National Republican., 1883-06-18
A Journnllstlc Lnnntlc.

/
In its rage over the star routo trial fasco
the New York Times raves like mailman
To that paper more than any other ono
agency can the failure of the government In
its prosecution of these cases be charged.
From the earliest days of Garfeld's admins
tration tho star route trials have been its
hobby. When Mr.. James and Mr.. Mac
Veagh wero preparing the evidence
upon which to prosecute the de-
/ PENDANTS every line and scrap of tho testi-
mony was given TO the public through the
columns of the Times. 1t was apparent to
every sensible man that these two ex-cabinet
officers were much moro bent on advertising
themselves rs reformers than they were on
bringing the parties against whom thoy pre-
ferrcd charges to trial With the late attorney
general and postmaster general itseemed to be a
banjo and tambourine performance for the sole
object of attracting attention TO themselves.
Instead of preparing the evidence promptly u
studied procrastination prevailed. From the
beginning the Times has commended the
lawyers in charge of the prosecution. This
is well known to its readers.
In commenting upon the verdict it seems
| TO have lost all reason. 1t criticisos severely
the government counsel, whom it has for
months praised 1t charges tn at the position
of the administration was ambiguous, and
intimates that the President gave the
prosecution little if any moral support.
This the Times knew to be utterly false,
and it no doubt printed it because
it was false Eq ually false was its assertion
that The REPUBLICAN, during tho trial
sided with the defe nse. Nothing could be
more false. And this the Times knew
when it made tho assertion. The
Times is not only corrupt as a
newspaper as has often been charged,
but IL Is not sincere in its daily proclaimed
desire to save government money. 1t as
sails Gen. Elmer violently for the expediture
Of twelve thousand dollars in putting mail
service on a western route, and yet,
when the department made reduc-
tion of $4,000 in tho running expenses of
tho Now York postoffico without in tho least
injuring the efficiency of the service not
single complaint ever having been made to
the department since the rcduction-the
Times abused tho department no less
violently. The Times has all the
instincts of the scoundrel who demands a di-
vision of plumber as the price of silence.
Why has it not, if it is the great reform jour
nal it processes to be, raised its voice in
support of the department in its of
forts. to break up the private post
office system in New York, which is
depriving the department of from $500 to
$1,000 per day revenue, which system grew
up under tho shadow of the New York post.
office. Does the Times fear it may discover
friend under the hay? If the Times Is an
honest reformer, why denounce department
for expanding $4,000 in tho west and
at tho same time denounce with equal
bitterness the same department for saving
forty-six thousand dollars in New York city?
If it be honest in denounciug Brady, Dorsey,
and others for what it charges their unlaw-
ful plundering of the treasury, why does it
withhold its denunciation from the private
concerns in Now York city which
are daily robbing the government of from
$500 to $1,000 revenue in direct violation of
law, as recently decided by Judge Wallace,
of the United States court? The Times may
consider this an impertinent question, but
THE REPUBLICAN has way of being i'm
pertinent when dealing with sheet that is
actuated by neither common decency, COM
mon honesty, nor common fairness.