National Republican., 1882-12-16
BLISS AGAINST BRADY.
The Counsel for the Government Continues His
Opening Speech.
The Manner in Which Brady is Alleged
to Have Expedited Certain Routes.
a Question as to the Right Of the Defense 10 Have
the Printed Record.
IL is Denied by the Prosccution-Judgc
yYyIie Holds It Under Amusement,

opening on the part of the prosecution in the
star-route case. He recapitulated the points
60 which he had called attention Thursday,
but said that he had omitted to refer to one
very significant fact, which was that although
Mr. Brady had found it necessary or had
fcigned to find it necessary, to resort to expo
dition 100 times during the four and n half
years he held the Office of second assistant
postmaster general, it had not been found
aeccssary to resort to il once during the year
and half since nc left office. The statute on
che subject provided that in cases of cxpodi-
ton due regard should be had to productive
ness. That consideration was utterly disre-
gardcd by Brady. The only idea of product
ivcness in his mind was how much the rate
could he made TO produce to the contractors
and himself AS an instance of this he
referred to route between the lines
of the Central Pacific and Southern
Pacific railways, from Phoebe to Mineral park,
which had been increased from $1,000 to
S2DO00 where the mailbag started and ar
rived without q letter, or postal card, or a
newspaper. Various other routes were re-
fcrred to in illustration of the same princi
pie. There was in all things, he said, an
utter disregard of the interests of the govern
mcnt. There never had been a time when the
interests of the government were considered
under Mr.. Brady when they came in conflict
with the interests of the contractors. Every
construction was given
AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT,
and everything was availed of to take money
out of the treasury for the benefit of the de-
PENDANTS. OF course Mr. Brady had to find an
excuse for his action in "expcditing routes.
lie found il in petitions. Petitions had been
gotten up by contractors. In some instances
genuine signatures had been obtained from
residents along the routes but in many other
instances half dozen individuals had signed
all the names to the number of thirty or forty.
In some of them they had been altered after
reaching Washington. In one case the petit
tion had attached to it the signatures of per-
sons who lived in Utah, a thousand miles
away from the route to which it applied. The
names had probably been signed to a petition
for a totally different purpose, and the paper
on which they had been written had been cut
of and pasted on to this other petition. In
fact, there was not enough in these petitions
to cover Brady if he was under indictment for
indecent exposure. 1t was also plain, he said,
that in many cases there had been pre-
arrangement at the time of making the con
tracts as to the increase Of service that would
be ordered.
John w. Dorsey, the poor mechanic from
Vermont, had given subcontracts at higher
rates than he was receiving from the govern
mcnt knowing full well that Brady would
soon come to his relief In one of these cases
the contract pay was 50 800, and the subcon-
tract pay $4,700. But John W. Dorsey soon
got the service increased, and then made an
arrangement with the subcontractor, under
which arrangement Dorsey was to have $9, 700
Il year net for doing nothing.
Mr.. DaviGge called the attention of the court
to the fact that the official report of the trial.
made by the government stenographers and
printed daily at the public printing office, was
not furnished to the counsel for the defense,
although, by law, any person is entitled to
copies of all documents there printed, on pay
ing in advance the cost thereof and ten per
cent additional. This requirement had been
fulfilled by counsel for the defense. They had
deposited $25 with the public printer who had
promised to furnish them with ten copies
daily.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, HOWEVER, HAD
INTERPRETED
and had OF dered the public printer not to fur
nish any copy to the defense, and thus de-
priving them of right given by law to every
citizen. As this report was treated by the
court as the record of the trial, he asked
the court to direct certain number of copies
to be filed, daily, for the inspection of
counsel. He added that they could, by
bargain with the government stenographer,
procure copies; but that it would cost them
DclNttu tlBnt lIlllc uollalS' MI
Bliss denied that the printed report was the
court record of the trial. 1t was record
which the prosecution, had made and printed
for its own use. At the last trial, the defense
had contributed to the expense of the report
ing, but it was not now doing So This report
was now the property Of counsel for the prose-
cution, lust as much as if the stenographcr
furnishing it to them in manuscript. 1t might
as well be claimed, under the statute referred
TO- Il copy of the Presidents message, printed
in advance, could be obtained at the public
printing Office by an enterprising reporter or
that an argument of the attorney general
printed there, could be ATTAINED in advance
of its being made.
MR.. WILSON EXPRESSED RELUCTANCE
and pain with which he brought this matter
to the attention of the court. This work was
being done, not at the expense Of counsel for
the prosecution, but at the expense of the
people of the United States Either this
document was printed "by authority of law"
(in the words of the statute) or it was not
If not, the department of justice was violating
the law; if it was then the statute gave to
any person who paid for them the right to
have copies. Mr.. Davidge and himself had
called on the public printer, had complied
with the law by depositing S25 to cover the
expenses, and ten per cent. additional, and
had been promised by the public printer (after
consultation with Senator Anthony, chair
man OF the JOINT committee on printing! to be
furnished with ten copies daily. As they had
not received them, he went to the govern
mems printing office to-day to make inquiries,
and there, to his amaGcmcnt and mortifica-
ton he learned that the department of JUS
ticc had written to the public printer forbid
ding him to furnish copies to the defense.
This was an obstruction of public justice, by
what was called the department of justice.
lie FOUND NO FAULT WITH TIE PUBLIC
PRINTER,
and did not wish to efnbarrass him. He did
not want to have him, or any of his subordin-
atCs dismissed. He therefore asked the court,
in the interest of publice justice, of fair deal
ing, of fair play, to order copies of this report
10 be filed in the clerks office, daily for eX-
animation by counsel for the defense.
Judge Wylie said he would take the matter
into consideration. 1t did not appear to him.
however, that this report was II public docu-
ment."
Mr.. Wilson said that the statute did not use
the words public document" but the words ::
"any document printed by authority of law"
Judge Wylie said that the direction of the
committee on public printing had not been
shown.
Mr.. Wilson replied that the public printer
hGd consulted with Senator Anthony, its
t'llirllun and had been informed that there
Vas no objection.
IN igc Wylic intimated that he could not
Cou,idcr that n sufficient authority. How
ever, he would consider the matter, and give
Il decision Monday morning.
Ny, Bliss thcn proceeded with his opening
address to tho jury. In the course of it he
va, interrupted by the counsel for the de-
& .t.... ,vbn nbipptpl tO his making gtotpmants