The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-03-15
THE SPRINGER COMMITTEE,

witnesses WAS eXPostmaster Genera
lanes of Garfield's Cabinet James ad
mittcd that Garfield was under obligations
TO Dorsey and other leading Star Route
thieves but having become convinced oI
their guilt, he made up his mind they
must be prosecuted, and under his dlrec
ton his Attorney General, McN eagh, Wen'
into the business with whole heart and
"A determination to "lct no guilty man cS
cape" Before any important results were
reached, however, Garfield was assaSsinat
ed and Mr.. James expressed 1t as his d"
liberate and solemn opinion that Garfield
was murdered because of his prosecution
of these thieves. Their provocation was
great. Dorsey had saved Indiana and thus
secured Garfeld'S election, and he had
done il with money contributed by the S'aI
Route thieves, at Garield's personal re-
quest rs was proved by the famous Dear
| IIubbcll" letter afterwards made public
and of course for Garfield to turn upon
them was such "trcachcry,' in the estima.
ton of the thieves, as 10 call for some sig
nal vengeance,
But Garfield was succeeded by Arthur
who was equally under obligations to the
star route thieves and who, unlike Garfield
was not ashamed to show his gratitude, as
he did by attending the famous banquet at
Delmonico's, given in Dorsey's honor, and
in which Arthur made that noted speech in
which he so highly compliment, Dorsey
for carrying Indiana by the free use of
- laughter" Would Arthur in the
prosecution of the thieves commenced by
his predecessor, manifest the same sort of
treachery" and be equally relentless?
On this point the evidence of the next
important witness before the Springer
committee is startlingly definite and clear,
Being asked why he had left Garfield 5
Cabinet, Mr. Attorney General McNeagh
said AS the New York Evening Post (rep)
reports him, "he left the Cabinet because
cal views Of Mr. Arthur, and because he
could not receive any moral support in the
prosecution of the Star route men II was
evident, he declared, that the Administra
ton of Mr. Arthur was in sympathy with
the accused Arthur's most intimate poiti-
cal friends were intimates of the men un
der prosecution. He needed their advice
instead of that of the witness, and so the
latter desired to retire from Il Cabinet con
trolled by such influences
The star route thieves melted the murder
of one President for "treachcrouSly' pros
ccuting them, and gratefully shielded from
punishment by his successor! What an
aIaignmcnt of the grand old party is this,
coming from an eX-Attorney General of
the United States, Il member of President
Garlicld's Cabinet!
Mr. MacNeagh in his testimony did not
beat about the bush. II was evident, he
said, that President Arthur was in Sympa-
thy with men under Indictment for robbing
the Government of millions of dollars by
frand, forgery and conspiracy; evident
that those honestly in favor of prosecuting
and Furnishing the thieves could not receive
any moral support from the Republican
Administration evident that the criminals
were the intimatcs of President Arthur'S
most intimate political friends; evident
that the President needed their counsel in
stead of that of the legal adviser of the
Government So the cX-Attorney- General
retired in disgust from II Cabinet controlled
by such influences!
Having made such rich beginning il is
hoped the Springer committee will 80 on
and uncover a few more piles of rotten
ness hidden away in the Department of
Justice. There is that business about
the sale of United States .Iudgeship in
advance of his election by the republican
presidential candidate for a contribution of
100000 To the campaign fund and the
pledge of seat in the Cabinet 10 "a well
known New York banker for an enormous
addition to the Indiana corruption fund,
but who instead of Il seat in the cabinet
took an important foreign mission; and
lastly that often made and as often admit
ted charge that New York was carried
for Garfield by "a golden stream from Ste,
phenson's bank"
These are crimes that we'll deserve the
attention of congress. They are the worst
that could he committed against II republi-
can government. They strike at It's very
existence They strip the United States
Supreme Court, the final arbiter of the Con
stitution, of its purity and independence,
and rob the people of the right of sover-
eighty. Let them be thoroughly over
hauled!
There WAS another dynamite explosion