Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1886-12-08
THE BRIBERY CASE AGAIN
How 1t was Tried in the Col
umnS of the "Cnion."

umns of the "Cnion."
| Some weeks ago DR.. Lee, one o.
our most prominent and reputable
citizens, was charged with the crime
of bribery in hayins paid one Ben
Taylor the sum Of SIS on election
day to influence his vote, The mat
ter was investigated twice, first be.
fore Justice Witherell, and again
by the Grand Jury shortly after.
| wards empaneled. Both times the
charge was dismissed upon the
ground that the evidence was in
sufficient to show case of bribery
This should have been perfectly
conclusive, and so it would have
been under natural and ordinary
conditions. But it SO happens that
the great work of reform is going
On in our county. it IS generally
supposed that to reform a commun-
ity, either politically or otherwise,
means to improve it. But it has 4
very different meaning in Ormsby.
Here the reformers all belong to
the unsuccessful political party,
and in the main they are them
selves defeated candidates. Their
idea OF reform is to blacken and
.efame the character of the men
whom they cannot politically over
throw. This is glaringly manifest
in the treatment of DR.. Lee.
Having twice failed to establish
their charge by legal methods, for
the last week they have been in
dustriously retrying the case in the
columns Of the Nevada Union.
They are very fortunate in having
such forum as a dernier resort.
The editor of the paper is one of
them selves-a defeated candidate
and he has a sufficient comprehen-
sion of law to know that it is far
easier to throw mud and filth upon
/ man, than 1t is to convict him of
/ crime in a judicial tribunal,
When occupying the editorial
ripod he Is not hampered by any
Jules of court procedure. He can
publish anything he pleases and
all it testimony; he can repeat it
IS often as he pleases, garble it to
it the exigencles Of his case, and if
here is any that does not exactly |
nit him, he can leave it out entire
y, and, as rule, his readers are
zone the wiser. He knows that
cry few of them will take the
rouble to analyze the testimony |
or the purpose of discovering its
mprobability. In short he knows
hat the simple publication of what
imports to be the testimony, will
ause some people to believe Lee
Utility, and that he only escaped
trough the servile corruption of
he magistrate, and the cringing
ubserviency Of an unprincipled
iranG Jury.
Acting in the fve-fold capacity
f Prosecuting Attorney, Reporter,
Judge, Jury and Commentator, the
ditor of the Union has labored
nceasingly in the pious work of
estroying the character Of DR..
zee.
Column after column Of the val
able space of the Union has been
evoted to the testimony, and in
RIDER that 1t might appear as GRIM
rating as possible it has been deft-
: touched up, carefully pruned
nd neatly embelllshed by the ele
ant pen of the editor.
Of course nothing is said of the
haracter of the witnesses. That
not a part of the programme.
either is any mention made of
leir manner while testifyins-how
IDLY they could talk in reply to
Judge King, and how they wriggled
nd evaded on cross-examlnation.
The fact that Mr.. Bartine had to
X Carmel at least ten times if he
as watching Lee, before he could
t an answer from the witness, is
ot adverted to at all.
Not a word is said Of the awk-
ard break made by CARMEL when
stlfying as to the open door.
He had rscited nearly the whole
the little story as if he had
,mmitted it to memory. when sud-