The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-11-03
MACVEAGH's POSITION.
His Reasons for Retiring-Star
Route Gases.

Route Gases.
WASHINGTON, October 2S.-A gentle
man who has been fully acquainted will
the Attorney Generals position said to.
day that Mr.. MacVeagh had never
waYered in his determination, reached
Immediately after President Garfield's
death, to leave the Cabinet at once
"The announcement of his decision, u
said he, ''was made during the journey
from ElberOn to Washington ON the
funeral train which bore the body to
Washington, and there has been no in
clinatiOn to change that decision since,
The sole reason which led Mr.. Mac
Veagh to that conclusion was a pOliti-
cal one. Neither personal feeling nor
any question arising out of the star route
prosecutions had anything to do with it.
Mr.. MacVeagh has never been in SYM
pathy with that portion of the Repub-
lican party which supported General
Grant at Chicago, and with which Pres
ident Arthur has been identified. He
was selected as a Cabinet officer by
General Garfield because of his political
position, which have briefly described,
and this political position was the main
reason which led him resolutely to de-
cline to remain and become a member
of the new Presidents official family.
Another reason was his disapprOVal
the coalition between the Republicans
and Senator Malone and his followers
in Virginia. He could not join in the
support of what seemed to him to be re-
pudiatiOn, and he was unable to believe
that the political advantages, local or
national, which may be gained by that
coalition cover up or rcOunterbalance the
financial heresy which was the original
motive of the Malone movement. AS
Attorney General he would be
called upon to take ac-
tiOn in relation to that
movement, for there are Marshals and
District Attorneys to be appointed in
Virginia, and concerning the appoint
ments he might not be able to agree
with the Administration. This reason
may be added to the other as political
one.
When the President, in asking him to
remain in the Cabinet, spoke of the
Star route cases as legacy to the Gar
field administration, Mr.. MacVeagh re-
marked that they were no more a lega-
cy than the prosecution of Guiteau, or
of any cOunterfeiter of United States
currency, OF of any criminal or crimin-
ais, however insignificant in cOmpari-
son. He adds that his retention in the
Cabinet would not emphasize at all any
declaration of the intention of the Ad-
to prosecute these cases,
because the conduct of the inves-
tigation was in the hands of men
who had been selected with refer
ence to their knowledge of the sub
ject of inquiry, and with reference to
their known ability to do their work,
and also because the legal proceedings
were already in the hands of eminent
counsel. When the investigation had
reached a certain point, prominent law
yers had been retained, especially for
the work of prosecution in the courts.
One of these was Colonel George Bliss,
know to be one of the closest political
and personal friends of the President.
The other was Benjamin Harris Brew
ster, personal friend of the Attorney
General, in politics a Stalwart, and a
lawyer whose eminence in his profess
sion was known throughout the coun-
try. Another was Colonel W. A. Cook,
an eminent lawyer Of Washington. The
evidence which had been prepared in
the Star route cases had been submit
ted to these distinguished lawyers be-
fore the death of President Garfield, and
they had pronounced it to be sufficient
to Justify the institution of Grim
inal proceedings against the per-
sons implicated. These men of ac-
mOwledged ability would have con-
Quoted the cases without anything more
than very limited supervision on the
part of the Attorney General if Presi-