF the Indi
an question, in the course Of which Sec.
retary Kirkwood recommends that liberal
provisions be made by Congress for
teaching the Iudian youth our language;
that upon just terms TO the Indians the
number and area of the existing ressrya-
tions be greatly reduced; that on such
reservations as are not well adapted TO
farming without irrigation, efforts be
made to teach the Indians to become
herdsmen instead of endcavoring to try
to make them farmers; that the Iudlans'
titles to the reduced reservations be indi.
vidualized and also thoroughly protected
by laws, and that the more civilized res
eryation Indians be encouraged to aban-
don their tribual relations by setting up
experimental forms of local government
among them as nearly alike as may be to
the system of country government pre-
vailing in the states or territories in
which the reservations are respectively
loolte6 AUGUST.