The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-30
DORSEY'S STOLEN LETTERS.
A Disappointment for Those Who Ex-
pected Damaging Revelations.
A Publication Showing the Methods of a
Sneak-Thief, aud Which Will Harm
Nobody Except Dorsey.
Chicago Tribune.


dental campaign of 1880 will only serve to
deepen the public regret that the ex-star-
route thief through the mistaken clemency
of a Washington jury, escaped the imprison-
ment which he richly deserved in some
congenial penitentary. Persons who have
read these letters hoping to find in them an
exposure of campaign secrets will
be severely disappointed. The letters
are not of such a character that
anybody need be ashamed of them
or regret seeing them in print The most
noteworthy circumstance connected with
their publication is, that but one or two of
them were addressed to Dorsey himself The
rest of them were directed to Governor
Jewell, and came into the possession of the
star-route thief through his accidental con-
neetien with the national committee. He
had them under the seal of sacred confidence.
The use he has made of them in their publ
cation by Bourbon Democratic newspaper
will make him politically and socially an
outcast for all time to come. man who is
capable of stealing and delivering to the
press for publication personal letters ad-
dressed to another is morally in the position
of robber of the mails 1t is easy to believe
that one who can be guilty of such conduct
would not be restrained by any nice princi-
conspiracies for which Dorsey was tried and
queerly acquitted.
1t will be found, on examination of the
letters in detail, that none of them is damag
ing or even discreditable to any person
prominently identified with the campaign
on the Republican side. Garheld's letters to
Dorsey were perfectly innocent. They re-
lated to matters that he might with proprie-
ty discuss with any person actively con-
cerned in the management of his political
affairs. The worst that can be said of them
is that they show too-credulous belief on
Mr. Garfield's part in the character of Dor
sey as a gentleman and man of honor. The
publication of these letters so entirely up
right in their tone and honorable in their
sentiments, furnishes negative proof, if any
were needed, that Dorsey has no documen is
in General Garfields handwriting to justify
the base aid cowardly insinuations which
have been disseminated concerning the late
President
The letter from Mr. Blaine, which Dorsey
has seen fit to print for some mysterious pur
pose of his own, is highly creditable to the
ex-Secretary of State. 1t exposes a cruel
wrong which was done Mr. Blaine and the
Maine Republicans during the preliminary
campaign of 1880. Mr. Blaine sent word to
the national committee that the Republicans
of Maine had not received ''one penny's aid
in the closest and most central battle of the
campaign" At that time it was notorious
money, and through coalition of Green
hackers, trades-unfonists, and Bourbons
were striving to defeat the most prominent
leader of the party in his own State. There
can be no doubt, in view of the present reve-
latons, that money was withheld from
Maine as the result of a treacherous
stalwart conspiracy. The Conking
ties intended that Maine should be lost
and Blaine sacrificed. They not only re-
fused to send money to help the Republicans
in defraying Legitimate expenses, but, so far
as their influence extended, they prevented
their friends from voting for the Republican
candidates When this pressure was with
drawn and the Democrats found employ
ment for their funds in other States, Maine
naturally wheeled into the Republican col
unln and gave Garfield handsome majority
in November
dressed to Governor Jewell, but purloined
and published by Dorsey, it is sufficient to
say that they are such as politicians contin-
,ually write to each other during heated poiti-
cal campaigns but seldom expect to see in
print. We suppose it would be idle at this
elections are held in this coun-
try without the expenditure of
large sums of money. Money has
been, is, and will continue to be used
in elections for strictly legitimate purposes
1t was easily possible to spend quarter of
for the organization of political clubs, in de-
fraying the expenses of speakers, bands and
torchlight professions, in patrolling the bor-
ders OF the State to prevent invaslons of
Democratic bummers and repeaters, and in
hiring detectives to watch the Tammany
Thugs who were imported from New York to
overawe and intimdate the peaceable Repub-
Iican voters of indianapolis and other cities
OF the State The letters from Allison to
Jewell are perhaps more unguarded than any
of the Others but they contain not one in
eliminating word They say that money
must be used In Indiana. We know that
money was lavishly used in Indiana by both
Sides the only difference being that the Re-
publicans used their money with more iudg.
ment and effect than the Democrats used
theirs.
The publication of these letters will not
hurt anybody but Dorsey. They show that
he has the spirit and the methods of a sneak
thief Their publication at this time through
the organ he has chosen will only complete
the verdict of guilty which was passed upon
him and the star-route jury alike by the
American people when after two trials, he at
last escaped the felon's cell which he was so
well calculated to adorn. 1t would have
been better for the Republican party, per-
haps, If all who desired to contribute money
had imposed the same conditions as Mr.
John NJ. Forbes did-that none of the sub
scriptions should pass through the sticky
myers OF the ex-senator from Arkansas; but
we can not regret that he was put in posses
sion of the instruments with which to COM
plete his own ruin aud establish the inno-
cence of others whose only misfortune and
guilt lay in associating with him on terms of
equality.
Mr. New and the Dorsey Letters
Washington Special to Chicago Tribune.
John G. New, Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury, in looking over to-day, the addi-
ton publication in the Sun of letters in the
custody OF Mr.. Dorsey, notably several of mis-
own relating to the Indiana campaign, said:
There certainly does not appear to be any
thing in those letters that man ought to be
ashamed of. They indicate very clearly that