The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-09
THE REPUBLIC.

1
other; and that, therefore, reliance cannot be placed
on the truth and accuracy OF the communications
made by the department.
g. Resolved, That il is fully proved that prac-
tice prevails in the Post Office Department Of grant
ing contracts on bids which vary from the adver-
tisements, and of changing and altering contracts
in material respects, after they have been accepted
and that this practice prevents all fair competition
among persons wishing TO make contracts is calcu-
lated to give undue advantages to avorites, and is in
violation of law.
who made contract for the transportation Of the
mail was required TO give 1t up for no other reason
than that it might be given to another, DESTROYS
of having it, and that the act of the department. in
requiring such surrender, and in effectng the trans
fer, was illegal and unjust.
5. Resolved, That appears that the proposal for
carrying the mail on the route from Chicago to
Green bay was withheld from advertisement that
the contract therefor was given in another name,
but really and truly to one OF the clerks in the de-
partment; that the compensation proposed in the
bid was raised without any increase Of service and
that the transaction is direct breach of law.
8. Resolped, That extra allowances have been
granted to contractors without any'increase of duty
or service their part, and that, in other cases,
extra allowances have been made which are UNI
reasonable, extravagant, and out of all proportion
with the increase Of service.
I. Resolved, That the Postmaster General has
established steamboat lines for the transportation
of the mail, by private contract, at an enormous
expense, and without authority of law.
8. Resolved, That the public credit has been
pledged for the benefit of individual contractors,
and that contractors have been solicited and induced
to aid, with their personal credit, the business of
the department. and that all such transactions are
unjustifable and improper.
9. Rssolpsd, That il does appear that mail lines
have been established to run more frequently than
once day, at a. very heavy expense, where no ade-
quate public object required such provision.
TO- Resolrsd, That pecuniary transactions of a
very irregular nature are proved to have taken
place between the contractors and some of the chief
officers of the Post Office Department.
IL. Resolved That the Post Office Department is
now deeply in debt; its affairs in disorder its ac-
counts and reports irregular and unsatisfactory;
that it is Justly the subject of public complaint, and
demands radical reform.
IL. Resolved, That the incidental expenses and
secret-servce money of the department have in
creased, increasing, and ought TO be diminished.
ID. RESOLVED. That 1t does appear that an agree
ment was entered into between two companies of
mail contractors, the express object of which was
to put down competition in the transportation of
passengers in their respective mail roues that said
agreement was drawn by an officer of the depart
|
and that it was sanctioned by the Postmaster Gen
era and that such agreement, so sanctioned, is an
interference with the honest pursuits of the free
citizens of these United States; that it tends to es-
tablish an odous and oppressive monopoly, and is
an unjust invasion of private rights.
IA. Resolved, That it does appear that mail
contractors have received large extra allowances,
and have about the time of receiving such allow
ances, become the proprietors or contractors of
newspaper presses of partisan character. 1t also
appears that a newspaper editor, in the State of
New Hampshire, is contractor for carrying the
mail on numerous routes, with paper privilege -
and that every such act or artifce tending to unite
the press with the Post Office Department, is a
dangerous abuse, and ought to he corrected
Such were the facts found in 1884.
The peculations of the elite of the Demo-
cratic party in 1884 thus became fixed
facts. The efforts made by the elite to
suppress these facts-to prevent their cir
culation among the people-the concerted
and systematic efforts of these leaders to
this end, we must reserve for another ar
ticle. II is a scene that has been acted
over a hundred times in the last twenty
years-from the time of extra allowances
down to the time of commercial specula-
tions--from the days of Mr.. BARRY down
to the days of Mr.. DENBY. Some how OF
other, during every Locofoco administra-
ton the public money has been lost by
insolvency." at one time by the insol-
vency of the Department, at another time
by the insolvency of commercial houses.
United States Bank, Pet Banks, Sub-trea-
sury-it makes no difference, what may
be the mode of administering the public
revenue. Whenever the albany reg -ncy
or the Richmond elite have managed to
get one Of their candidates into the Presi-
dency, the exchequer has been the sufferer.
This is a long story, but there is a good
moral to be drawn from it, and we shall
dispose of it in easy chapters.