San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-07-31
From q Late Washington Letter.

From q Late Washington Letter.
Washington is anything but dull a
the present season. In fact there il
such a political hubbub that one
hardly notices the absence of Con
gress. The politician still haunts the
hotel lobby, and Pennsylvania Avenue
presents its wonted appearance oi
wealth and fashion every pleasant
afternoon. Usually the exodus from
the Capitol attracts large following
from the Capital, but this season il
has not been so. Politics and society
have alike remained to share in the
activity which the excitement of the
campaign will cause hereat the Capt.
tai of the Nation.
Mr.. Springer's tireless investiga-
ton committee at last has rest.
There will be two reports upon its
Investigations. Oneupo the expendi-
lures in the Department Of Justice,
proper, which will be prepared by
Messrs. Hemphill and Crisp; and the
other upon the Star Route expendi-
lures. Mr.. Springer will prepare the
latter himself.
Apropos of the Star Route cases, l
recently asked prominent attorney
who was connected with the defense
in the cases what he thought Of the
evidence produced by the Springer
Committee in the matter. He said {:
"The statement of Woodward's is the
first honest account of the inner his
tory of that investigation we have had,
it bears upon It's face the stamp Of
truth, and even if it was not sub
stantiated by record evidence no man
who knows Woodward would ques-
ton it's accuracy. 1t has puzzled me,
CONTINUED the lawyer, "why Wood
ward ever undertook that investiga-
ton and the labor and difficulties
connected with it. He is man OF
Independent fortune, we'll EDUCATED
a graduate of Yale, I think-and here
he has been spending all his energy
for three years at an inspectors
salary upon work for which other
men received the credit and got all
the money there was to be had, and
what has been the result? Abso-
lutely nothing of value to the Govern
ment." The lawyer was, as I sugges-
ted to him, mistaken in his estimate
of the results of the investigation
into the star mail service. His opin-
ion, that when the prosecution failed
to obtain verdict of guilty against
Dorsey and those connected with
him, there was total failure in the
reason of its being, is common one,
but it somewhat erroneous The
mistake is in estimating what were
the general results desired to be
accomplished by the investigation.
1t was not the punishment of this or
that man that probably was under the
circumstances a very laudible aim,
but at best it was ancillary to the
grand object, which was the purifca-
ton and reorganization of the con-
tract Office of the Post office Depart
ment. That has been completely
accomplished. That object could
have been attained probably without
such an enormous expenditure of
money for attorneys's fees and with
out public scandal, but it is greatly
to be doubted, as suggested by Mr..
Woodward in his statement, il, with
out the moral support offered by an
energetic prosecution in the courts Of
those who had once sinned, any real,
permanent impression could have
been made on the minds of future
officials who might be temptedto sin.
Emerson says: IF We will make
bread. we must have contAgion, yeast,
emptyings or what not to induce
fermentation into the dough
washingtonians watch with great
interest the slow and steady rse Of
that tall shaft of marble, the Washing
ton monument II IL nov as feet
high, and oTertOPs BY one foot the