South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-06-01
Letter from Washington.
f'em Oar Rsg1iar Cmrsspeass'a.
WasuIsaIey. D. G.. MAY. es

Tlie Star-route trial has yearly spent
itself and mast come TO an end soon.
Whatever may have been the hopes
and expectations at its earlier stages of
those who desire 10 see justice done,
there IS now an almost unanimous
'opinion that Il failure will be the re +.
suit. And while two years have
been spent in mistrials there are n
good many people sho begin to count
the expense. The time is comin 2
when that trial will be pointed at as
one OF the most outrageous and ex-
trayagant that ever occurred. Nobody
knows how much that trial has cost.
Brady and his gang. Us / believe,
were and are rascals-I cannot dispute
that fact. They made money, rs
believe, IN the most rascally manner.
but would like to have the honest.
hard listed farmer and mechanic look
ut the expense OF the trial. The
government has already spent almost
us much Us it was robbed of, and the
end IL not yet. What do the hard
working farmers, mechanics, and IL,
borers think OF paying lawyers $50
day for trying II case? Is it any
wonder that the case LASTS months, in :
stead of daysS If was q LAWYER and
was getting $loo or $3.50 day,
presume l should not be go inpatient.
But it is a shame, Just the same. If
the governments lawyers were paid
by the job, instead Of by tho day,
firmly believe the trial would have
been over long, long ago. 1t is said,
and | have not seen tho fact denied
that Bliss lie paid $3.50 day. and that
Mr.. Merrick aud Nh Kcr each receive
sloo a day. You vii: see, therefore,
that one item of expense foots up
$3.50 day. Mr. Ker talked seven
days-cost $2.i5o Bliss talked eight
days-cost $4,000. Wilson talked
six days cost $1,000. Ingersoll has
talked four or five days, and there
are several counties to be heard from.
Nobody but the lawyers seem to he
getting any good ont Of the trial.
The accused pay their big array OF
counsel ont OF the money stolen, aid
thus Uncle Sam foots the whole bill
for two ears employment of this eli
tire crew of high priced attorneys, to
say nothing OF witness fees and all O
ther expenses-al for nothing, pro,
badly.
Among The great commercial trans,
actions OF these days are the sales of
enormous tracts OF land in our west
orn and southweste states and ter
ritories to foreign capitalists. The
success OF stock raisers and wheat.
growers upon the hitherto untouched
soil which has been opened 10 the cul-
tvater by new railways has drawn to
this country millions of foreign mo-
ney, tie owners of which arc no lon.
| ger satisfied with the small return
| yielded by investments ut home
knowing that the area of our unim-
proved public lana is rapidly decreas.
Ing, these capitalists have determined
to invest III them before it shall be
too late. Not long ago u tract of
land III Texas ~ large as the state Of
Connecticut and nearly half the size
OF Belgium was transferred to three
or four enterprlsing citizeus of Chi.
cage, who were TO pay for it by erect
ing capitol building for the state
from which they secured the title
The sale Of this land to n small group
OF foreign investors has since been
announced. A law recently enacted
by the Texas Legislature was so loo &c.
~ drawn that other great tracts of
state lands can easily be bought by
any one who has the money and an
inclination TO make such investments.
Great wheat farms and cattle ranges
III the west have passed into the hands
oil foreign buyers. Within few days
/, loo, 900 acres in the cotton belt of
the state of Mississippi and 400 900
acres III tie wooded country in the
southern end OF that state have been
sold to firm of bankers, WHO are
said to represent capitalists in Ger.
many, and three other tracts of the
same size in the SOUTHLAND enough
in all to make state larger than
New Jersey-arc soon TO become the
property of European investors. Other
sales OF areas 50 large that they at
tracted public attention have been re-.
corded from time to time during the
last two or three years.
There seems to be- nothing in these
purchases of prlncipalities OF land to
cause alarm. II the property were TO
form the bases Of great hereditary cs,
tatss, from which no one could here.
after buy farm for himself,th invest.
meuts would demand more careful
consideration. But these broad acre.
are going into the hands of specula-
tors, and in the course of time they
will be broken up aud parceled out to
settlers. The purchasers will cucour-
age settlement and cultivation, aud IN
this way enrich the country aud rap.
idly extend the area OF civilization.
Their great resources may enable
them to give 10 the south a new sys.
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