National Republican., 1886-10-07
Tho Fate of Jnehne.

The decision of the New York court OF
appeals, affirming the conviction OF Jaehue,
is satisfactory to honest men everywhere.
1t is received with hearty approval In New
York, If we may Judge public sentiment by
the utterances of the press. The Tribune
says:
It Is not at all unlikely that the discontinue
and dismay which this decision must cause
among the men concerned In the Broadway
bribery may result In some confessions Df
great value and importance. No mntter how
hard the indicted aldermen aud their accom-
plices may try to brdzen It out, this decision is
sore blow to them. They may strut AMI
brag as they like, but they are sick at heart.
The long delay in announcing the decision Of
the court Of appeals had made them confident
Of Immunity. They were counting on re.
yersal Of the judgment Now that this hope
is gone, some of the bribe takers will probably
be eager to tell the truth If they can thereby
save themselves. Mr.. MARITIME should now
push the cases against the indicted men with
all possible energy. His impulses, aims, and
motives are generally right but he Is some-
times sluggish, unless he feels behind him the
constant pressure of Il resolute and uucom pro-
missing public sentiment. Let him feel that
pressure now.
The san, after paying a well merited
compliment to the district attorney, says {:
It was important that the chief question of
law arising in the Jaehne case--as to the stat
ute upon which the prosecution should be
based-should be deter mined before the other
aldermen Of 1884 were tried for bribery. II II
mistake had been made, the wise way was to
| cure II in the first case Now the path Of the
district attorney is made plain, an h. prom
ises speedily to bring the associates OF Jaenne
to trial. This is his duty, aud we have no
reason to doubt that he will fulfill 1t.
The question determined by the court Of
appeals was whether Jaehne was rightly
tried under section n of the penal code OF
should have been tried under section So OF
the consolidation act. Under the penal
code Jaehne was sent to Sing Sing for nine
years and ten months, Under the consoli-
dation act he could have been imprisoned
for two years only and In peniteutidry
The Herald says:
Before Jaehne was arrdigned we pointed GU
| that the penal code was the proper enactment
| to try him under and we have steadily main
tanned this view. The court of appeals no
| only reaches the same conclusion, but sus
tains 1t by precisely the same reasons advanced
| by the Herald. The importance of this deci
sion can hardly be overestimated. II doom
Jaehne to serve out his full term of imprison
ment in Sing Sing But 1t has a wider scope
and q greater value. II removes all question
| as to what law the other indicted aldermen
are to be prosecuted under and subjects them
II convicted to a penalty Commensurate with
their fragrant crime.
The World says of the decision that
| difIuses general sense Of satisfaction be
cause 1t sustains an entirely just sentence
the setting aside of which by technical
fly would destroy in many minds what lit
Tie respect for legal processes the failure s.
far to punish the other culprltsin the Broad
way bribery case has left.