Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-27
MONEY TALKS.
The Stories of the Star Route
Scandal Creating a Bad Feel
ing in Washington.
A Mississippi Congressman, Whose
Name has Been Recklessly Used
Walks Into the Headquarters Of
the Gang aud Gives the Boys
Warm Talk.
snoninl % the Courier.Journal.


WASHINGTON, June 24.-The Star
route business bids fair to make some
trouble outside of the courts. Bad
blood is being engendered all around.
The free manner in which the good
names of certain prominent citizens
are being handled by special CORES
pondents is having a retroactive effect
Recently the Washington correspon-
dent of the New York Times tele-
graphed to his paper, paragraph tc
the effect that certain persons impli-
Gated in the Star route cases were
warm personal friends Of Congress
man Money, of Mississippi. Room
No. SO in the general postOfhce build
ing, the headquarters Of the govern
ment agents charged with the prepl-
ration of the testimony against the
Star route, is also the headquarters Of
the newspaper man who wrote the
Star route paragraphs. Yesterday DIR,
Money visited this room in search Of
Mr.. Root, the enterprising correspon-
dent of the Times. Mr.. Money had
on his war paint; he found Mr.. Root
deep buried in pile ofStar route liz
erature, from which he was extracting
the choicest morsels. Colonel Money.
perhaps a little excited, approached
Mr.. Root, and asked if he was the au-
thor of the article. He answered that
he was, and that he meant no reAec-
ton on the colonel's character by it
THAT won't do, young man." said
the colonel; IF you didn't mean to
convey any inference by that language,
what was your purpose in using i'll
You are evidently novice in Wash
layton journalism, or you would have
known that during my whole career in
Congress | have done all in my power
to curtail the expenditures on those
exploded routes, and in several re-
ports have pointed out what | called
their gross extravaganza. Why, the
very case with which you connected
my name was taken bodily from a
speech | made, showing the reckless
waste Of money. Can't you readi
What kind of a trial are you fellows
supposed to be carrying on? You are
slanderer and a defamer. Now
propose to give you just about three
days to correct that impression in
your paper; if you don't do it within
the specified time, I'll make it per-
sonally uncomfortable for you. That's
all I've got to say to you"
Then turning to the other gentle
men, Messrs. Gibson and Woodward,
be said: "As for the whole crowd,
I've only to say that when you find
any evidence that connects me dis
honestly with any public or private
frauds, make the most of it; but my
character is my only stock in trade,
and | serve notice on you that if you
attempt to smirch it by inDuendo and
sail it by underground and cowardly
insinuations, III hold you to a per
sonal account. You'll probably find
out that the reputation of an Ameri-
can citizen is not to be killed by a
smut machine. And the colonel
left.
This little affair has served as food
for considerable gossip here. The
general verdict seems to be that the
names OF prominent citizens are han
died rather too freely in connection
with this Star route business, and as
the investigation is backed up by the
government, whose agents are not pre-
pared to 60 into court with their case,
the only recourse for parties who feel
themselves aggrieyed by newspaper
publication is to take the law Into
their own hands as a measure of self
protection. Colonel Money is an old
newspaper man, and undoubtedly un.
dsrstands what he is driving at.