Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-11

The public has become pretty well
tired out with the interminable trials of
Brady, Dorsey ct al. for, conspiracy to
defraud the government in the star route
cases, and the general disgust is not like
ly to be much lessened by the enormous
expense which the people will be called
upon to bear for the privilege of proving
the guilt or innocence of the accused.
The end is well nigh at hand, however,
and in day or two at farthest now the
public will know whether the alleged
conspiratOrs will have to wear a striped
suits or go unwhipt of justice.
Whether convicted or not in the
courts, the belief that the accused are
guilty is so general that even if they are
again turned loose to hatch up other
swindling schemes in the future, they
will always be regarded with extreme
suspicion. 1t is almost an established
fact already, that but for the indict-
ment for conspiracy they would GER
tainly be found guilty, and this will
most probably be the verdict of the jury
under any circumstances. Judge Wylie's
charge was plain and very direct, and it
is hard to see how the jury can arrive at
any other conclusion. Still a conspiracy
is very hard thing to prove, and so,
Notwithstanding the damaging nature of
the evidence against the indicted crimi.
mails, they may escape, either through a
legal technicality or from a mistrisl
But if anything were needed to prove
the guilt of the accused, all possible
doubt ought to have disappeared when it
became known that efforts had been made
by them to bride the jury. From the first
the conspirators and their friends have
left no stone unturned to prevent justice
from being melted out. Newspapers have
been bought up, and the court, for its
impartial conduct towards the defend
ants, has been roundly abused; coun-
sci for the defense have done all
that could be done, whether by elo-
quent appeals, brOw-beating wit
nesses or bold assumption of the
innocence of their clients, to obtain a
verdict; every effort has been made to
prejudice the minds of the jury, and as
a last resort promises of money, or place
(the latter is the favOrite bride of the
leaders of the party in power have teen
offered to the jurors if they will only
vote mot guilty" In all the annals of
American jurisprudence no more dis
graceful scenes have been witnessed, not
even excepting the Guiteau trial, than
have been enacted in these star route
cases.
Whatever the result of the trial, how
ever, it must be very bad for the Re.
publican party. The prominent connec
ton of the indicted cOnspirators with
that party, the high position they hold
the fact that one of them has been a
carpet-bag United States Senator from a
Southern State and is now Secretary of
the Republican National Executive Com
mittee, must for all time identify
them with the party so in
timately that the people will hold
the party responsible for what they have
done A verdict of acquittal will be
looked upon as simply in the nature of a
whitewashing of leading Radical off
Gals, while a verdict of guilty will send
to the penitentiary men who have been
on terms of the greatest possible init
macy with the powers that be, from the
President down, and will bring addi-
tional Odium to the party, which has al
ready produced a Grant, a Belknap, a
BabcOck, Keifer and Robson.
With this load to carry it is 1ard to
see how the Republican party can posi-
bly, be successful in the coming fall cleo
tiOns, especially as it is already openly
announced that the main reliance it has
for success is in Jay Hubbell's corruption
fund As already frequently stated,
losses in the North are hoped to be offset
by gains of purchased seats from
the South. Let the Southern De
mocracy remember this. and being
tOrewarned be forearmed. Let them
turn out in mass at the polls and elect
their candidates by such majorities as
cannot be disputed Let them show the
country that with them principle is
everything, and that they are proof
against bribery in whatever shape it
comes. The South has had her expe.
rience with Radicalism; let her not now
by supineness or apathy permit the
party of star route swindles, carpet
bagism, and a thousand and one other
crimes once more obtain a foothold in
this section.