St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-07
STAR ROUTE CASES.
Ex-Attorney General MaeVeagh
Gives His Narrative of
the Trial.
Dorsey, Brady, Kellogg and Other
Prominent Republicans En-
gagged IN the Steal.
Their Strenuous Efforts to Defeat the Inten-
lions Of President Garfield.
They Find Arthur Willing Tool in Their
Hands, and Macveagh Retires.

WASHINGTO March 6.-E4-AClOruey
General MacVeagh continued his testimony
before the Springer committee, relative to
his connection with the star route cases.
Those cases would present themselves to
anybody's mind as having very grave pohti-
cal complications. One of the gentlemen
accused Is. W. Dorsey has been a United
| States senator and an active mem
Der of the Republican party in the recent
canvass. Another gentleman, whose name
was the subject Of common rumor was then
a Republican United States senator, wv. Z.
Kellogg and at that time the
senate was Republican by one
majority. In addition, there was a
perfectly well marked and universally known
division of opinion in the Republican party.
MacVeagh remembered explaining very fully
to President Garfield, in the presence of the
postmaster general, the very great gravity OF
the initial stepso OF the investigation. AT first
appearance the figures were SO startling, and
the uniformity of the evidence of mismanage-
ment so apparent, it seemed to lin that
the chief executive, Garfield, should consider
before taking any steps from which retreat
would be impossible what the consequences
of that step would be; if he MacVeagh were
Joined to the cases, and started them
there was no way stopping them, a short ex-
haustive examination before jurors, except
the resource the president always had, OF dis
pensing with the attorney generals services,
and that might be embarrassing also, but 1t
was one of the misfortunes OF the case. Nc
Veagh said, up to this time no efforts had
been made to secure indictments OF the
three gentlemen most prominently mention
ed, Dorsey, Brady and Kellogg. 1t was then
absolutely impossible to make an Intelligent
presentation of the cases.
Ihad said to Dorsey and his counsel, Mac
Veagh continued, that we had no charges to
formulate which evidenced guilt. He had al
so started a train of inspectors to investigate,
but not until they reported could we tell what
|. ought to be done. 1 had no doubt, unless
there was something to change the impress
sion given by the records, We would have to
proceed against these gentlemen. i
Witness entered into details Of the pro-
posed manner of conducting the details OF
the prosecution. He said on one occasion he
found himself, without Encouragement, how
ever, at the postoffice with Postmaster Gen
eral James, Dorsey and Ingersoll. 1T was
then supposed an investigation through a
regular judicial channel would be feasible.
This prosecution, MacVeagh said, was a source
of anxiety, and might 1 say distress to Presi-
dent Garfield. 1t was understood he favored
a prosecution in the courts. Other methods,
however, of correcting the wrongs We were
pursuing were suggested. Dorsey asked me
if I proposed to disregard the wishes of the
president. / answered I had no knowledge
the president wished any other method OF
procedure than the ordinary channel.
u-ant 70 on aasfarp oO1lana 70 COO nv hovc
graduate, but received a telegram
ing me back Immediately, to counteract the
efforts of Dorsey and others to have me
turned out of the cabinet. If l replied at all,
l said that the object was not near enough to
my heart to shorten my VISIT, and did not
come back until I expected to-. 1 was told
that vigorous efforts had been made to turn
me out on the ground of base conduct, it
even being intimated Ihad been engaged in
a plot to steal papers semitic the president.
I was only interested to know if the president
had seen fit to receive such charges. He
said he had declined them. These
charges had been made by Rerdell. Before
the death of the president I thought it my
duty to remain, after his death I thought it
nv duty to leave. ] was known to have
been in very ardent political sympathy with
President Garfield on all questions about
which the Republican party was so strenuous
" divided, almost into two hostile camps, at
Chicago. Upon every one of those questions
/ had been in as hearty accord with him, as
have been in hearty an~dstrenuous opposition
to President Arthur. Mr.. Arthur was well
known TO entertain and to have given eX-
preston to a very low opinion of ,
sENTIMENTAL POLITICIANS,
of ,rbo,, 7 ,ro, D-o onJ ,-,e l-pourp 70
have long entertained and frequently ex-
pressed my low opinion of practical poll
ticians, of which he was one, and these gen.
tlemen certainly must have seen that the
president, who had called me here. and had
sustained me under great obliquy and abuse
in these prosecutions, being now dead and
buried, I was in no position whatever to
bring to these cases the requisite moral sup
port. The opinion Of these gentlemen were
intensified by the newspapers edited by
Hastings and Gorham. They had steadily
taken the side OF Arthur. and as steadily op-
posed nc with as mean words as their tongues
could express. When Arthur cane here /
found him in close atiliation with
these editors. When you gentlemen
consider these things, and when. YOU
sse the condition of affairs as they existed
in the District OF Columbia, 1 think you can
see the improperly Of my remaining in the
prosecution against such gentlemen. At
first, President Arthur agreed with Gorham
and others, that l ought TO retire, but sub
sequently saw his%way clear to ask me to re-
main. The reports Of ungriendliness be-
tween Arthur and myself were untrue.
Nothing but the utmost kindness and friend
illness existed
MacVeagh said ne desired to have District
Attorney Corkhill removed, but the presi-
dent differed with him, and said C3rlhill
should remain 10 prosecute Guiteau. Wit,