Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-13
la11raster fmtellige1lrer.
TUESDAY EVENING. APRIL 10, 1880.
Postal Service Frauds.

Postal Service FRAUDS.
We print to-day narrative of the Star
service and of the manipulations of the
postoffice department in the interest Of
favored contractors which has prevailed
for many years. Public attention
was strongly attracted to it un-
der Cresswell's administration, when
the practice of straw-bidding
became exceedingly prevalent and
expensive to the country. The leg
islation devised to check this evil has
only availed to drive the conspirators to
new devices and the one now in favor
is the expedient of enriching contract
which has been let at a very small
sum by increasing the number of trips
and their speed. The advantage of this
method is that it can be plausibly eX-
cuSed, as those of our readers who have
been favored with the speeches of con-
gressmen made in defense of the post
Office department will have noticed. A
great deal can be said in favor of the util-
ity of increasing mail facilities, and
about the sudden changes demanded 10y
the present rapid population of the trans
Mississippi country. But nothing can
obscure the fact that very many contracts
that have been let at a very low price have
been soon made exceedingly profitable to
the contractors; and that the officials
who exercise this power have used it so
literally as to eXpend the appropriation
made by Congress for the year long be-
fore the year is out. 1t is certainly clear
to everyone that if this great increase in
the expense of the postal service is as
necessary as it is claimed to be, the au-
thOrity of Congress should have been
sought for it before the new contracts
were entered into. 1t is not one contract
merely which the department has as
Sumed the authority to vary at great cost
to the government, but more than hun
dred. Evidently honest officers who did
not have profit in these transactions and
who wished to keep their skirts clear of
suspicion would have been anxious to
put the responsibility for this Star ser
vice upon Congress. There is no room fOl
doubt that Second Assistant Postmaster
General Brady corruptly combined with
the mail contractors to fleece the govern
ment. That other officers were guilty
corruption has gone cannot be told. 1t
might be assumed that the postmaster
general would not have such an assistant
to bring odium upon his administration
if he got no profit from his rascality
But us it is generally understood that Mr.
Key has no control over his assistants, it
may be that he suffers from the Brady
sore without having the Brady salve
which he is not wise to do. Mr.. Hayes
is such an extraordinary phenomenon
that it may not be just to apply ordinary
rules to him and to assume that Inc
gets part of Drady's swag because he
let's Brady's head stay on. He may sc
love to be spattered with mud that he
really relishes the discredit which thi:
corrupt administration of the pOstoffict
department brings upon his adminiStra
ton, and is thankful to Brady for the
OdOr.
We are very sorry that the history we
print exhibits Senator Wallace as the
advocate of the appropriation which the
postoilice department has asked from
Congress. In this he has sided with the
Republican side of Congress which nat.
urally stands by its officials. If he is
right this would be no reproach to him
but it is no endorsement of value that he
is right. 1t is undenied by Senator Wal
lace that the practice of the department
is bad. But it is worse; it is corrupt
and no person of intelligence can be per
suaded otherwise. The conduct of Brady
has, moreover, been very insolent. Con
gress would have been justified in refus
ing a dollar of appropriation to be eX
pended by such an officer; and that il
should show Il disposition to submit t.
the swindling contracts he has made Cal
be explained only 10y attributing to The
mail contractors a degree of influence
with congressman of a very discreditablt
character.