The sun., 1898-06-14
ONE CENT

time. The last Legislature was a load
which a strong party could not we'll
stand and it will crush the Democratic
party so far as the next Legislature is
concerned. 1t is doubtful if the press of
the State was ever before SO united upon
one subject as it is on the matter of de-
nouncing the last Democratic Legisla-
ture. OF all of the newspapers in the
State but one has defended that body
and that paper is guided editorially by
one OF the members Of the body, SO that
there is ample explanation of why that
paper defends the defunct Legislature.
This being true it is going to be very
hard for the Democrats to elect legisla-
tive ticket. Another thing which is
going to give the Democratic party hard
tussle is the Boggs matter. The members
OF the Democratic party are already cry
ing out that the Boggs cases are Re-
publican scheme and that they are being
prosecuted for political purposes. This is
manifestly untrue. These cases were
brought by bank president, Henry A.
Richardson, who is man beyond re-
proach in the community in which he
lives and they were brought solely be-
cause he believed that it was his duty
to bring them. Any man who knows
Harry A. Richardson, knows that he is
not the man to ruin the regulations of
men, and Of men who have been his
friends since childhood, for the pur-
pose of carrying out a political scheme.
He brought them because it was his
duty to bring them and for no other
reason. In addition to all this the at
torney of the hank, Francis Skunk
Brown, OF Philadelphia, is Democrat,
so it is stated here, and the district-at-
torney, Lewis c. Vandegrift, who
brought the cases, is Democrat. No
one for moment has ever doubted the
Democracy or the honesty of Lewis G.
Vandegrift. OF the jury which con-
victed Ezekiel 7. Cooper of the charge
of aiding Boggs, seven were Democrats
and but five were Republicans. The
grand Jury which indicted all OF these
men was composed OF eleven Democrats
and eleven Republicans, and the men
composing the jury were beyond re-
proach. There is no politics in the
United States Court in this city; the
Democrats who are involved in this case
wish that there was, for under the miser-
able jury system of the State courts it
would not have been possible to have
convicted Cooper.
1t is of course matter for regret that
so many prominent men should have
been caught in this dragnet and COM
PEELED to stand trial for assisting in the
work of misapplying the funds of a ma
tiona bank, but they have no one but
themselves to blame. 1t is a matter for
regret that man of the standing of
Colonel +. T. Cooper should have been
compelled to go to the penitertiary on
such a charge, and yet no one, who is
not prejudiced by..politics or friendship
for the man who was convicted. doubts
that he had fair and impartial trial and
was proven guilty.
In the minds of thoughtful people, the
grand jury which has brought the in
dictments against these men, is to be
commended for having done its duty in
the face of strong opposition. There was
scarcely politician of the Democratic
variety in Kent county who was not
using his influence to prevent these in
dictmenrs being drawn. District Attor-
ney Nandegri was given 20 understand
in a roundabout sort OF way, for no one
da ed approach him personally, that he
was ex1 actei to drop these cases and
was expected to allow the men to escape,
but ne did not do so. Harry A. Richard
son, the president OF the bank which
was looted, has been given to understand
that he will be marked and he has re-
ceived anonymous letters thre atening
him. In spite Of this the cases have
gone on and now the men who are ac-
cused may acquit themselves in a court
of justice if they can,-The Inquirer,
Philadelphia, Pa.