New-York tribune., 1883-06-19
pARTISEYSHIP AND FRAUDS.

4 n
| Partisan journalism naturally finds an in
yiting text in the Star Route business. But
Democratic Journals have not distinguished
themselves by their treatment of the subject.
They have been quite too miscellaneous, so to
speak, Fiercely condemning everything ana
everybody does not hurt anybody. These
people condemn the Republican party because
frauds existed and because President Gar
! fields administration arrested and exposed
them; because the extra costly service was
rendered so long, and because 1T is rendered
no longer; because the accused were tried for
conspiracy, and because they were not con-
victed, 1t would be more effective, rs well as
more decent. to stick TO some rational theory
on the subject. 1t will not do to belabor, III
the same breath, those who committed the
| frauds and those who pr0sec uted them; to
| blame the same party for institutlnS costly
| trial, and for great efforts to make 1t sue
cess, and also for its complete failure. The
sins of the Democratic and Republican lawyers
| who conducted the prosecution, and the sins
OF the Republican and Democratic jurymen
who voted for acquittal, cannot all be laid
upon the same party.
| 1t happens that the persons accused complain
most bitterly of President Arthur's administra-
ton because of its efforts to convict them
But because they were not convicted, the
| Democratic journals throw stones at the same
administration. The chances are that the
accused know best what the facts are, and have
the more sincerity in their complaints The
prosecution has not been wisely managed, but
| it is quite clear that its principal faults have
arisen from exceeding zeal to secure convic-
ton. Smart lawyers were engaged to assist
the prosecution and they made the mistake
which such lawyers often make when looking
| for eminent fees; the jury was simply crushed
by the mass of evidence, of legal technicali-
ties. and of everlasting oratOry. But If the
| Administration had not employed smart
| counsel, and made great efforts TO array all the
facts in convincing form, all the Democratic
| Journals would have said that it wished to
shield the guilty, and many other people would
| have had the same impression.
AS to the original transactions more
over, it happens that men of all par
ties and all factions had part
in them, and that they occurred
| in the only Department which was under
charge of a Cabinet officer of Democratic
antecedents. There is no reason to suspect
that the "erring brother" ever appreciated
the fraudulent character of the contracts that
he approved or permitted, but there is still
| less reason to suppose that their crimnaity
was known to the President or any other
member of his administration. 1t had long
been a policy of the Government to provide
mail services in new and sparsely settled parts
of the country far in excess of their i'm
mediate and absolute necessities. The reasons
otNn hut rai
have for many years been keen to use 1t to
their own advantage. The Star Route jobbers
took care to get up formal petitions asking
increase of facilities and the official habit Of
the Department had been to lean far to the
side of liberality in dealing with such petitions
from new and sparsely settled regions. This
made it easy for frauds to be permitted
through error of judgment as well as from
corrupt motives. 1t is childish folly to hold
a great party responsible for frauds growing
ND under such circumstances; the question is
how it has dealt with them since they became
known.
The Democratic journals are careful not to
discuss that part of the matter The exposure
by President Galfeld's administration, the
removal of officials implicated, and the COM
mencement of prosecutions, with the subse-
ouent conduct of the prosecutions under
President Arthur's administration, show the
attitude of both wings of the Republican
party toward official wrong-doing The accused
who had been Jealous friends of President
Arthur, those who had been zeal Ous support
ers of President Garfield, and those who had
been Jealous Democrats, have all met just the
same treatment, and it has not pleased any of
them The whole Republican party, in short
can refer to this business with hearty salts
faction so far as its partisan aspects are con-
cerned. If there has been a failure of justice,
there has been no failure to show the attitude
of the Republican party toward official mis-
deeds. If frauds were committed by Republi-
cans, they were exposed and prosecuted by
Republican administrations, and it may be
pertinently asked what evidence there is that
a Democratic administration would make as
much effort to bring accused Democrats to
justice.
MORAL OF A CATASTROPHE.