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Updated: August 8, 2024
Then came the rejection of a Solicitor- General by the Senate, whose appointment was not acceptable to the pragmatical Attorney-General, New York troubles, the forced exposure of the Star-route scandals, and other antagonisms, rivalries, and dissensions. The Garfield Administration was on the verge of dissolution within four months after its creation. Mrs.
Attorney-General MacVeagh, who was then bent on making political mischief by the Star-route prosecutions, made himself ridiculous when General Garfield died by asserting that the United States had jurisdiction over the cottage in which the President died, and endeavoring to exclude the New Jersey authorities.
He'd wipe his long thin moustache between drinks lime-juice and water he used and blat off into a long 'a-aah, and ladle out more taffy for me or old man Van Zyl on his right. I told him how I'd had my first Pisgah-sight of the principles of the Zigler when I was a fourth-class postmaster on a star-route in Arkansas.
The Attorney-General made a great display in his prosecution of some of those who had enriched themselves by "Star-route" contracts, retaining eminent counsel, and bringing witnesses to Washington at a great expense. There was much rascality developed, and some reputations were smirched, but the disagreement of juries prevented any punishment of the offenders.
Jay A. Hubbell, who was the custodian of the Republican campaign fund, applied to Assistant Postmaster-General Brady, who negotiated the "Star-route" contracts, for pecuniary aid, and was told that it should be forthcoming, provided he could have a letter from General Garfield to exhibit to the contractors to spur them up to make liberal contributions.
His campaign manager, Stephen B. Elkins, had been charged with a discreditable connection with the star-route scandals; men of the Platt type were urging that it was now Blaine's "turn"; and Powell Clayton, an Arkansas carpet-bagger of ill-repute, was the Blaine candidate for the position of temporary chairman of the convention.
The "Star-route" trials were inaugurated by Attorney-General MacVeagh to bring reproach upon the Administrations of Grant and Hayes. This system of "extra allowances" for carrying the United States mails dated back, however, to the days of William Taylor Barry, Postmaster-General under President Jackson.
The "Star-route" system of plunder was, however, handed down from Administration to Administration, and the contractors who were thereby enriched were called upon at each successive Presidential election to contribute to the campaign fund. This had been done in the Garfield and Hancock contest just concluded. Mr.
The letter from Hubbell, to which this was a reply, was never published, and General Garfield's friends afterward maintained that he had not alluded to the "Star-route" contractors.
He then appeared to take no interest in the prosecution of Guiteau, and although he had employed eminent legal talent in the Star-route and Howgate cases, he gave District Attorney Corkhill no aid in the trial of the assassin until President Arthur gave peremptory instructions that Messrs. Porter and Davidge should be employed.
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