Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-19
TIE Operations os the Star Route Ring.

advance
TIE Operations Oh the Star R oute Ring.
In the star route trial yesterday Mr. Bliss con-
dnued To fasten the evidences OF guilt upon the
accused and To cInch them. He confined himself
to the Testimony ami laid the prominent facts
brought out In tae trial before the Jury He COM
mented upon Brady's method OF managing the
puohc business and dispensing the peoples money,
and in the light OF the evidence maintained that
Brady'S course was not consistent with honesty
he showed that Brady basel his orders Incre lsino
the pay o: routes upon affidavits of contractors
ana Interested parties. He would accept these
ex plrte statements. knowing the pecuniarv
Interest the aiIiInts had at stake as
conclusive, and issue orders for an in
crease OF their ply without making any
effort to obtain further Information Mr. Bis,
next proceeded to point out how these affidavits
contfaGieted and bri:el each other. For instance
he said. when Rerieli was figuring upon suppo-
s1tlous route leading to suDpositious post ONCE
his figures as u the number o! men and horses
employed were double those o. the suD-contractor.
ana then Miner made oath t. nearly double the
number that RsTlell had calculated Yet Brady
aeceptet these contradictory statements as con-
ciu9ive evidence, when simple comparison would
have exposed the fraud. One route from Trinidad
10 Madison, on oath of John w. Dorsey as sub
contractor. was accepted by Brady as the basis OF
ocial action yet the testimony demonstrates that
Dorsey was never a sub-contractor on the route
ana that all the interest he had In il was frau
uient one, as means OF, in connection with the
other conspirators, wrongfuly obtaining govern
ment money!
In connection with another route (between
Pueblo and ROsita) John w. Dorsey made
and filed two separate oaths on the same
day which varied In their figures, and
thus belied each other; yet the sworn officer of the
government, entrusted with the duty OF protecting
the public interests accepted one of these con-
Trajectory oaths probably the enc calling for the
largest "expediti0n'0 rs conclusive. Mr. Bliss
anafyZed the oathS that had been made the pre-
Text by Brady for his extensive and reckless sys-
tenn of expedition, and pointed out DISCREPANCIES
ana contradictions enough to have condemned
them on their very face. The ring, however, ap-
peared to be so sure OF their man, to have such
Drm hold upon the Second Assistant Postmaster
0eherai, that they did not deem common business
prudence necessary In making their demands
In his exposure OF the methods OF the ring Mr..
Bliss showed that the rule had been to swear on
the original contract or schedule to a less number
or men and horses than were actually EMPLOYED
and In putting in their plea for expedition to swear
70 greater number than were necessary. in order
10 increase the ratio. This rule obtained all
tnrOo2h the transactions OF the ring, and tanding
aione IL proves the existence of conspiracy to de-
uaod the government. 1t proves that the con-
uactors ana the rinSsters In Washington govern
ing them were assessed in advance OF "expedi-
HshA" otherwise they would not In the original
contract put the number of men and horses below
these actually required To do that was to will
aiiy cut down their pay. In the course OF ma
'ure ana business 1t Is a plain proposition that
"neh theSe men Swore To q smaller number OF men
md horses than We're actually necessary for the
performance Of the original contract, thus. by
NEIL own act, decreasing their compensation, they
xnew they were absolutely certain OF a process by
which that loss would be more than made good to
mem Hence they must have known in advance
hat their routes were to be expedited.
me English officials in Dublin seem to be gov
rned only By sense OF duty to the rapi1 anti
tfish sentiment OF England in their construction
and administration of the laws. They appear to
De tot1liy unconscious OF the fact that wherever
justice Is regarded as the foundation principle of
aw. the arrest and imprisonment of Mr.. Gray IS
condemned. These officials are too blind to see
That they are building up, throughout the civil
Ezed world, moral support for the Irish that Will
peco'ne their strongest ally. Years ago the only
Qoestioh one nation felt concerned about in the
possible interference OF another with its
plans and schemes was, allow many troops
can II MUSTER" But international rela-
lions are upon different footing now
ProgreSs has brought the nations OF the earth to-
getiaer in sort OF union for the advancement of
CIVILIZATION and the spread OF Intelligence The
teiesraph forms common artery connecting CIV
iixation There Is national rivalry In the cause of
progress. Anything in the nature of retrogression
- Stigma am reproach, and hence public opin-
Ion Is more powerful now, as asserted through the
press, than an army, With banners, 4 century ago.
Wnen the English authorities IN Ireland usurp
power and dethrone justice, as In the case of Mr..
cray. they arouse this public criticism which will
make itself felt More than this, they bring re-
preach 10 the national fame. AS II with the pur.
pose OF doing all the mischief possible the law OFF,
GERS In Dublin are now preparing TO prosecute
pdoaac men of Ireland who have criticised and con-
0enned the Imprisonment OF Gray. These officials
appear determined to convince the world that
they are bent upon suppressng free speech In Ire
lana IL was only In the darkest days OF despottsm
that English subjects were forbidden to critfcfse
paoiie men, and these Dublin officials, apparently
mean TO demonstrate that In Ireland, II nowhere
efse, despotfSm can overthrow civilization.
Tnose pest qualified 10 know express the opinion
that there is foundation whatever for the state
ment sent from here, and somewhat extensively
published, to the effect that the Washington Monu-
ment viii be, when completed, used as sort OF
signal station fer the weather bureau. The strue-
tare vas intended from the beginning TO be a
memorial 10 Washington, and It is not likely that
the present board OF trustees or their successors
VIII ever consent to have ft perverted from that
dgnned purpose and made into a sort OF huge
mast TO uphold gigantic weather yanes, whirling
cups, and that sort Of thing, which, though USE
fsi In themselves, are not exactly calculated to
appropriately decorate a shaft of this character
Ii tae signal service wants high station, and can
make It's need manifest, 1t can undoubtedly get an
appropriation from Congress for that purpose. but
~ is not believed that either that body or the neo
PIE or the country win consent to have the highest
ana noDiest column In the world turned tn the nse
indicated The two ideas do not harmontze very
weA 'si'
- .
Gen Butler Is agsin on the track for the povcr
hefshlp OF Massachusetts, and he viii probably
get the democratic nomination, as he has that OF
IRE greenbaekers. He Is likely 10 worry the repub
ncans some, but VIII hardly get elected
Tie Baltimore Amer. da suggests that possfbIv
DIT. Lewis Cass Smith may BE- Induced TO decline
tne presidency OF the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. to
obifge German, and allow the latter 70 hold on to
that position until successor qualities.
III seems likely that Fuikerson, Oh the 9th ytr
gnia district, and Jorgensen, OF the 18th who have
been thrown over by the Malone coalitlonists will