The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1882-09-23
The Star Route Thieves Free.
phsle1~iohta T,,n.s

The farce Of the trial of the Star
Route defendants is practically at an
end for the present, and most likely
for all time. The two Dorseys and
Brady, the three most illustrious
public thieves since the golden days
of Tweed, have locked horns with
justice in the national Capital, and
proved themselves mightier than the
law.
The case presented by the govern
ment was SO clear, so complete in
every link, and so entirely conclusive
as to the gnilt of the Dorseys and
Brady, and the fidelity of the Judge
to the honest administration of the
law was so emphatic, that the coun-
try had learned TO hope for the ma
jesty of justice even in Washington;
but the earlier approximations of the
omnipotence of powerful and banded
thieves have been fully realized by
the conviction Of two Of the minor
defendants, the acquittal of one
against whom the government did
not press the prosecution, and the
disagreement Of the jury as to the
guilt of the chief conspirators and
criminals.
The day that dated the succession
Of the Arthur to the Garfield admin
istration, dated the safety of these
mighty criminals. They have never
hesitated to publicly defy both public
sentiment and the courts,, since the
nation wept for the murdered Gar
field; and from that period until the
18th, the Star Route thievs have had
an open field in Washington to COM
pass their escape. Every Stalwart
journal lauded Arthur and DETAINED
every man who had seconded Garfield
in daring to attempt the vindication
of justice, and during the trial, and
every day since the jury first retired,
the Dorseys tossed their glass in
ribald toast to those who had offended
them by demanding the punishment
of the most unblushing public thieves
of modern history. They knew their
jury; they knew its surroundings;
they knew the influence of power, and
they were safe.
When it is remembered that Dorsey
was q United States Senator, and
used his high position to organize
and execute crime OF appalling
magnitude, and that Brady was the
Assistant Postmaster General, who
had control Of Dorsey's line of theft
1t is fearful humiliation for the
country that they could escape I'M
whipped Of justice at the fountain of
the laws Of II great free people. And
it is the more shameful that such a
miscarriage of justice could be per-
petrated in the face of the honest and
fearless efforts of righteous Judge,
WHO nade brave struggle to save
justice from open shame in her own
sanctuary. 1t is blow against JUS
tice and against the majesty Of the
law, that must be profoundly felt
from centre to circumference Of the
Republic, and it will do more to
arouse the people to the grave peril
that threatens their institutions than
any one cause of the last decade.
When Wayne MacVeagh said to
President Arthur, soon after the death
of Garfield, that "the prosecution of
the Star Route cases will be import
ant or unimportant, as you shall
make, or fail to make, the cause of
the government your cause he told
the whole story in single pregnant
sentence. Garfield had made the
cause of the government his cause;
Arthur refused to make the cause Of
the government his cause, and the
prosecution languished into final fail
ure. The verdict, or failure of YER
dct, is simply reflection Of the sen
timent of those who bask in the power
of the government. ltwas safe to re-
fuse to convict; it would offend none
in Authority; il would assure the hear
ty Communications Of every admins
tration organ, and the Dorseys and
Brady are practically free, because
the government was ready to tolerate
the defeat Of the law The farce is
now over; Dorsey and Brady are safe
from punishment for the meanest
prostitution ofhigh power to the most
reckless theft, and the boasted Re-
public of the world must confess the
omnipotence of banded thieves over
the law, in the very fountain Of the
nations law.