The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-08-09

I
medium for keeping absontecs thoroughly
posted on what transprcs at tho Capital. Or
ders can bo sent by mail, or left at tho busi-
moss ofilce. Address changed as often as
desired,
"TnE defense has collapsed" shrieks
every hireling libeller on Newspaper Row
and in the star Office.
"Please grant n postponemont until we
can get some evidence" plaintivoly pleads
Bliss.
In one case the impulse ismalco. In the |
other it is 500 a day.
What soft thing Bliss and Merrick |
would have waiting for imaginary "evi- |
dencc' at 500 day.
IT is plain that Bliss affidavit was in
tended, not for the court, but for the news.
papers and the jury-if he could reach the
latter with 1t.
He know well onough-or ought to have
known-that the court would not grant
postponement.
The prosecution have had their own time
in which to.make up their case. They an
nounced at the outset, far and wide, that
they were anxious to 60 to trial that they
were ready in every sense of the word, and
that if there was any delay it would not be
their fault.
Then they consumed five weeks getting
in their testimony.
The defense occupied less than one week.
And now, at the end, they come in with
the abject confession Of weakness that is
involved in q motion to postpone until
they can get some alleged evidence-thc
$l00 day to go on all the same, of course.
Ofcourse Judge Wylie denied the motion.
He would have been compelled, under the
law, to deny similar motion, had one
been made by the defense, and no lawyer
that ever lived-except Merrick or Bliss
would have made such motion on behalf
Of prosecution.
There are instances where trials have
been postponed on motion of the defense, to
enable the attendance of important wit
nesses, but so far as our research goes even
these instances were all capital cases, where
men were on trial for their lives. But we
have never heard or read of postpone.
ment for the convenience, real or alleged, Of
the prosecution, upon such plea. And we
don't believe that Bliss or Merrick ever
heard or read of one either. 1t is unique
display of pettifoggery.
WE TAKE little stock in the established
Reformers cry of "extravagant appropria-
tions," simply because Congress may see fit
to appropriate large sums of the public
money for public use. Our criticism on the
extravaganza of the session just closed is
based not upon the fact that seventy-odd
millions were appropriated in excess Of last
years votes, but upon the fact that large
proportion of the increase was devoted to
objects other than those of the greatest pub
lie utility or necessity. Leaving the PEN
sion bill out of the discussion, we find that
this Congress exceeded the last to the ex-
tent of about forty millions
What was it all for?
Was it for the reinforcement of our Navy,
which is our chief need as nation? No (;
the Navy bill was assailed and cut down in
its most vital provisions, to wit: those af
fecting the maieriel Of the service, in which
our greatest deficiency exists.
Was it for the resurrection of our mer-
chant marine? No; not dollar. Two
millions and half were asked for this pur
pose, but Beck yelled Subsidy" and So tc
avoid the charge of subsidy to the extent
of two millions and half, our Solons sunk
over twelve millions in creeks and mud hole!
and clam beds, which altogether do not af-
feet our actual commerce as much in {
whole year as one irst-class ocean steam
ship would do in one round trip.
Was it for the employment of labor
al In tIa Il
of the government? Mo- because the cleri
cal force was cut everywhere except in tn,
Pension Office and Post Office, and the ap
preparations for pay of those left wer
pruned down to starvation limits.
Was it for the improvement of the Ma
tional Capital? No; for when $4,000
had been put on by the Senate for the re
clamation of the pestilential Potomac fiat:
the House reduced it to 100000.
Was it for the defense Of our harbors an
coasts? No; because when the question Q
improving these defenses came up fe'
thousand dollars were voted for "experi
ments" and "select committee on heav
ordnance" was provided with contingen
fund for asummer junket.
Was it to defray the expenses of tn
treatment of the late President, shob dow
while in office? No; for our statesmen
INDUCED in pitiful tussle over his doc
tors bills, and finally left them with
pretended settlement" which the phys
clans ought to and probably will refuse t
touch.
In short, where did these forty million
go? Certainly not for the exigent needs c
to preserve the decencies of the Govern
ment. This is what we complain of-nt
that the bills were large, but that their o,
cess was for useless purposes. Not this
Congress was liberal in its totals, but that
was illiberal in items of real needfulne
and indubitable propriety. And we belle,
that our complaint will be found to repre-
sent the public sense.
POstOaice Department Rulings.
10 the Edit0y Of The ECeaing Critic:
In the Republican OF n few days ago ol
servo some statements as TO Postoflce Dopai
mont rulings which excite astonishment NJ
deserve comment. With all due respect 10 Il
"chief priests ana rulers" OF said DepaI
ment, my impression decidedly is that, thoug
Iak