The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-06-16
The Star-Route Verdict.

From the Baltimore Day Of Thursday:
After two trials, involving greater expense
and costing more money than any criminal
proceedings known to the English common
law, the star-route cases were concluded this
morning with general verdict of not guilty
in favor of all the defendants, who are now,
so far as the law is concerned, fully absolved
and acquitted of all offense, and as free to re-
new their plundering schemes against the
government as they were in the first instance.
Outside the counsel for the defendants, the
defendants themselves, and that inner circle
to which their closest friends alone enter, the
result of the long trial is a genuine surprise.
Few were hopeful of a conviction. The les
son taught by the former trial was that no eff
forts would be spared and no money wanting
to convince at least some of the jury of the
immaculate purity of Brady and the shining
innocence of Dorsey, and as the capture of
one iuryman was sufficient to set at naught the
government labor for months the general i'm
preston everywhere was that at least one Of
the twelve had been seen outside the court
house and advised as to what it would be for
his interest to do inside the jury-room. But it
turns out that the thieves and scOundrels,
rich with government plumber, and embold-
ened by their former success, made up their
minds to settle the whole matter at once and
capture the entire panel. The result shows
that their success has been complete.
1t is useless to comment upon the fact that
the foreman of the jury was an infidel, that
another drunkard who could not keep
sober even in the jury-room, and that still
another was seen talking with Brady less than
a week ago-the magnitude of the precedent
forbids consideration of the assistant law
breakers who made it. They have established
the fact that no man of high position who robs
the government with liberal hand can be con-
victed in Washington. If the thieves have
money and position they are free from pun
ishment so long as the venue of the offense
must be laid in the Federal capital. 1t is true
rings formed for thievery, and which did steal
millions from the government, have been
broken up and the members thereof sent to
the penitentiary; but the convictions occurred
elsewhere; the government was not compelled
to submit its case to Washington jury, and
the Post office Department did not enter into
business relations with the defendants a week
before the close of the trial. How much As
sistant Postmaster General Elmer contributed
to this last verdict by letting the Niobara
contract to Miner and Vale is not likely to be
known. If the baleful influence of Washing
ton were extended over the whole country,
every ring which has been in operation since
the war would now be in full bloom. As it
is, the good people of this country who would
see political crimes punished at Washington
must be satisfied with the conviction of Gui-
teau. By the popular judgment the star
route thieves have long ago been convicted;
and this verdict, while exceedingly beneficial
to them, will in no wise alter public opinion,
which to day as well as yesterday denounces
them as thieves and scoundrels. The whole
case, however, and its attending circum-
stances, shows that the only remedy for this
state of things is the ousting of the party in
power in order that there may be change of
men in authority at Washington. Nothing
but reflection in strict retirement will con-
vince them that they ought to have been hon
est public servants. If we cannot cure we
can prevent. Had there been no Brady in
Office there would of necessity have been no
star-route thieves.