Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-05-15
The Mall Contracts.
HON. BRADLEY BARLOW AND THE Lu1TRELL
CHARGES.

HON. BRADLEY BARLOW AND The LtlIhELL
CHARGES.
The St. Adams Messenger, otherwise
known as the organ Of Bradley Barlow, re-
plies as follows to the charges of over and
illegal payments on mail contracts and COM
bination to defraud the government brought
against Mr.. Barlow and Others by }. X.
Luttrell, NJ. c. of California
, We regret that in hasty interview just
previous to his departure for washington
we were unable to hear MIR. Barlow an
swer in detail to each one OF the SPECIFIC
charges, but q few general statements VIII
suffice to dispose of the whole case so tar as
he is concerned. among those VINO nave
known him from his youth up ana VINO
know that his word is implicitly reliable.
In the first place, then, he says that he has
no interest whatever in eleven OF the twenty
routes ascribed to him ; second, that it Is
wholly untrue that he belongs to comblna-
ton for causing straw bids to be put in, or
that he or his partner have ever paid any
man or set of men for refusing or failing to
perform in order that he or they might get
the route at higher price; third, that he
has no knowledge of the truth or falsity OF
the charges concerning Huntley, Peterson,
and Others. not his partners fourth, that
all these charges relating to him and his
routes were Investigated by the committee
of tie Forty second Congress, and himself,
partners and the Government were exoner-
ated: fifth. that since that time he has made
no new contract and during this last letting
has put in no bids, being anxious to retire
from the business and sell his property to
contractors who will pay for 1t sixth, and
finally. that all his transactions with the
Government are matters OF record In the
Postofhcc and Treasury departments and
ever have been and are now open to ex-
animation by any citizen OF the United
States.
He says it is true that there have been ex-
ceptional instances OF temporary varia
ton of routes and occasional protracted
failures to deliver the mail at certain sta
tons, owing to impossible roads and other
causes beyond the control of the stage
company. The same thing occurs all over
the United States, but is doubtless worse
in the Rocky Mountains, covered with snow,
or on the plains infested by Indians, than
it is here in New England. The fact, how
ever. that every member OF Congress from
the Pacific coast. save Mr.. Luttrell, has ex-
pressed approval of the efficiency OF their
service, would seem to indicate that 1t has
been as satisfactory as it was possible to
makei it
1t is possible that the Government has
paid for regular service when it has
been thus occasionally interrupted, but
ssch, we believe, has always been the
bolicy of the Government. except in tiagrant
and unjustifable cases We take 1t that
when, by reason of SHOWS. or wash-outs or
railroad accidents. the mail contractors on
the Central Vermont are unable to bring
Us a Boston mail until it is two or three
days old. no one would be small and mean
enough TO insist that their pay ought to be
abated.
In regard to sub-letting, we understand
it TO be true, not only that Barlow, San
derson x Co. hold contracts which were Sc
cured by others, and allow others to per-
form contracts which are held by them
selves. but that this is a practice which
prevails all over the country. There Is
hardly stage route in Vermont, for in
stance, over which the driver himself, or
the stage proprietor, is the owner of the
mail contract. If such q rule were to be
insisted on, the government would be
troubled TO find men of sufficient response
bility to perform the service.
The Messenger also prints letter from
L ulkus up was NhhAl AAhiA Va Wv
committee Of investigation in regard to the
mail contracts, two years ago, and who says;
Z" he invest CATION did not develop any
thing that the committee thought required
any explanation from You, and you were
not called at all.
The Messenger adds
In concluding this already too long article
we have only to say that it is an unde-
niable fact that Messrs Barlow, SandersOn
Il Co. have been in the enjoyment OF some
profitable contracts. and that their passen-
ger and express business has brought them
even larger returns But we believe the
present committee will find. As lis prede-
cessor did. that they have done everything
honorably and above board, and that their
great success has resulted from more than
average ability. enterprise, financial respon-
sibllity, and. since the war, from the in-
creased development of the country through |
which their business has extended. They |
have been engaged in this business during
the last fourteen years. At first, and for |
long time, il was hazardous in the extreme.
and often Improbable. Several times during |
the war their coaches were captured, |
drivers killed and stations robbed |
and burned by the rebels in Missouri |
and points further South and West. They /
have suffered from a large number of In
dian depredatons. They have lost men and |
animals in the impenetrable SHOWS. over
forty of their employees have been killed in |
the dangerous service, and their property |
destroyed has amounted to many thousands
of dollars. Bat they have survived these
things. and now run over routes aggregat-
ing 1900 miles, at the rate of more than
700 miles day. They employ from four to
five hundred men and between two and
three thousand animals. Their average ex-
penses are between four and five thousand
dollars day. They are justly proud OF all
this and who would not be?
They have made profits. Is anybody
sorry? They Ihaye been smart enough to
make good trades. Was there anything
wrong about it, and does not every one do
it who can? Mr.. harlow has acquired
some prominence in other business ventures
and in public life. Is there a man living
who does not call him an honorable man,
the strictest sense, and most valuable and
public spirited citizen?
Ii seems to make a difference with the
Messenger who makes the good trades
brought to its notice 1t thought it dread
'ul thing, five recollect Alright, for Messrs.
Park and Baxter TO make good trade in
The sale of the Emma mine. But We turn
he Messenger over to its St. Adams contem-
,orary, who commends to the Messenger its
,wn physic, in pointed article, the sub
tance of which We copy below:
From the st. Adams Daily Advertiser. May II.
The Messenger of Saturday publishes the
substance of the charges of fraud in GER
ain Western mail contracts preferred by
,ir. Luttrell, member of Congress from
al. before the Postoiice committee and
ecently republished by the Advertiser from
he Boston Irareller. The Messenger takes
vident umbrage at this republication, tor
rises to remark:
The charges, however, began to serve their pur-
ose, for they soon made their appearance in the
ape OF his district smut neOusy in the New
ork sun. followed by the Boston Traveller, St. Al
ans drertiser and Burlington Free Press. So far {
we can learn these are the only papers in the q
nd they have given them without word o: com I
tent or explanation
Now, good Messenger, please note that to :
ssume guilt from the fact of accusation, to
-eGt an accused man as a c0nrid not only
fore trial, during trial, but euen after ac- /
initial by jury Of Investigation, whose t
,reman was little, if at all. short of Per v
,nal foe, is kind of independent Journal C
IN Of which the Messenger has had the i
rinding monopoly in the Vermont press t
II several years. Neither the Advertiser v
or the FREE Pass is likely to encroach on |,
nat disreputabe field in which the Messen- I
r ranges first and in which, for the credit v
our common human nature, there is no 4
cond with whom to divide dishonor. The
larges of Luttrell appeared in the New
ork Sun of the 2lst ult.; and the feverish
aste with which the Messenger hitherto i.
As pounced on the smallest scrap of news o.
iper carrion, upon matter destitute of
zen the ordinary requisites of official form II
Id responsible authorship, if the tale 81
ryed to venom an arrow or feather its Il
aft against a foe, inspired the belief that !,
lis enthusiast for independent journalism, ii
lis virtuous fellow, who is always sig ching c.
T some corruption to conquer, who chafes d.
sweep the country clean from the st.
roix to Cape Canayeral whom we know on &,
$ own personal authority to be the only "a
truly good" unpurchasable editor in the ~
ate, would be certain, from the serene =