Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-12
The Panama-Scandal Trials.

If any friends Of France INDUCED the
hope that thorough investigation would
put a better phase upon the Panama-Cana
scandal they were destined 10 be disillu-
sionizei. Nearly everything that sensa-
tional report charged in the first instance
in connection with the swlndle has been
substantiatcd in the courts, and the indi-
cations are that tho prosecution Is still
very far from the bottom of the affair. No
such quagmire of official corruption, venal-
itr. and bare-faced robbery of a people
was ever before upturned to public view.
While 1t is barely possible that some of the
parties who are on trial may be innocent
il seems absolutely certain that many
Others holding high position and who have
not been arrested are guilty.
The revelations of CHARLES DE LEssEPs
showing how the canal directors were
b~lackmailed by newspapers, officials, and
| bankers, the confession Of ex-Minister
BATHAUr that he accepted q bride FOR IN
| PRODUCING the lottery bill IN the Chambers,
| and the elimination and recrimInatiOn Of
FLooUEr, C~LEMENCEAU, FBEYcINEr, and
NIHtIN fOl~kitukN u f4tbNfl hiRhlhiI'A'h
IN the history of any tribunal Of Justice OF
modern tunes. But the most remarkable,
not TO say scandalOus, part of the whole
proceeding So tar IS found in the evident
| effort of judge D~EsrABDINs. presiding
! judge IF the Court Of Asslze. 20 protect
| the government. The reports OF the trials
| place him IN the light OF a prosecutor and
! s.--,.n4.r &c ann cot Of fh-4y4- and al
| counsel for another set. The fact that he
! did not desire the whole truth to come
| out Nas notably manifested while CHARLIE
! DE LrSsErs was telling his story.
Judge D~RsJAEDINs's conduct would seem
70 give stron. coloring to the statement
that the few were dragged intothc tolls ol
the law in order that they might be made
the scape-coatss Of the many. But it ap-
pears probable that those who copnived al
the conspiracy have raised a storm they
cannot uuell. The allegations that the
agitation Of the scandal was really
AIMED at the highest government Off
cials. and that II was intended that
the punishment of the canal directors
aud a few Others should satisfy the
people and divert attention from many
exalted criminals have been pretty wei
borne ont by the developments OF the
trials. However, the sentences of CHARLIE.
De LrssFps and his associates at their first
trial were scverer than even the prisoners
| themselves anticipated, ana Dr. LEssEPs al
1 the second trial made. as far as he was per
mitted, a clean breast OF it. As a conse-
quence 1t is hardly TO be expected that
! the French public will allow the search
light 10 he shut of until the
full measure Of the rottenness and
the fun extent of its ramiication'
have been revealed. II is iHconceiyaSlt
| how the masses can demand anything les'
than a prosecution to the finish If they cx-
poet the republic 10 stand. Every effort
| on the part Of Judge or coteries to sup
| press the truth and screen the rascals who
have been or NAV now be in power helps
to render the present form of government
more vulnerable tothe attacks OF the Roy
alists aud Imperialis;s, 10 say nothing of
the encouragement it affords the Com
munists aud Anarchists.