Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-06
NUMBER 10.
BAHLOW,s MAIL CONTRACTS.
a scathins Article from the N. Y. Tri-
bune---Whnt the Congregational Conn
mittee Reported---M for Corr
rupt Purposes.

| rupt Purposes.
| From the New YORK Tribune, Aug. 81
"sTEAw-BIDDER IN POLITICS.
\ good specimen of the sort Of statesmen
whom the National movement is bringing
| forward is foCnd in Vermont. The Republi-
cans Of the Hid Congressional District held
their convention in July, and nominated
Gen. William W. Grout for Congress. The
nomination was made unanimous by the sup
porters of rival candidate, Mr.. Bradley
Barlow, of St. Albans. Nevertheless, Mr..
Barlow began almost Immediately to organ
ize a bot and to win the nomination of the
Greenback marty. lie succeeded in both
efforts, and Is running as a Greenback can
didate, with personal following of Repub-
licans and an unknown quantity of Demo-
Gratis, who will support him in the hope of
defeating the regular Republican candidate.
1t may be interesting, in view of these facts,
to see who Mr.. Barlow is. The House Com
mittec on the Management of the Po>toffice
made him famous, in 1876, by citing him as
contractors known in the POstofice
Department as the Forty Thieves"
a brief examination Of the report
vice in showing the voters of the Third Yer
mont District precisely what kind of a per-
son they are asked to send to Congress, as
the friend Of the lahoring man and the ad
voeatc of modern financial principles.
Mr.. Barlow was an unwilling witness
before the committee for four days. During
that time the examiners discovered that he
had spent at least $li0, 900 for corrupt pur-
poses. of this amount $40 600 was used
to prevent an investigation in 1872. That
expenditure alone was sufficient to convict
Barlow of dishonesty, for no man pays SiO,-
900 to conceal something that is honest and
creditable. The rest Of the money was paid
out in fees to lawyers, in bribes to Depart
mcnt clerks who furnished secret information
about the bids of competitors, and in buying
of lower bidders. 1t was as straw
bidder that Barlow figured most success
fully. The process was very simple. The
law said that the Contract should be given
to the lowest bidder, each bidder to give
cheek for n certain amount a. security. The
members of the :" ring put in bids at ex-
orbitant rates, and had the lower bids put in
ty nen whose securities were worthless,
or who could be bought of, or who were
dummies for the members of the s'ring." 1t
would come about that the man to whom the
contract was awarded would fail to appear.
The time having expired and the routes being
in the hands Of the "ring," the depart
ment would be forced to renew the old con-
tract at the former exorbtant rate. Barlow
confessed that he certified to checks for bid
ders at one letting to the amount Of $780,
900, they all having been drawn on the
bank at St. Albans, of which he was Presi-
dent. lie did not make any bids for himself
at that time. His cashier put in a bid Of
SOB, 200 for one contract, and his Son-in-law
put in another Of S13. 100 for the same con-
tract 1t was awarded to the cashier, but
he failed to appear, and then it went to the
son-in-law. The cashier, Mr.. Barlow said,
declined because the contract was too low,
and when the committee asked why the bid
was so low, Barlow replied, "lle bid be-
cause wanted him to-" BarlOw's daughter
was also large contractor, and he acted as
her attorney. This gives glimpse of the
family ring within the big "ring." All
the contractors who were in the smaller
circle li5ed in st. Adams, and the only SER
vice they ever performed was TO enable Bar
low to get from the Government almost any
sum that pleased his fancy.
was to buy of the lower bidders. Barlow
testified that he once gave Governor Thomp-
son, of Idaho, SIS 900 for all his bids, and
then withdrew them 50 that they would not
stand in the way Of his own. One Of
ThOmpsOn's bids was to do work for Sl23,-
900 which the Barlow company was getting
Sl33,1O for doing. In their final report the
Committee said of the ring;
The general terror Of the testimony shows beyond
doubt that they have s. scientifically, by method
Of sham dishonest bids and other corrupt devices,
combined to Obtain mOnopOlies Of the po>ia! service
at eNorbitant prices; that they have brihed clerks
in the cvntract-oiico to give such information OF
the status OF the different bids a would enable
them to unGerbd honest, hoaa i've biGners, as
to control the most valuable routes OF mIIl ser
wee in the directions Indicated IN the testimony.
They further, BY the corrupt Of money with
officials. by false representation, and by nlnu-
factured petitions, have induced the Depart
ment to establish service over lines where
the public eonvence did not require it,
and was not subsery6d b. it. Further.
they have induced, corruptly. pV'tnasters TO give
certificates 10 surctics and bonds which false
and illuso:y and they have by corrupt means OBJ
tanned certificates Tor services not rendered so as
TO plurder the pubic Treasury. Finally, rs ap-
pears III evideucc. in the instance q: Barlow and
Sawyer nU;ably. they have not only paid out
moneys for corrupt purposes and TO Obtain con-
tracts which the public interests do not require,
but have been enabled so far tU control efforts TO
discover. expose and punish their evil practices as
II lnc luStlIce OF lssS. rs appears II
Barluws testimony. the ends Of an Invest Cation in
stituted by the honorable House Itself.
In view of this record. Mr.. BarlOw'S re-
quest for seat in Congress, that lie may
there devote himself to lcsSening the bur
denS Of the people, i modest and engaging
to an extreme. lie represents no party, not
even Buffers. and he ought not to receive
the vote OF any honest man. lie seems to
have entered politics IL Il straw bidder