Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-05
Mr.. Bliss, Fees.

At last it has been found out what CON-
pensation George Bliss, Of star route
fame, received from the government. Ac-
cording to his. testimony before the
Springer committee he received 500 a
day and expenses. The entire amount
was S59, j32. That is pretty big sum of
money to earn in professional way in a
few months. It is not improbable that
Mr.. Bliss professional earnings up to the
time of his employment by the govern
ment did not amount to much more. He
is not great lawyer, and has never
figured in big cases. He thinks 500 a
day, however, a small fee, and says that
before he became a government counsel
he never left the city for less than that
amount That may be very true, but
there is a great difference between
getting that pay for day,
or even week, and getting
it every day, sundays included, for nearly
two years. Mr.. Bliss claims to have done
a large amount of work, but the results
were very unimpOrtant. He said in his
testimony that he only succeeded, with
the aid of the Attorney General and two
other high-priced lawyers, in cOnYicting
two of the star route defendants, and
they were not punished because the YER
diet was contrary to justice and common
sense. Mr.. Bliss is out of the cases now.
He ought to, and perhaps does, feel very
grateful to Dorsey, Brady and other men,
bers of the star route ring for having
afforded him an opportunity to make
good sized fortune in less than two years.
When honest old farmers all over the
country read that Mr.. Bliss was paid for
each weeks work more than they can get
from their farms in a year they will be
apt to think that this extravagant Repub-
lican party has been in power long
enough.
1t is said that Blaine cannot carry New
York, and that, therefore, he cannot
possibly get the Presidential nomination
of his party. However that may be, it is
certain that mis- popularity is showing
itself in a marked degree at present.
Every possible means is being employed
to advance his prospects and increase his
strength. He is now given the credit of
having secured the adoption of the tariff
bill last Congress. The following, which
undoubtedly contains some truth, has
been sent out by his friends: ''The fact
has now been ascertained that
Mr.. Blaine saved the tariff bill of the last
Congress. Ex-Speaker Keifer at the close
of the session meditated an Unprecedented
ruling which would send the conference
report to the committee of the whole, and
this at that stage would have been sure
defeat. Mr.. Blaine was opposed to the
bill as it passed the Senate, thinking it
did great injustice to the wool interest of
Ohio, but after the action of the confer
ence committee he was for the adOp-
ton Of the measure as then reported;
knowing it was all that could be
secured at that session, and believing
that it would give peace and stability
to the business enterprises OF the
country for two years at least. The large
manufacturing interests took the same
view Of the measure, and when it was
rumOred that Speaker Keifer was con-
sidering the defeat of the bill, Mr.. Blaine
was urged if possible to persuade him
from such a course. This he promptly
did. and by showing Keller that the rul-
ing which he was considering would be
without precedent; that no Speaker had
ever thus attempted to set aside a con-
ference report, and that, indeed, on the
whole the business interests of the coun-
try would be better served by the passage
of the amended bill than by its defeat, he
persuaded that gentleman to recon-
slider his meditated ruling" Blaine
may deny that he is a candidate,
but it is nevertheless true that a very
skillful and vigorous campaign is being
conducted in the interest of his nomina.
fion