The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-06-16

THE n NEW YORK Hefdd OF yesterday mas
n singular article on the star-route invcsti-
CATION. The drift of il seems to be toward
n suspicion that the Government agents are
discriminating rs between persons in their
preparation of cases. We do not know what
informationthc Herald has but rumors
have been floating about here for some time
to the effect that two or three inviduals
were to be selected as scapcgoats, and all
the rest let go free. 1t Is possible that the
Hcra,ds article is based on these rumors
and intended as note Of warning to those
engaged in the prosecution that no such
jugglcry will be permitted by the press.
Thus far the prosecution has had the
press almost without exception ut its elbow
working up public opinion-much more
rapidly and dccisively, by the way, than
the prosecution itself has been able to work
up actual evidence. The accused parties
have been already tried in advanccby news
paper found guilty, sentenced, executed and
buried, metaphorically speaking, in the Pot
tcr's field.
But trials by newspaper are of Pick
wickian character, and Judgment in them
is liable to be reversed almost any day.
motive and does not cling to a single object
through thick and thin, as malice does, or
rs Justice should do. On the contrary, it
is so volatile and fckle that its pets and
dcmigods of to-day may be its black sheep
and culprts of tomorrow. Thus, If it
should appear in the further progress of the
pending inquest that the prevailing rumors
of n design to discriminate between indi-
viduals-to select two or three for scapc-
goats and release the rest--werc true, the
significance of the Herolds note of warning
will soon become apparent. If such II state
of affairs should develop, the prosecution
itself would be put on trial by newspaper,
and in this event the newspapers would
enjoy the immense advantage of having the
prosecutions own prior admissions to use in
evidence.
We do not pretend to know whether the
rumors we refer to are true or not We
have been informed from II very high and
very responsible source that "thc Admins
tration considers its reputation for law
abiding and justice at stake on this in
quest; that the officers charged with the
prosecution will not be permitted to ask
the grand jury for indictments in any ease
except upon testimony in itself sufficient to
convict, aud that every case as made up by
| the detectives viii DC subjected to the most
rigid and impartial legal scrutiny before il
is presented to the grand jury"
/ This we understand to be the policy of the
Administration, and will be carried out to the
letter. Whatever personal sptes or rcvenges
| the detectives, the associate counsel for tho
Government, or even the Attorney General
himself may have in mind to wreall, the
Administration, as a whole, cannot afford tc
stake its reputation on a batch of vcxatious
or malicious indictments, procured upon
straw testimony and cX partc special plead.
ing, to be quashed or demolished Mt first
contact with the open air of an honest court
or deliberativc petit jury. Still less car
the Administration afford to be placed in the
attitude limited at by the HcroM of selecting
one or two victims for the sake of appear
ances and then screening or shielding other
for any reason or upon any pretcXt whatso
ever. We hope and believe that the dis
creditablc rumOrs which prompted tn,
Herdld's note of warning are without foun
dation. We shall see.