The Morning herald., 1876-08-14
FOR PRESIDENT -
SAMUEL J. T1LDEN.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS
FOR SHERIFF.
ISAAC GRUBB.
FOR CORONER,
DAVID G. ROSE.

DAVID y. hOSE. ,r-7
CRESsWELL AND STRAW BIDS.
The report Of the House Committee on
post Offices and post roads relative to the
conduct and management Of affairs con-
nected with the post Office department very
severely exposes and critiacises the admin
istration Of the late exp Postmaster General
Cresswell. During the term Of Mr.. Cress-
we'll, millions of dollars were plundered
from the Treasury, for which there is noth-
ing to show. Until Mr.. Cresswell become
Postmaster General the artful methods Of
straw bid corruption was unknown, but
under his system Of organized fraud, the
country, embracing the States and Terrific
ries on the Pacific, and the vast empire Of
Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas, which
form q part, was concentrated in the hands
Of four men who controlled all the ave-
nues leading to the Post Office Department,
had paid agents inside and outside, knew
every bid that was made and absolutely
dicted their own terms. The sudden wealth
of these few benefciaries who practiced the
golden Radical rule Of three-addition, d.
vision and silence, was so manifest and so
loudly denounced as to cause an investiga-
ton by Congress, but as the contractors
owned a majority Of the committee, Of
course the Postmaster-G General was white
washed, The committee, however, were
careful to dodge all the maturnal points,
and to content themselves with barren gen,
eralities, evasiye suggestions and false
plans ..
Although straw bids has assumed i'm
mense proportions, Mr.. Caesswell, for rea-
sons which no one doubted, never uttered
word on the subject in his reports to
Congress, but remained studiously silent
until exposure compelled him to speak
and then sought in every way to excuse a
delinquency which had guilt written on
every feature Of it. Under his favoritism
all healthy competition was destroyed.
Honest bidders were crushed out, and
their services prostituted to the profit Of a
ring from which these was no appeal.
The mail lettings under Mr.. Creswell
attracted unusual attention. They were
awarded to the lowest bidder in accord
ance with the act Of 1886, but when the
time come for the execution Of the con-
tracts, the bidders, straws Of the old con-
tractors, failed to take the service. Under
the law, of the lowest bidder failed to
max egood his contract, every honest Post
MASTER General selected the next lowest
who would comply with the conditions o
sufficient guaranty of faithful performance
but they did not omit the Ring however
ard Mr.. Cresswell would readvertise ane
reopen the whole subject under an obso
Lutte act Of 1928, entirely ignoring an &C
of 1s45 which pointed out the way to pro
tect the Government and to speak agains
conspiracy. Mr.. Cresswell will agail
advertise the service which would again b
attended with the same result. The fac
of a third advertising would be performed
and the certificates Of guarantees, Pos'
masters. etc., would all be fabricated, an
the old contractors cenforned in thei
Jobs and was designed from the outse
with twenty per cent. for addition, divi
ion and silence.
Notwithstanding that in the investig
ton ordered by Congress in 1872, it vi
already proven that Mr.. Cresswell had vi
lated the law in the letting Of contracts, /
ignoring actual law and adhering to an a
solute statute, and had fraudulantly pal
millions of dollars to Ring, he was whit
washed We havs on former occasions e.
posed ex-Postmaster-Gener Cresswell
disgraceful sstraw bids" in post Office co
tracts, for which the present adminlstr
tion is exclusively responsible. Amo'
ej all Of Grants dishonest cabinet officers,
there is one greater william than the OF
era. Il ID sx-P Postmaster General Cresswe
Mr.. Oresswell has stolen enough to ma
him comfortable, and as he is not AFRAID
" oimpeachment he will not care much
the osnsurs ofthe late House Commits
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1edI bu.. ..