Show STAR ROUTE FARCE It is talked in Washington that the jury in the star route cases is warranted to acquit The defendants defend-ants are said to be satisfied with the jurors jSTobcdy knows why there should be such a scandalous suggestion sugges-tion but there doubtless is S reason for it and government knows what it is We believe if the rumor could be traced to its source its origin would be found with the prosecution There is a very general gen-eral impression that government has no case against the star routers The exposure was largely sensational sensa-tional The late administration wanted a hobby and it picked upon reform starting in with the star routes The mail contractors and those back of them may be the worst thieves outside the jail but so far nothing has been developed to show they were doing anything very wrong or for which they did not have congressionalauthorization Thereforms that the late postmaster general instituted did not reform and the great saving he brought about does not appear in the treasury treas-ury The only saving effected was in cutting off needed mail service The prosecutions were left as a rather awkward legncy to the present administration which has made a showing of earnestness and industry in order to keep up appearances Now that it sees failure to convict is inevitable a very good crawlout is to lay it to the jury and say that bribery has defeated justice Thus all the political benefits from a con victionare preserved and the reputation repu-tation of the reform officers of government gov-ernment is maintained The whole business has been a farce and is likely to end in one |