Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-29
From the Springfield MASS. Republican.

OUT.
--'4o.4 az: ----y
From the Springfield Mass } Republican.
The removal of several Washington officials
Saturday upon charges by Attorney General
Brewster and Messrs Bliss, Ker and Merrick,
government counsel in the star route cases, in
dictate that President Arthur has heard from the
elections and has wearied with his two-faced
subordinates., The men removed and the
! grounds for removal are thus stated In letters
| to the President by George Bliss and the Attor-
ney General: United States Marshal Henry, Gar
fields appointee, on the ground that he had
publicly stated in an interview that the govern
ment had mo case" had been negligent of the
| interests of the government in drawing the Jury
and had not concealed his sympathy with the
defendants. Postmaster Anger one OF Hayes ap-
pointees, and an efficient and popular officer, on
the ground that he had certified bogus bonds
| for star route contractors and had written a
| letter to his newspaper in Michigan attacking
| the conduct OF the prosecution His assistant
Col: Myron NJ. Parker. of Vermont on grounds
| probably OF the same character, though they
are not very definitely stated. Helm, fore
| man OF the government printing office, on the
| ground that he is the controlling editor of the
| Cftac low Washington newspaper which is
! owned by Brady and which only exists to abuse
| the prosecutors in the star route cases. George
4. Spencer, ex-senator, and at present govern
| ment director of the Union Pacific railroad,
who has been wanted for many months as
| witness for the government in these cases.
The removal of all these men will be approved
| by the people, we believe, unless there be an
| exception in favor of Anger and Parker neither
| OF whom has been involved heretofore in these
| scandals. Henry is an ELUSIVE ass ana greatly
| lacking in discretion. Helm is a striker who
| seeks at one and the same time to serve the
| men On trial and to enjoy control of government
patronage by holding an important office in the
great national publishing house. His appoint
! ment as foreman of the Congressional Record
by the Public Printer was a flat insult to the
government. in view of the fact that his hire
ling, Buell. had already testified in court that
| helm controlled the columns of the Critic
| Spencer's appointment as government director
OF the Union Pacific railroad, was in itself a
| gross outrage upon decent people and the
| PRESIDENT makes tardy reparaton of decency Ly
| his present removal.
| The public printer, Rounds. cannot escape
| completely for Helms appointment, and may
have to co. there would be little sympathy with
him II he did. District Attorney COrknill's head
is also in danger. He is a third-rate LAWYER
whose want ofdignity and common sense in the
Guiteau case brought contempt upon the coun-
| try. If he could be replaced with LAWYER of
the ability of Mr.. Merrck, there would be salts
! faction in his retirement also. No one would be
| more jealous than The Republican of the manip-
ulation of the civil service to affect the standing
| OF government prosecutions in the courts. but
|
defenders and apologists of the accused, and
other bitter assailahts of the prosecuting officers
| In the high confidential places and emOlumentS
OF the government. and to insult the adminiStra-
ton OF justice. it is time that the executive
| should insist upon the unity and loyalty Of its
subordinate service by removal. Indeed. it
should be observed that the most fragrant of
| these cases comes from the wanton appointment
upon grounds OF. favOritsm, of such men as
Helm and Spencer to the places they occupy.
Brewster's Broom.
From the Philadelphia Press (rep).
| The administration has acted late; but it has
acteddecisively. Washington swarms with peo-
pie who run about sneering at official honesty
and fouting the punishment of official theft
The air is full OF sympathy with thieves and
apologies for thieting. The official world is
rank with an easy belief that the government is
there to be plundered Honesty there is and
the honest men vastly outnumber the rogues.
| but the rOgues are rich and powerful, and per-
vading. They make friends and keep them:
| they dazzle poor clerks by their expenditure
and awe them by their influence" they make
the most of their wealth and more of their as
surance; they treat an honest prosecutor as a
prosecutor, and they command sympathy in a
community which has come to feel that stealing
is safe at Washington If government money is
| taken.
On this President Arthur has set his foot If
nothing more is accomplished, If no members of
| the star route conspiracy punished and
venal jurymen again defeat the ends Of justice,
much is done when public example is made OF
the friends of public plunderers and public
opinion in Washington receives warning that
the only safe side is the side of the people This
has been done More remains. Attorney Cen
eral Brewster should sweep out every man in
official life whose sympathies lie with this great
conspiracy which has spent its millions to de-
| canif41
the government whose money its MEM
bers stole. This money has been used to
purchase newspapers, to buy lawyers, to
acquire friends, until the public air of Washing
man who made the cause of justice his own
and departed from the company Of thieves. Ex-
Marshal Henrys attempt to creep under the
fall of the martyred President whose friendship
and memory he insults by using them as his
defense. Is part and parcel of this false
and wicked sentiment which has come to
look on the efforts of public justice to
take public thieves by the throat, lest a
government by the people should rot off the
earth. as a pickering, nagging persecution Of
men who had made much of opportunities by
which all seek to profit. When Marshal Henry
found that his personal sympathy was doubted
| in case where honesty was on one side and
| robbery on the other-one Of two things-he
should have resigned or proved by his acts
| where his sympathy lay He did, unfortunately
for himself. and the demonstration should have
put him out of office months ago. So of other
men. On a vital issue they are on the wrong
side, and Brewster's broom has righteOusly
swept them out Of office into the street to bear
company with the other ex-Officials, from Brady
down, whom they aided.
The work should not stop. It cannot II the
President and his Attorney General do their
duty. The Press long since insisted that Dis
trict Attorney COrkhill should not be permitted
to remain in an office with whose chief work he
had no sympathy. The letter Of ex-Attorney
General MacVeagh, now first published, shows
the accuracy of our assertion If the prosecu-
ton of the star route conspiracy is to be made
effective as well as earnest, Corkhil must 60,
and with him every man in official place In or
| about Judiciary Square or the government of
the District who has used his influence or his
sympathy to belittle the prosecution or block
the wheels Of justice. In all these things Presi-
dent Arthur, has the people with him. and his
Attorney General enjoys the support and
countenance of honest men. Let them act and
treat sympathy with a plundering ring as
treason to good government.
| The Sad Truth.
| From the New York Tribune.
The root of the present difficulty is excessive
| 1p nroductS opd thu rosor+ -