Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-08-16
Struck EN- Like a Cyclone.

The astonishing statements attriputeu
to Mr. Dorsey have struck the Repub-
lican press like cyclone. The attempt
is being made to discredit the story, but
it will hardly succeed. Who is Dorsey?
An answer to that question will 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
ator to represent that State at Wash
ingten. OF course he was stanch
and ~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 that
business and invented, the scheme for
robbing the Treasury commonly called
''the Star-route robbery" by this
means he accumulated a large fortune,
a part of which he has invested in cattle
When the Presidential contest of 1880
opCnCAt IL was StCCully ulSCoNCICu,
through the Republican defeat in Maine
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. If
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 the 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. ~..:do;pmsnts
and soap When Garfield Was
elected he's offered Dorsey She position
Of Secretarysof theI nterioS, but DorSey
.dechned, He had q "hetter thing jim
the postal route frauds. An enesred
wasIto shape Northumberland 90 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 a 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 a 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. But there was the Star-route
prosecution, like VIII tie elephant, left
on Arthur's hands. Arthur found him.
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 a reformer-just little
one for cent-and he ordered the pros
ecutions against Dorsey to proceed. Of
course Dorsey was to be saved in the
end. The trials ended in Dorsey's ac-
guittal by the jury. Before the bar of
public opinion, however, he was found
guilty. The trials cost him a great deal
of money. The Star-route stealing was
broken up. Dorsey was out of Job.
He felt that the Republican press, in it's
anxiety to shield the party from respon-
sibilitY for Dorsey, had dealt severely
with him. He doubted the fidelity of
Arthur, though his acquittal ought to
have saved him that suspicion
He became soured and angry and
determined that in his fall he would.
like another Samson, drag down
the pillars of the Republican temple. So
he has told the story revealing the in
side plottings of the Republican CAM
paign of 1880. The story hurts great
many Republican leaders. 1t reflects
On the character of Garfield. This is
for Garfield is dead and
IAN not answer for himself. But Dorsey
could not leave Garfield out of his story
or the reason that he was TIE central
igure around which the drama revolved.
It is not necessary to 60 into the details
ii Dorsey's exposures. We published
he main facts of the case yesterday,
not VI tn the purpose of maligning any
person, whether he be de d or alive,
out because this story is pert of the
POLITICAL history of the country which
very citizen ought to be informed of.
The story is not q Democratic campaign
Tie No campaignis in progress: The
tory does not originate with Democrats.
t is told by Dorsey, cn.e a Republican
Senator, and but few weeks ago the
secretary and actual. manager of the
National COMMITTEES. If it
s not true, let the Republican leaders
Who are living disprove it. For the
axe. of the National credit we earnest
Y hope it may be completely refuted.
But that refutation should come speed
lv. Delays are dangerous. Dorsey's
tory.tallies well with the known facts
# the late Presidential campo gn. 1t
viii take very strong evidence to over
urn its Inherent probabilities. It will
lot do for the Republican press to dis