Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-19
LAUGH ON THE OTHER SIDE.
Ex-Kepresentative Murch Changes Gay
ETY. TO CONSERVATION.

WASHINGTON, June 1S.-FOlks do not
seem to be laughing as much now as
they used to at x-Representative Mureh.
nor do they seem to apply many
insinuating titles to him. Murch. you
know, is the man who filed those charges
against Supervising Architect Hill, al
leging criminal waste of monies in the
erection of public buildings. He claims
that Hill has participated in big spoils.
and that other men, pretty big officials,
and pretty prominent politicians too,
also got some of the stealings. The fun
made at Murch was because he DELAYED
the investigation. Lots of things did not
suit him, and he waited until he was well
and ready, and then went ahead. While
he was hanging back he was almost
charged with attempting blackmail. But
when he got things all right he went at it.
The testimony has, until within few
days, been very immaterial. 1t was
entirely preliminary. But now it is some
what different. Testimony and figures
have been submitted, which show almost
conclusively that there were hundreds of
thousands of dollars which went where
they should not have gone in the erection
of the building at Philadelphia alone.
Murch and his attorney promise to show
that similar, if not bigger, rat
holes exist all over the
country, where public buildings are in the
course of construction. or have been fin
ished. Mr.. Hill, it must be admitted by
even his friends, does not show up very
well in this investigation. He is nervous
and i'll at ease. Instead of showing de-
sire to facilitate the inquiry now atoOt, he
seems to be doing all he can to keen back
information. He does not act the part
which an innocent man generally shows
to the public. The fact that Mr.. Hill re-
fused, although ordered by the committee
to produce until Sunday the contracts for
statuary at the Philadelphia public build
ing, looks little bad too, especially
when the man who got that contract is
said to be son of the Second Assis-
tant Secretary of the Treasury, Mr..
French. There have been many
attempts made at Mr.. French, who has a
colony ofrelations, one way or another in
the government employ, and the lead now
struck may amount to something. The |
further statement that French's son let |
his contract for the Philadelphia statuary
to another man, who did the work, looks |
as If there was more money made out of it |
than was exactly the thing when the in |
terest OF the government is taken into |
consideration. No, they are not making |
quite as much fun of Murch and his in |
vestigatiOn as they did before it got down
to work.
The consolidation of the two districts of |
Georgia into one, and the continuance of |
Walter johnson as Internal Revenue Col |
lect0r for the whole will, it seems. suit !
both the Wilson-Pleasant and the VIM |
berly factions. Mr.. Wilson has been to |
the office of the Commissioner of Internal |
Revenue and said the consolidation would |
suit him. Mr.. Wimberly has expressed |
himself in the same manner. The fact of |
the unanimity of opinion is doubtless the |
Outgrowth of feeling on the part of both |
factions that it is drawn battle, and their
sideis certainly not defeated.
The star route people certainly are glad |
they are not convicted. They just keep |
up general jubilation. They have bands |
of music and serenadeS and free beer and |
rum for everybody. They make speeches |
and act just as if they had thought they |
were going to be convicted, and are so
surprised that they were not that thev
will just make things hum. They slop |
over and have much ebullition. And this /
they keep up without apparent dimInu-
ton. In their speeches they have been
very triumphant: Dorsey certainly in
the other night, but l doubt if
he intended to tell as much
truth as he impaired. He said the star
route trials were parallel with the trial of
Warren Hastings, and enlarged upon that I
comparison. There certainly is great
similarity between the two trials. Hast
ings had two trials for the same offense.
He was tried for high crimes and misde-
meanors and of robbing the Indian gov
ernment out of sums of money He was
acquitted on the second trial. He spent
most OF his stolen plunder in defending
himself. And if there is any truth in his
tory the people of that day knew that he
was guilty, and those of this dav believe |
that they were right. Yes, Mr.. Dorsey is
right. There is quite parallel between
the Warren Hastings trial and the star
route trials.
A gentleman from Virginia tells me
that there are evidences that Senator Rid
dleberger may not hold out very long to
Malone. He says-we have always heard
to the cOntrary-that Mr.. Riddleberger
really has very little in common with Ma
hone. He has never been a very enthu-
slastic follower of that able statesman and
assessment scOOper, says my informant.
He is a Readjuster, it is true; but not a
Malone striker. ''All of his sympathies |
and associations are with the Democrats" |
continued the talker. 81 do not say that |
it will happen, but it looks as if there was |
very good chance that Riddleberger
would become a Democrat to all intents |
and purposes. Don't you be surprised if |
he does" POTOMAC,