Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-07-15
DAILY POST -IIFgLLLaEHOgR
rus srAs ssrrx PROSECUTIONS

rus sTAR DeuTE PROSECUTIONS.
Il il an open question which will yet
kurn out to be the greater disgrace 10
The nation, the operations of the staE
route thieves, or the courss and rssuis
Of their trials. For months and months
these TRIALS have been dragging their
6loW lsn9ths along. Nobody has read
the reports, because nobody has great
deal Of faith in the earnestnsss OF the
power which il pashinR them, or OF any
practical good TO come Of them in the
end. The expert lawyers Of the defense
have been unusully successful in disco.-
sring legal technicalities and making
use Of them, and their clients display a
calm confdsncs which is likely to bo
justified by the event. Not one Of the
parties to the trial in these cases can
ssosps the heaviest public cehsure. Or
the defendants In the case it Is unnec-
sssafy to speak. Their guilt does MOI
need to b proven to the people, but T.
b established before the law. The
prosecution has disappointed public AZ
pectation and bslied its own confident
assertions. It stated at the outset, that
tho evidence in iss possession was ove.-
whelmingly convincing. Months had
been devoted TO making out "a ciosr
chain Of proof, and the. results wers
looked for. Instead Of the, they hay,
diliy -dallied over the matter, have ineds
out no case worth speaking Of, and in
deed have confined themselves chiefly
20 the attempt tn prove that ths pet
lions for expedition produced BY Brady
and the rest are not genuine. 1t wouIo
be difficult for chance reader, pickine
up the record Of ono days proceedings
70 decide which side il tbs accuser IN.
which side is the defendant. Judcs
wylie, who presides, seems to be prsts,
we'll suited for just this kind OF bust
ness. He kindly admon Sues tas 80 ?.
eminent counsel. from time to time
they arc not making ont case. Ii
publicly holds that the petitions for in
creased service, which were laid befor
the conspiTators and bear the signature
OF business mon, senator's and represen
tatives, constitute valid defense in tn
matter of expediting routes. Accordin,
Ia this doctrine, the Third Assistan
Postmaster General has unlimited u,
tudo In the matter Of awarding cor
tracts Of the same, but csn rot lie he,
10 any responsibility. II charged wit
defraudinx this Government, ho has onl
70 Produce paper sigued by partie
who ara themselves irresponsible, M,
his skirts are cleared. This opinion O
Judge Wy!is is tantamonnt to fire.
licsn,s for fraud in the 20 sal tepar.
men,, and may ADM. Of application
elsewhere. The whole star route busi
ness Ii disgrace TO the nation. Ae
knowlcdgirg that the collection Of evi
dence from sources 10 many and \
scattered was labor requiring time
she county was patient 10 the last
Hut it ia now evident that no prof
oane TO tho Government from della,
There Ii NJ ability and no spirit in til
conduct Of these trials, and apparent
no end to them. Congress IL to b
asked for deficiency appropriation t
secure their continuance. It would b
we'll for that body at the same time {,
make some improvements in the I'D
ministration Of the law in the Distrio
Of Columbia, TO set limits 10 the libert
allowed to tho Post M ster General
assistants, and to investigate the col
duct Of these cases ON the part OF tn
Government thus far. The people hav
mot wholly forgotten the star route bus
iness; and il will he an evil bird com
home 10 r0ost, II these vagabOnds escap
after they have been exposed. and afte
suoh elaborate promises for their pun
ishmsnt.