The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
W AouINuION, d On. 4.
To the Editor OF the Statesman
WASHINGTON. Jan. 4.

WASHlNGTON, Jan. 4.
To the Editor Of the Statesman
The star route trial is dragging
along slowly and YEARLY, and it may
safely be said, disgustingly. Last
winter and summer the courtroom
used to be crowded each day with an
eager throng to see the cause of JUS
tice vindicated and to hear the burn
ing denunciations of the men who
have robbed so many millions of dol
lars from the treasury. The evidence
was strong against the Brady-Dorsey
combination, strong enough to have
sent men of less standing and with
less stolen money to
DUNGEON QUARTERS FOR LIFE.
The people any way expected that
they would be convicted and be pun
ished in some way, no matter how
light, but they were disappointed.
After tedious months of argument,
the chief scoundrels were acquitted,
through the network of defence they
had formed in and out of the court
room, for there can be no greater mis-
take than to suppose that the staS
reuters depended solely on lawyers
talking for escape. They had large
force of spies, petty officials and nu-
merous other relations scattered over
the entire city looking after their in
terests, and by this means they man
aged to have friends on the jury. The
people are now Disguised and take lit
tie or no interest in the trial, looking
upon it as great farce with no hope
of ever convicting the defendants, and
consequently only small audiences
now visit the courtroom. There is no
question in the minds of the public
that the dilatory and uncertain
method of prosecution adopted by
the government counsel had much
to do with the unsuccessful termina-
ton of the trial. Several times they
changed their tactics, each time caus-
ing much delay, and invariably play
ing into the hands of the shrewd at
torneys employed by the defendants.
The failure of the prosecution has
been widely attributed no
FAULTS IN THE JURY SYSTEM,
But this is a mistake. There is no
question but what twelve fair minded
men can be found even in corrupt
Washington who would have con-
victed on the evidence produced. The
star route lawyers in this, as in the
former trial, are pursuing their bully
ing tactics, and adopting every means
te retard the trial, but Judge Wylie's
patience has at last given away,
and he now sternly refuses to
sustain the numerous objec-
tions, and says that the trial
must go on to speedy close. The
star route men now have but one pa
per in Washington controlled and
owned by them, although there are
several others that are favorable to
them. This paper is bold, defiant. and
brilliantly edited, and is daily filed
with vile denunciations of the course
of the government, claiming that the
prosecution against Brady & Co. is
simply conducted to vent the personal
spleen of certain politicians. There is
some truth in the latter statement,
but the broad fact anyway remains
that the government has been swim
died out of the millions, and blot
will remain on the Arthur admins
tration if the star route men
are not brought to justice. Bra
dy is daily in the court
room. He sits smiling and chatting
with his attorneys, evidently confident
that