Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-07-13
THEY CANNOT AFFORD 1T.

star route prosecutions are TO DC aOan-
doned because the President and Sec
retary Blaine desire TO shield the
thieves from punishment. We cannot
believe this, and we do not believe it.
The persons who make this charge,
and those who circulate il, are publish
ing accusations against the Chief Mag.
istrate of the country and his principal
Cabinet officer which, if true, make
them the accomplces of criminals and
as deserving Of the fate of criminals as
arc Brady and Dorsey themselves.
The good people of this country have
too much venoration for the high of.
fees which are held by Mr.. Garfield
and Mr.. Blaine to tolerate for mo.
ment any such charge They believe,
and it is a happy thing for the coun.
try that they do, that the day has
passed when the Presidential Office can
be used to shelter criminals from the
wrath of justice, That was tried once,
and public indignation has so severely
followed the man who tried il that il is
incredible that any one else should haz.
ard it again. Not believing that the
President and Secretary of State have
the disposition to shelter the Star
route thieves, the country also believes
that they cannot afford to do it.
What would happen if these reports
should prove true! Every intelligent
man in the country who has read the
evidence thus far published is morally
certain that the Star ring is guilty of
all the rascalitics which have been
charged against it, If the President
and Mr.. Blaine do anything to dis.
courage or prevent the prosecution of
any of its well.known members they
will be accused, justly or unjustly, with
completely with the ring. They can.
not afford that
1t is not derogatory to the other
members of the Cabinet to say that
Attorney General Mac Veagb and Post
master General James are the most
respected members of the Administra.
ton by the large mass Of the people.
They have given long and Industrious
days 10 the examination of the charges
that have been made against Brady, |
Dorsey and the implicated Star route
contractors. There is reason to believe
that these two gentlemen are conf.
dent of the guilt Of these men. Charges
affecting the character Of these two
officers are freely INDUCED in by Brady |
and his two barking organs. They |
are said TO be under the influence OF
and corrupt tools, and there
is even talk of indicting the Attorney
General for conspiracy against Brady |
and Dorsey. To stop the investiga.
ton would apparently give the ap-
proval Of the administration to these
charges, and would be such a rehec.
ton on the two Cabinet officers as Mr.,
and Mr.. Blaine know they
cannot afford to make.
The Star route thieves and their
hangcrs.on in Washington are filing
the streets of the Capital with rejoic.
iDgs because the Government will not
be ready to 60 on with the cases until
September They assert boldly that
before the time shall como the proceed.
ings will be ordered discontinued and
intimate that the Attorney General
and Postmaster General will be out of
the Cabinet. Discontinuance will give
color to this boasting, and that Mr..
Garfield and Mr.. Blaine cannot afford.
Dorsey is alleged to have made pos.
sible the election of Mr.. Garfield, and
he is still the Secretary of the Repub.
lican National Com nittee. Brady's
aid in the canvass was requested by
the President in the Jay Hubbell let
ter Many of the prominent Star
route contractors have been among
the principal supporters of Mr. Blaine's
aspirations for the Presidency. This
is no reflection on the Secretary of
State, for he cannot be held response.
bic for the character of the men who
may see fit to advocate his cause. Still
it will be charged, should the investiga.
tion be stopped, that political consider.
ations, and not the considerations of
duty, governed official action, and Mr..
Garfield and Mr.. Blaine cannot afford
to have that charge made.
In short, Mr. Garfield and Mr.. Blaine
cannot afford to be mixed up in any
way with the people whom the coun.
try regards at least with suspicion. III
was very proper for the President to
tell the prosecuting officer that be mnst
proceed carefully and only on sound
evidence; but he ought to stop there,
for he cannot afford TO 90 further
This is low view 10 take of the ques.
ton, aud we believe that the President
and Secretary Blaine, in the desire
which we are confident they have for
a thorough investigation, are actuated
by mere motives Of policy. But il will
be seen from what we have said that
even if they were, they cannot afford
to be engaged in any such unworthy
business as rumor proolaims. The
country can rest assured that our
chiei executive officers are at least
men of ordinary prudence, and that
would restrain them from making
themselves accomplices of the Star
route thieves Philadelphia Times.
PuUNNY The Philadelphia Record
has short article on the false gram.