The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1871-03-04
CORRUPTION IN CONTACTS.

Recent exposures of fragrant cor
ruption in the Postofice Department
NJ Washington, may be taken a Illus
trative OF the general system of fraud
and rascality which, prevails in every
Department of the Government. We
condense from a long account of a
piece of viliainy lately unearthed.
Last Spring Postmaster Gen. CreswelI
advertised for proposals for stamps and
envelopes for four years, covering an
aggregate OF s2,Os0,OOO, being an aver
age OF 100000 per annum. In all
there werc nine bidders for the con-
tract, ana four Of those were excluded
under tine terms Of the bids. The bids
Of h other five varied materially. and
after they had been regularly opened
Crcswell telegraphed to one OF the
competitors. Geo. III. Rcay, of New
York, 20 know If he would reduce his
bid ten per cent. tosecure the contract.
The answer was in the affirmative.
and although this Sill left Reay's bid
$4,000 per aunum higher than those
of other equally responsible bidders,
he was awarded the contract. Aware
of Inc shameful mannerin which they
had been treated, the defeated bidders
ventilated the official conduct Of the
Postmaster General in Congress. The
committee on Appropriations looked
into the matter, and Creswell attempt
ed to justify his open violation Of the
law by claiming that the paper and
Workmanship of Reav was superior
to that of theI other bidders. The
ialsehood was exposed by the proof
that the paper was precisely the same,
Will" there was mo- visible difference
in the workmanship. Fraud was So
palpably apparent that further inves-
tiga.ion was deemed Unnecessary and
the committee reported an amendment;
TO the P~ostollice Appropriation bill,
passed July II, $50. which read as
follows:
Tor stamps and envelopes. Sl20.OOO.
Provided. that no part OF this appro-
priltipu shall be expended for STAMPED
envelopes beyond a temporary supply
sufficient tor Us" till the first day OF
trfgHcF neNs, except 10 carry out con.
tracts hereafter 10 be made with the
lowest bidder, according To law. upon
samples { - hc furnished by the Post
tlastc--Ceneral.
This killed the four year contract,
but - rcbuke did not prevent Cres-
we'll from patronizing his friend Reav.
and he gave him the contract for the
temporary supply" amounting 10
Sll'.p0o. Dempsey & O'Toole were
the lowest bidders for the contract to
supply The place Of the fraudulcn. one
set aside by Congress, and after every
possible obstruction had been thrown
in the way ia obedience to the pre-.
emp'ory opinion Of the At:ornev-Gen-
erai. Il vas awarded to them. These
gentlemen proceeded To comply with
their engagement, and after they had
been 10 a heavy expense they were
suddenly confronted with a technical
objection, and the contract taken from
them and awarded to C~reswell's friend
keay at s3i.4oo more per annum than
the bid OF Dempsey & O'Toole. Thus
!. Will be seen that tie Postmaster
General violated the law and his oa,i,
OF Office, deded Congress and virtually
stole from the people SI25,6oo. These
facts. startling as they appear, are
matters Of record and cannot be de
MED. They prove 4 fragrant dishon-
esty Of purpose which may well
as:anish the nation.