The Evening critic., 1882-10-13

charges.
The Department of Justice will in all
probability learn before it gets through
with this case that the courts are the
proper tribunals to hear and determine
charges ofso grave a character against the
Department of Justice and not the Depart
ment ITSELF
1T WILL strike most people that there has
been good deal more talk than action about
following up the charges OF bribery In tho
Star-Route cases. II is four weeks since the
jury handed In Its verdict, and with no visible
result OF the steps already taken TO discover
the guilty parties 1t Is rather late to speak OF
tho Attorney Generals desire to have u
"prompt and thorough investigation and
prosecution" Thorough 1t may be, but what
ever be Its result 1t can hardly, at this space
OF time from the close OF tho trial, be called
prompt.-MtU York Times.
Do you expect man to tear his shirt In
order to set fire to his own house? That's
about the size of the Department of Justice
setting itself up as judge and juror in the
matter of charges which seriously affect its
own honesty. Mr. Brewster is inextricably
involved in the doings of his own conf
dental agents and no skill in the art of
kalsomining will retrieve his reputation.
If he had no fear of an investigation, why
did he take it into his own hands?
As to the matter of promptitude: The
Assistant District Attorney who was inves.
tigating the charges had taken all tes-
timony necessary to acquaint him with the
character of the ofienses committed and the
identity of the parties committing them.
1t was an open secret that warrants were
about to issue for the arrest of certain en-
ployes Of the Department of Justice. when
with lightning celebrity the Attorney
General ordered the investigation to cease.
1t ceased. A day or two after the whole
matter was turned over to another special
counsel, the District Attorneys Office being
released from all connection Herewith.
Now, this special counsel announces that he
is ready to proceed to take evidence. Thus
the whole matter is to be gone over again
in secret. So much for the prompt in-
vestigation the Attorney General pomp-
ously announced through the newspapers
should be given these charges.
"WHAT caused it and what will be the
effect" is the constant inquiry about the
Ohio election. The Democratic papers out
side of that State almost universally claim
that the election turned on the issues that
they are endeavoring to make effective in
their own canvasses. The free trade
Journals claim that the Republican defeat
was due to the ubiquitous tariff" and
point to McKinley's district as particular
hot oil, -
lition Of the internal revenue system VOW
that it means tho wiping out of that
abomination," as they mildly term
the taxation of whisky and tobacco. The
Halfbreed organs swear IL is rcbuke to
the machine" albeit no machine" ever
existed in Ohio. And so the organs Of partie
and special interest, go, each interpreting
the result, not according to the plain facts
hut as they would like it to be.
Tho plain fact is that Ohio was los
to the Republicans by Juggling
the Sunday and temperance Dues
lions into the canvass, and it was the
former much more than the latter, which
alienated the great body of German ant
other Republican voters. The question o
the taxation of the sale of intoxicants alon'
would not have resulted in the overthrow
of the party proposing it; but when th
attempt to Puritanize Sunday was mad
the liberal Republicans, Germans ant
Americans alike, Joined hands to rebuk,
their party This is all there is to th,
Democratic victory. Strictly speaking
however, there was no Democratic victory
although there was Republican defeat
for the election did not turn on any ma
tional issue, but on a purely local one. TIL,
result, too, will only affect Indiana whcr,
the prohibition question is the leading one
IL will NOT, probably, change dozen vote
in any other State.