The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-03-13
Our Washington Letter.
Special to the Democratic Press:


Men in public life who have in any |
way been mixed up in the Star Route ]
Cases, gave good causes for uneasiness. 4
The secrets contained in in the papers {
on file in the Postoff1ce department
are no longer, it is believed. exclusive
Iy in the possession of that department. :
The opinion is expressed that certain
of the private detectives or inspectors,
who were employed by Postmaster
General James to work up the cases,
have, appreciating the peculiar value
of the information handled by them,
made copies of the most important pa
pers and abstracts of others, so that
virtually there are two copies of the
Star Route secrets. This view is ad-
vanced by men who have Investigated
the matter of the alleged exposure in
the New York Sun. 1t has been proved
almost conclusively that the Sun pos
sessed the information for two weeks
before the House calls: E. tul .ss.
The papers afs iuw av Lne govern |
msnt printing office and will be sent
to Congress in few days, but those
officials who are conversant with their
contents say that these documents do
not contain the serious charges as pub
lished in the Sun article.
"wILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT"
There are, however, on the files of
the Pestoffics department. papers
which do substantiate most of the
charges in the Sun, and contain
great deal more evidence, duplicating
men high in public trust. "These
papers," said q high official, Twill
never see the light; they never will
unless Congress can describe minutely
what papers they want, or else adopt
some drag-out' resolution that will
compel Gresham to shell out every
document bearing on the Star Route
trials. But there are too many Con-
gressmen and Senators mixed up in
the matter who have influence to pre-.
vent any such sweeping resolution be-
ing passed. Men are implicated who
are aspiring to he our next President,
and Postmaster General Gresham is
, doing his best to shield Them"
WHAT KER PAID BREWSTER OUT OF
HIS $4,000 FEES.
Brewster is doomed to an exposure
of very ignomiuious official career. 1t
is now n subject of comment among a
few acquainted with the facts that MIR.
Ker, who applied to Brewster for q
81 400 position aud received one OF
$i 800, should have suddenly turned up
thereafter AS special attorney in the
star route cases and received some $50,
in two years from the government
Three or four prominent men asssr,
their knowledge that Ker divided with
Brewster equally, aud ins view of the
fact that Ker was never more than MI
Indifferent lawyer, and owing t.
chronic deafness, was unable to proper.
s ly discharge the duties of district
attorney in Philadelphia, their asser.
4 tions are given the color Of truth, and
4 will be investigated by Mr.. epringer's
= Committee.
! THE BISMARk MUDDLE
still hangs fire and is making as great
8 Il stir in Germany rs in this country
!, AT this writing the resolution has not
q yet been returned to our Government
: and there can be no official action
C taken until Bismarck is heard from
e direct. But when once in hand, the
y House Foreign Affairs Committee will
e treat the whole subject on its merits
i and will, no doubt, deal with it wisely
LIMBURaE Err DYNAMITE FOR oCHILTRE1
o American humor crops out in tn,
& most serious affairs. Yesterday yer,
Ia fat looking package was mailed t.
= Hon. Thomas Ochiltree fion our cit,
10 post office. Some of the clerks wer
l. inclined to believe that it containe.
st some dynamic substance, and not on
Il of them could muster the courage 1
cancel the stamp. Assistant Postma.
ter Sherwood was called in, aud lik
the gallant soldier that ne IS, y.
up the package ana hi.uu...i iL withou
dreaming for moment that it nigh
contain something dangerous. Aftt
Nv regarding it severely he said to one
the clerks, "That package is all righ
y cancel the stamps" The c0mman
was reluctantly Obeyed. Bang wei
Ae the cancel stamp, when q terrific ode
~ at once pervadsd the room. The pacl
age was loaded. as it were, to the yer
" muzzle, with Limburger cheese, all
~ it was hastened. out of the office by
~ special messenger who delivered it [
"a "a the Texas statesman. and that gentl,
~ man now enjoys the alias of " Lin
- burger Tom" He good humoredl
says, "This is HI of way to r.
" turn my resolution / shall ask tt
- House to refer it to the Foreign Affai
C0mmlttse."
MORRISON TO BE HANDICAPPED.
Eight Democratic members of IL
-. Ways and Means Committee ha,
- - unanimously agreed to report a subsi
% tute for the Morrison Tariff bill. I'll
'n' substitute is ideAtical with the bill il
troduced by Mr.. Morrison, except tn
the free list is confined to salt. CO
sd and lumber. No time has yet be,
ri. agreed upon for reporting the bill
mt the House but it will be at an ear
To date. MIR. Morrison's bill will be /
for ported next week and the substitu
,r. probably few days after.
od DEFTLY INDICATED.
,sa Mr.. Hewitt has been thorough
70. whitewashed. The Foreign Atfai
ill Committee applied the brush We
tn deftly by reporting that no inform
he ton could be secured to prove til
oil Mf. Hewitt transcribed his authori
lv. in the O'Donnell interference resol
Of ton. 1t was the Scotch verdict
uas mot proven"
aro THE WEEKS LEGISLATION
m. has not cleared the calendar In eth
as branch of Congress very MATERIAL