The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-16
PUBLIC OPINION.
Expressions of Newspaper and Individual
Sentiment
AN ABLE PROSECUTION AND FAIR TRIAL.


pute folly or knavery either to the judge or
to the jury in order to explain the escape OF
the star-route defendants. We believe they
have been ably prosecuted and fairly tried.
AS we have more than once pointed out,
however the case against them involves in
here's difficulties of proof which must rem
der il task of extraordinary skill and labor
to establish their guilt beyond reasonable
doubt. That task has proved impossible Of
achievement 1t is mistake to suppose that,
either in England or America, the people
undertake to punish by legal process every
man who may have committed crime. Only
those are to suffer thus whose guilt is so
plain that twelve men sitting in judgment
have no doubt of it. If the defendants in
the star-route case could not be brought
within this category they were entitled to
go free, and we can only regret that the
proof failed to establish their responsibility
for crime of which we believe them to be
guilty.
A TRAvEsTY OF JUSTICE.
Chicago Tribune.
The verdict is in harmony with the fritter-
ing proceedings which have characterized
this travesty of justice from the beginning.
1t is the logical outcome of case which has
drifted so far from the original charge as to
be unintelligible; of money and influence
used in the most irregular, if not absolutely
corrupt, manner; of counsel allowed to con-
sumo weeks and months in gabble to an al
ready worn-out, muddled jury; of jury the
possibility of any verdict from whom hung
upon the chance OF one of their number
dying with delirium tremens Justice has
conspicuously and deplorably failed, even
when the powerful government of the coun-
try vas the prosecutor, and it had expended
hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure a
verdict convicting the gang which had plum
dereS its treasury of millions.
DISAPPOINTING RESULT.
Boston Journal.
The result of the previous trial served to
establish the fact of a conspiracy, and made
clear the strength of the government posi-
tion. The present case was stronger against
the defendants than the earlier trial; the evil
denoe was overwhelming, and was presented
and argued with great force and clearness,
and vet the result is even more disappoint-
ing than before The failure is lamentable
1t casts new reproach upon our institu-
tions and it will furnish fresh argument
to those who believe the jury system is IA
tally defective. 1t should make more care
full and searching the administration of the
department in which these transactions oc-
Cured, and should lead all who have any
power in the premises to exercise it to pre-
vent any revival of the system out of which
these abuses grew.
THE JURY NOT TO BLAME.
New York Herald
The verdict must be held to show con-
clusively that the government was unable to
prove conspiracy to defraud it between the
defe udants If, with an Attorney-general
WI zse friends boast of him as the ablest and
most astute of lawyers; with counsel en-
gagged to assist him literally without regard
to expense; with witnesses brought at enorm-
GUS cost from all the ends of the country;
with all the documentary evidence of the
Postotfice Department at command and with
detectives ad libitum thrown in, the govern
ment was not able to produce such evidence
as would convince, or, as it now appears
would even go near to convince, jury that
the accusation deliberately brought was
true or founded on fact, then it is not for the
public to blame the jury.
THE PROSECUTION TO BE CONTINUED.
New York Times
The New York Times began the warfare
upon this gang of plunderers from deep
conviction of public duty. 1t believed them
TO be guilty. The proofs of their guilt which
it has unearthed are as conclusive and ire
futable as the proofs upon which it made its
fight against the Tweed ring. In that fight it
was not discouraged by repeated reverses. 1t
acquiesced in no verdict save that which sent
Tweed to the Tombs. 1t will not acquiesce
in the verdict of acquittal rendered yester-
day, because it believes these men to be
guilty. 1t believes that the Republican
party owes it to itself and to the nation to
convict and punish them. Therefore, it will
continue the warfare.
THE TRIAL NOT FAILURE
Boston Advertiser.
The second trial is not failure. The gov
ernment, from first to last, has done its duty.
intelligently, persistently and well, The de-
PENDANTS were wealthy, powerful and def
ant. 10 the Department of Justice, wealth.
position, audacity have counted for nothing
Justice is blind to distinctions of persons;
other distinctions she still can draw. How
far an ordinary jury, selected from those
whose purse demanded fees and whose wit
could not get excused, is competent to deal
with case of such length and involved con-
ditions may be another question. In GER
tain sense this trial shows the evenhanded-
ness Of the law and its searching power
THE GROUND OF AcoUITTAL MOL APPARENT.
Boston Transcript
A verdict of not guilty is natural with
jury which has to be kept from the whisky
bottle not by its own sense of decency and a
realization of its responsibility, but by the
order of the court The grounds
for acquittal are not apparent to the general
public. At this distance, and Judging from
printed reports, the government had made
out its case Legally, the defendants have
SS>'A hS'N boNh " oOSiSbN lnlOCtIlt men, DuJ
morally they will be regarded as men who
have escaped the consequences of their acts
by one of those freaks which have thrown
discredit on the jury system.
WORK OF CORRUPTION AND IGNORANCE.
New York Tribune.
A disagreement would have been regarded
as probably natural result of the situation
But verdict of not guilty following the
confessions of Rerdell and the array of cumu-
lative evidence OF conspiracy SO far
from raising a presumption of the in
nocence of the accused, or satisfying
the public that the evidence was de,
fective, will be thought only to show
that corruption and ignorance have com
bined to do perfect work The very char
acter of the jury made it necessary that the
case, while made clear should be presented
in rs compact a shape as possible.