The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-09-22
struck En- Like q Cyclone.

Struck EN- Like . Cyclone.
The astonishing statements attributed
tn Mr.. Dorsey have struck the Kepub-
lican press like cyclone. The attempt
is being made to discredit the story, put
it win hardly succeed. Who is Dorsey!
An answer to that question viii throw
some light on the probability OF the
story. Stephen j. Dorsey came to the
political surface during the "recon-
struction - period, being sent by the
negro Legislature of Arkansas as Sem
ptor to represent that State at WASH
! lrten. Of course he was stanch
ind stalwart Republican. He was SO
familiar with corrupt and desperate
political measures that he was soon
placed on the Republican National
Campaign Committee and eventually
became its Secretary. During his term
as Secretary he became familiar with
the methods of getting and carrying
out the contracts for carrying the
Federal mails He engaged In tnat
business and invented, the scheme Tor
robbing the Treasury commonly called
+" the Star-route robbery" by this
means he accumulated large fortune,
part of which he has invested in cattle
ranches and silver mines in New Mexico.
When the Presidential contest OF 1880
opened it was speedily discovered,
through the Republican defeat in Maine
early in the summer, that the genial
Marshall Jewell, of Connecticut, Chair
man of the Republican Committee, was
wanting in something, and that their
cause was lost unless the most desperate
measures were resorted to. In this dire
emergency the Republican leaders in
stinctively turned to Dorsey, gave him
the management of the remainder OF
the campaign and begged him to save
the grand old party. Dorsey accepted
the task and went at it with character
istic ardor and unscrupulousness. The
keystone of the contest was Indiana. Ii
he could wrest that from the Demo-
cratic ranks the Republicans might
elect the President. This he succeeded
in accomplishing. Hancock was de-
feated. Garfield was elected.
Every intelligent politician was aware
that Indiana had been carried for the
Republicans in October of 1880 by the
the lavish use of money. Indeed, Vice
President Elect Arthur, at tho famous
Delmonico's banquet in New York,
given in honor of Dorsey, openly and
shamelessly lauded Dorsey for the ex-
ceedingly able manner in which he car
ried Indiana by the use of documents
and soap" When Garfield was
elected he offered Dorsey the position
of Secretary of the Interior, but Dorsey
declined. He had ssbetter thing" in
the postal route frauds. All he desired
was to shape the Administration SO that
he would be allowed to steal with i'm
punity. This it was agreed should be
done. But to Dorsey's great disgust,
President Garfield attempted to take
care of Dorsey and at the same time
play the part Of great reformer. He
put James and McVeagh into his Cabi-
net. They happened to be honest and
hence they prosecuted Dorsey, the
savior of the Republican party, for the
Star-route frauds. Garfield was shot
by Republican statesman named Gui-
teau. James and McVeagh were put
out of the Cabinet of President Arthur
to make the task of saving Dorsey
easier. put , .nere was the Htar.route
Prosecu'lon' nAe . wnI.e eiePnanI, ieIt
self in an embarrassing position. He
became seized with the desire of being
elected President. He tried to carry
water on both shoulders. He deter
mined to be reformer-just little
one for cent-and he ordered the pros
ecutions against Dorsey to proceed. OF
co!Iso ~ poiscy was ~ 70 snseo ~ inc
ena. Inc salais ende1 IN dorsey 8 ac-
qu,t,A ~ me jury. Deloie tne par o.
pubic oRanion: however; ne was iound
sunny. Inc rLlass cost MN 2 gleat zeal
OF money. Inc otar-route saeaiing was
Of DLoken ~. dorsey was out o. . Jop.
ne ley tnas me nePupilcan press, IN It's
an ls,y . snrelu me parry from respon-