The Evening critic., 1883-01-13
a pIoruRE oE BLISS
Drawn by One who Knows Him
The Hundred d-DOiiar.a.Day Lawyer
Iimned rs He Is.

Drawn by Ono who Knows Him
The Hundred d-Dotiar.a.Day Lawyer
Limped as He Is.
There are five figures In the annual report
OF the Attorney General Just published, up TO
date Of December /, that expound more elo
quently the secret OF George Bliss luterest In
the prosecution OF the Stlr-Route cases than
all the vehemence OF his own vlrulence and
ali the Indignant protests of Colonel Iugersoll.
"Paid to counsel In the Star Route investi
cation and prosecution the following amounts:
W. a. Cook, $3.50; A. NJ. Gibson, $1,000; r.
t. MerrlcK, $1,000; W. W. Kor s11,200i
George Bliss, s3s, 100"
George Bliss, S3S, 1907
DO not these startling hgures account for
the virtuous activity OF the lawyer.leech,
whose rich banquet is made upon the blood OF
his victims
This is no fancful figure of speech. The
accused in the Star Route cases have not been
merely "proceeded against according to law"
They have been bounded down; they have
been attacked secretly and in the dark they
have not only been put at the bar, they have
been dogged and harassed and worried iu their
homes and through those dearest to them;
every aggravation of legal torture has been
applied TO them, and, though not yet pro.
nounced guilty, they have been condemned by
their prosecutors and punished with inlpite
malice.
TO Macveagh 1t was task of malevolent re.
venge; he hated the man who had stood ln his
way.
10 George Bliss 1t is q cold-blooded, mercl-
less, calculating demand for his pound OF
flesh. He counts the torture of his victims by
the drop Of dollar after dollar.
ono hundred dollars a day Is his for every
day that he can prolong the agony. He has
these men bound hand and foot in the pinions
OF the law, and his thin lips curl, his bony
finger is pointed and shaken, his steel-tongued
inveotive is hurled at them-for 500 day.
His bitterness against the defendant is only
relieved of its utterly metallic character by
one touch of human resentment in the case of
Boone. Soon after the publication of Presi-
dent Arthur's first message to Congress Bliss
and other Star Reuters. Bliss took out copy
OF the speech and conned 1t over, criticising II
to passenger in his usual car piercing tones.
His words penetrated the rattle and din of
travel like the scream OF a circular saw
through crossgrained timber.
He pointed out the passages In the message
he had written, and commented upon altera-
tions that he had suggested to Arthur In terms
which carried n suggestion that Bliss was the
power behind the throne. The incident was
related to Arthur, who, when next he saw
Bliss, referred to 1t In terms which tlnd their
echo In Bliss kissing denuncfation of Boone,
TO whose intervention he ascribes Arthur's
knowledge OF the affair.
1t is to Arthur's credit that he is not re-
sponsible for Bliss presence in this prosecu-
ton. 1t is another OF the late Mr.. Garneld's
precious legacies to his successor although
that luckless tool Of his advisers was not
wholly to blame.
when Tom James, who always had happy
knack OF sniflng his own interest, selected
Colonel Bliss to undertake this profitable Job,
he knew that Garfield was dying. He know
that his own term OF Office was In jeopardy,
but that all might not be lost iii the antlci-
pated wreck, he prepared to make strong
friend In the new order OF things by engaging
Colonel Bliss at 800 per day I'D innnitum.
Part of the bargain involved George Jones in
an undertaking TO praise In the New York
Times Postmaster Pears0n-JameS' son-in-law
for his efficiency, and so arouse a feeling
that would compel his retention.
We have no fault to find with that result,
for New York is fortunate in possessing an ex-
cellent postmaster, who deserves all the en-
comiums that have been passed upon him.
But the utterly selfish and mercenary charac-
ter Of the circumstances which put Mr.. Bliss
into possession-of n handsome and apparently
permanent income is plainly seen In every
turn Of the kaleidoscope. Every fair feature
| OF the prosecution ia blurred by this hideous
| deslgni
Bliss is sharp man-he possesses the sub
tlety Of the serpent with the cunning OF the
| fox. He is the Quilp OF New York politics. He
| delights In gripping the helpless with his
| viso.like fingers; he revels In writing mis-
| elee when he has rasped sensitive nature !;
and smiles serenely as he skaters hopes that
he has wantonly fostered.
To utterly heartless, conscienceless purpose
he unites scorching, singing tongue, and
men have shrunk from opposing his wishes In
order to avoid the unpleasantness of his
venom. But his strength is wanting. He ig-
II has grown up and left him behind.
He Will soon be labeled only as the many
fanged memorial of a vicious, but extinct po-
litical species.-Ne1C York Truth, editorial