New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-31
1asrR1W.RLDDERn IN POLIrICS

A good specimen of the sort OF statesmen
whom the National movement is bringing
forward is found IN Vermont. The Republic
cans of the Hid Congressional District held
their convention in July, and nominated Cen
eral William w. GrOut for Congress. The
nomination was made unanimous by the support
ers of a rival candidate, Mr.. Bradley Barlow,
of st. Adams. Nevertheless, Mr.. Barlow began
almost Immediately to organize bolt and to
win the nomination of the Greenback party.
He succeeded in both efforts, and is running
as a Greenback candidate, with a personal
following of Republicans and an unknown
quantity Of Democrats, who will support him
in the hope of defeating the regular Republic
can candidate. 1t may be interesting in view
of these facts, 10 see who Mr.. Barlow Is
The House Committee ON the Management
of the Post Office made him famous in
1876 by citing him as one of the
worst in ring of mail contractors
known in the Post Office Department as the
Forty Thieves" A brief examination of the
report made by that committee will be of ser
vice in showing the voters of the Hid Yer
mont District precisely what kind of person
they are asked to send TO Congress, as the
friend of the laboring man and the advocate
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 $4,000 for corrupt
purposes. Of this amount 100000 was
used to prevent an investigation in
1872. That expenditure alone was sufficient
to convict Barlow of dishonesty, for no man
| pays $4,000 to conceal something that is
honest and credltable. The rest Of the money
was paid out in fees to lawyers, in brides to
Department clerks who furnished secret in
formation about the bids Of competitors, and
in buying off lower bidders. 1t was as a
"straw bidder" that Barlow figured most
successfully. The process was very simple.
The law said that the contract should be
given to the lowest bidder, each bidder to
give a check for a certain amount as Sc
curity. The members of the "rng" put in
bids at exorbitant rates, and had the lower bids
put in by men whose securities we're worthless,
or who could be bought of, or who were
dummies for the members of the 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 exorbitant rate. Barlow
confessed that he certified to checks for bid
ders at one letting to the amount Of $780,
600, they all having been drawn on the bank
ut st. Adams, of which he was President. He
did not make any bids for himself at that
time. His cashier put in a bid of $63,7OO
for one contract, and his son-in-law put
in another of $73.700 for the same contract.
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
80 low, Barlow replied, "He bid because l
wanted him tor BarlOw's daughter was
also large contractor, and he acted as her
attorney. This gives glimpse Of the family
ring - within the big ring.n All the con-
tractors who were in the smaller circle lived
In st. Adams, and the only service they ever
performed was TO enable Barlow TO get from
the Government almost any sum that pleased
his fancy.
Another way OF keeping the rates high was
to buy of the lower bidders. Barlow test fed
that he once gave Governor Thompson, OF
Idaho, $4,000 for all his bids, and then
withdrew them so that they would not stand
In the way Of his own, One Of Thompson's
bids was 10 do work for $4,000 which the