Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-27
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
WHOLESALE REMOVALS OF
OFFICIALS.

office of Charles +. Henry, Marshal of the
district; Col. d. B. Anger, Postmaster.
and MyrOn NJ. Parker, Assistant Postmas-
ter Of Washington city; NJ. d. Helm.
foreman of the Congressional Record. and
G. E. Spencer, Government Director of the
Union Pacific Railway Company. the latter
an ex-senator of Alabama. The removals.
We're made on charges preferred bv At
tOrneY General Brewster. George Bliss.
who has been managing counsel for the
government, prosecuting the star route
cases against ex-Postmaster Gen
eral Brady, ex-senator Dorsey and
others, says that these officials
had interfered with the ends of
justice in these cases. The offices vacated
will all be filled Immediately, so that
there may be no interruption to the pub
lie service. To prevent possible embar-
rassment in the affairs of the MarshaPs
office, the suspension Of that officer will
be withheld till his successor is appointed
The following is the letter of Colonel
Bliss to President Arthur in regard to the
officials whose removal has just been an
nOunced:
NEW YORK, Nov. II. 1SS2.-DEAR SIR
The second trial of the case of the United
States against Brady and others is set
down for the first week in December. and
the government will then, l believe. be
ready with a large number of witnesses
and some new testimony. 1t seems to me
important to the cases and desirable
in every aspect that before that time the
atmosphere which surrounds the case
officially should be III some measure puri-
fed, that every one may know, what
know so thoroughly, that the prosecution
is in dead earnest from the President
down. To that end | call your attention
to certain facts, the worst of which are
unknown to you. | address you because
the statements desire to call YOUR atten-
| ton to concern persons in several dis
tinct departments Of the government. The
Marshal of the District of Columbia is
undoubtedly in sympathy with the de-
PENDANTS, and dOes1lOt desire the govern
| ment to succeed Without going
into further details, he, during
the last trial in public
interview, INDUCED in abuse of counsel for
the United States and in declarations that
the government had mo case" d. b.
Anger, Postmaster Of Washington, was,
with his assistant, Parker deliberately i'm
pugned by two Post Office Inspectors in
their report as to the certifcation
of bogus bonds in the star route
cases. 1t was only a question
Of gross carelessness or bad faith, as there
was no doubt that both of them did the
Z
tor of newspaper in Michigan. His
name appears on it as such proprietor.
During the last trial he wrote to his paper
over his own signature denOuncing
the officers who had instituted
the prosecution, and declaring that
the government had no case. One Helm
has been recently appointed by the new
Public Printer as the head of one of the
departments in the Government Printing
. yK~aG TO 4l,,,f f,.5p 5pI H.
the editor of the Critic that Helm was the
person who controlled its columns, and
on the trial there were produced and
proved series of articles grossly abusive
of the court government counsel and the
general management of the case which
was represented as a persecution without
foundation. Your attention was called
some months ago to the case Of George f..
Spencer, Government Director of the Pa
cific Railway The police force of the
District of Columbia was undoubtedly in
the interest of the defendants, and the de-
tectives unblushingly did their work. One
| of them has admitted that under oath in
| court
Now | am quite aware that it is very
difficult for you to act as to some matters as
to which l have called your attention, but
as to some of them you can act, and it
seems to me the facts ought to be brought
to your knowledge. YOU have much to
occupy-yOu just now and much to- trouble
you, and | would not willingly add un-
necessarily to it just now, but circum-
stances are such that delay seems impos-
sible. Your Obedient servant,
GEORGE BLISS.
To the President.
The following is Attorney General
Brewsters report to the President upon
Attorney Bliss letter:
WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. "a, 1SS2.-TO
the President Of the JRited .StdteS: SIR
The letter of Geo. Bliss, counsel for the
United States i'll the star route trials,
addressed to you, dated November II,
1882, referred to me by your
orders. has been carefully considered The
facts set forth in it are not new to me-
From considerations Of legal as well as
for official policy have thus far abstain
ed from calling your attention to these
matters. | am much better satisfied
that Mr.. Bliss, acting as cOun-
sci in the case, Of his own
motion has submitted TO you the subjects
therein dealt with. Since | received the
letter Mr.. Merrick and Mr.. Kerr, col
leagues Of Mr.. Bliss, called ON me and in
vited my attention to the subject in the
same manner that Mr.. Bliss has in the
letter written by him to you. 1t
is my opinion that the ends of
justice have been interfered with by all of
the persons complained of by Messrs.
Bliss, Merrick and Kerr. The Marshal of
the district is responsible for much of the
opposing sentiment to the case of the
government that was exhibited in
court and out of court during the
trial of the star route cases. His
neglect and irregular conduct in selecting
talesmen | sternly objected to at the time,
and so informed him. The public interview
that he was guilty of, and referred to by
Colonel Bliss, is one that must be subject
to the seVerest cenSure. AS an officer of
the government he was guilty in this of
an Offense which has been punished by
the courts as gross act of contempt. l
recommend his immediate removal. He
is an unsuitable person, and has injuri-
Ously interfered with the proper conduct
of the star route case, and has given the
personal sympathy of his office to the in
dicted defendants.
Second. D. b. Anger, Postmaster of
this city, and his assistant, MyrOn NJ, Par
ker are Justly subject to all the charges
presented by Mr.. Bliss, and | think thev
should be removed. No men holding pub
lie appointments should be permitted to
use the influence and power of their
positions, as they have used
theirs, or be permitted to interfere with
such prosecutions, or any prosecution
urged by the government in the vindica-
tion of the law.
Third. The man Helm, recently appoint
ed to the head of one of the departments
in the Public Printing Office, is by law
(section 1869 incapable of holding
that office, inasmuch as he controls "A
public newspaper, but | will further add
that the paper he controls Gas to which
control positive evidence was given upon
the trial of the cause is paper notorious
ly and confessedly owned by one of the
defendants, a defendant most culpable
of all, since if was by his
official criminal malfeasance corrupt
orders were made and frauds successfully
perpetrated. His paper has been engaged
from the beginning of these prosecutions
down to the discharge of the jury in the
most violent abuse of all who were sup
posed to be interested in bringing the de-
PENDANTS to justice. The Judge was not
even spared.
Counsel were persistently slandered
and the witnesses were openly assaulted,
denounced and terrOriZed by one cOntinu-
Gus current of personal abuse and calum-
ny. ! am of opinion that this man should
be forthwith removed, and | am astonish-
ed that those who have charge of the Gov
ernment Printing Office, with a public
knowledge of these facts, should have
ventured to appoint him. He is not to
be trusted in the responsible position he
holds.
Fourth. In conjunction with Mr.. Bliss
| respectfully call your attention to the
conduct of George f. Spencer. Upon the
day of your departure from this city, i'm
mediately after the adjournment Of Con-
gress, the communication by Mr.. Bliss
and other counsel in the case was sent
II