Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-12-10
ABOVE THE LAW.

be ssThe Nations Biggest Thief This
is indeed the name by which it is Ia
miliarly called. But does any oody De
lieve there will be any prosecution
worth the name OF all those who stole
or who profited by the theft? Certain
" not. The Credit Mobilier whlch
was the biggest thief of its time carried
no penalties with the exposure except
a dismissal from Congress OF OAKS
Ames. The other members OF the
"gang" went scott Free Mr.. Blaine
was tattood all over in this affair, Out
he ran for president afterwards Win
the marks on him and came within
hairs breadth of being elected. Inc
Credit Mobilier scandal had nothlng
to do with his defeat.
Then, too, Gen. Jas. A. CARRIED hao
stock in the same concern and without
paying dollar therefor, drew out that
celebrated 1929 of profit. Yet he was
afterward elected president. Later
came the whiskey frauds. These were
sufficient to curl the hair OF the nation.
In the words of the time 'the frauds
were traced to the very doors OF the
White House." 1t never was proven
that the then president, Grant, actual
ly profted by them, but his private
secretary, o. E. Babcock, was tried
and whilst he was acquitted he had
TO get out of office. Just then, also,
came the Indian frauds when VIM. w.
Belknap, then Gen. Grants secretary
of war, was caught redhanded, but al
lowed by Gen. Grant to resign, and
thus escaped impeachment, because at
the time of his trial he was ga private
citizen"
The Star Route frauds came next.
This was in Garfeld's administration
that discovery was made. 1t became
known that during the Hayes admin
istration the postoffice department had
let to contract many star routes and
paid millions therefor, when in tact
some of the routes were only on paper,
and others were shadows. A certain
General Brady, an assistant Postmas-
ter General, was at the head OF the
conspiracy. The assassination of Pres
ident Garfield complicated the prose
cution of those cases, but in the end
the whole prosecution proved a farce
and a failure, and no adequate punish
ment followed. The country was Of
course disheartened. Big criminals
were known to be above the law, anc
people grew callous.
More recently we have had gigan
tic fraud right in the departments al
Washington in the Rural Free Dellv
ery Service. One man was sent to thu
penitentiary who was plastered owe
with guilt in that case-that was Ma
chen. Two men went who should moi
have gone-they we're the Groffs. Thi
ended a prosecution where no doup
millions were stolen. Many scamper
ed away and hid, but they need no
have done so, they were SAFE Witt
untold violations of law by large cor
porations and trusts, we are nov
brought face to face with a gigantic
fraud in the custom houses worked VI
in the interest of and by the Suga
Trust. The number of millions
which that trust has robbed the gov
eminent will never be known. But IL
own attorneys, we learn, admit tel
millions. The general impression
however, is that thirty millions vii
be none too high.
This is the trust that forced a tarlf
on sugar, that needed governmental
protection; this is one of the pets II
the Aldrich-Payne tariff bill. Nobody
will be punished who will afford al
example. Those who ought to suffer
are above the law. The thing will be
whipped back and forth through the
courts for awhile, it will then gradual
ly blow away, and like all of its pre-
decessors will finally vanish in thin air
an be as tale that is told.