New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-21
ROODIINE M1UE EANY.

The acquittal of McQuade is precisely what
everybody expected. The people long ago
ceased to hope that the remaining Doodle cases
would amount to anything the Dissatisfaction
new had taken pains to convince all concerned
that he thought further prosecutions waste Of
time the defendant felt 50 little socitude as
to the result that he slept peacefully dunng a
considerable part of the proceedings ana the
Jury responded to the universal expectation by
bringing III verdict in his favor within an hour
after they had retired having left their seats,
we suppose. merely as CONCESSION to appear
ances And So ends drama which degenerated
into farce on the day when Colonel Fellows
was elected Dstrict-Attorney.
The city Of New-York never appeared to
greater advantage in the eyes of the world than
when it's prosecuting officers were engaged in a
strenuous effort to bring gang vi c0nsplfatofs
to Justice The moral atmosphere III those days
was puler than it had been for long time be-
fore or has been since. The people were fully
aroused, the press gave vigorous expression to
public sentiment, and it seemed as if knaves
were on the point of learning that the metropolis
would not tolerate official corruption forever
When in the face of manifold and great obsta-
cles. several convictions were obtained by the
most assduous, penetrating and Jealous ell orts
Of Mr. MARITIME and Mr.. Nicoll, aided by the
copious and persuasive oratoly OF Colonel Eel
lows terror smote the hearts OF the Alder
manic bribe-takers and those Of them who had
escaped across the botder forthwith abandoned
all hope Of returning to their favonte and 1rult-
full hauntS So stood the record OF the dying
wear in 1887 But the record no longer troubled
the men who up to that time had succeeded IN
keeping out Of jail, for the man they feared mad
been kept out of Office by the valiant efforts OF
President Cleveland, Mayor Hewitt and other
honest Democrats, and u man totally dlsqual-
flied by all his habits, preferences ana ante
cedents was about to be installed as DISTRICT
ATTORNEY. Colonel Fellows's glib tongue was
busy with declarations of what it was going to
accomplish but they didn't deceive anybody,
and least of all the culprits who had been pray
ing for his election.
Eighteen months have passed and the farce
has been played TO the end. The final curtain
has gone down. and the people who have been
indifrerently watching the show have scarcely
enough energy left to signify their disapproVal.
Small credit to them, perhaps, that they were
alive but it is very hard TO continue strenuous
and urgent while such performance is gong
OH. We DO not wish to be understood as con-
demning the jury which has acquitted NC
Quade. We really don't see that they coulo
have done anything else Everybody, unless'
perhaps, it may he the Dstrict-AttOrney' is
convinced in his own mind that the accused
Aldermen were guilty, but man cannot De
convicted on general principles, and certainly
the prosecution made no attempt worthy OF the
name to bring out the truth. Colonel Fellows
once or twice called upon his emotions, but the
response was feeble, and he never made draft
mon his intellect from first to last. just how
long il will be before the return OF the wan
derers from Canada and Europe remains to be
seen but there is little reason to doubt that
they will come trooping back to dear old New
Yorl, so soon as they are able to wind up their
foreign enterprises, with happy antcipatons
of a cordial welcome, of daily rides upon the
Broadway railroad. and Of delightful reunions
with one another and with the Sing Sing mar