National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-09-29
The star Routes.


exercised by Postmaster-Gene Key, |
under the advice of his Second AS
sistant General Thomas j. Brady. Tho |
latter took the responsibility of so in
crcasing the service that the appropria- |
ton deemed sufficient by Congress for |
whole year was exhausted in fraction |
of that year and deficiency appropria- |
ton asked for. Strenuous opposition was |
made to this, and very animated strug-
gle in Congress followed. During that
investigation the course of General |
Brady was reflected on, and |
charges of improper conduct on
his part were freely made in the public |
press. lie met all charges, and convinced |
both Houses Of Congress of his own good |
conduct, and of the advisability of the |
service for which he had contracted. The |
appropriations were made, and, what is
more, when the next annual appropria-
tions came to be made appropriations
were included for the very service, in
crease and all, against which so much
clamor had been made. All this was
done by II Congress opposed in politics TO
the Administration the conduct of
which had been on trial. The
final appropriation was passed with
Il proviso declaring that the making of
the same was not to be construed as APP
proving MS legal, nor yet as condemnng
us illegal, the PostOilice Department for
its action in making contracts covering
only a portion of the year which would
necessarily exhaust the appropriation for
the whole year. This was voting money
for expenditures declared to be judicious
in themselves, but leaving open the ques-
ton Of whether they should have been
increased prior to this favorable
decision by Congress. The great
sum to be expended attracted
the cupidity of q band of men
who determined to demand toll before it
should be appropriated by Congress, A
vised, and the leader was discovered fix
ing the price which must be paid him
and his associates before it could be
passed without libelous and unfoundcd
attacks by himself and others. They were
not successful in their attempt
Upon the advent of the present Post
master-General and Attorney-Genera1
to Office the assaults of the black
mailers were revived in the press. The
voluminous statements made by General
Brady, then of the Post-Oflice Depart
ment, two years ago to the House COM
mittee, embracing all expediting and
increase of mail service on the star
routes, were reproduced in the papers wiM
no additions, and the public were made to
believe by the accompanying remarks
that General Brady's odicial reports Of Iar-
f,i and drOued official transactions 'cere dis
corerieS Of fraud made by the Postmaster
: General and his satellites. This was u
bold and palpable fraud; but its very
voluminousness was relied upon as u
shield against exposure. 1t was certain
to confuse the public mind, as was in
tended.
No lawyer in the United States can or
will for moment pretend that any fact
stated in all these newspaper publications
raised any presumption whatever of fraud
or improper conduct. They exhibited
the opinions of the Department as to the
requirements OF the service. Ad captain
dun recapitulations Of the great sums of
money required to carry out these lawful
contracts were relied upon to prejudice
the public; expenditures admitted to be
fully authorized by law were held up as
necessarily corrupt, because large news
papers teemed with the vilest assump-
tions of corrupt collusions between
the contractors and the Department
but never has any evidence been pro-
duced of such collisions. From March
till September the worst of characters en-
ployed by the Department of Justice and
: the Postmaster-General, have sought to
procure, by the methods with which they
, are familiar, evidence of improper mo-
tives on the part Of General Brady in the
conduct of the affairs of his office,
above described. The prosecuting
special agent pretended to be ready
to proceed in June, but, being called
on to do so by General Brady's
counsel, swallowed his own declarations
and begged for an adjournment of the
: grand jury until September 10. On the
latter date the special counsel, and all
others who had any acquaintance with
the proceedings, unnecessarily absented
: themselves from the city, and the grand
jury had to be again adjourned to await
their pleasure. 1t will assemble again
next Monday. After Guiteau, then there
will be another opportunity for the So
called star-route prosecutions.
: The editor of THE REPUBLICAN, presents
his compliments to the gentlemen of the
5 profession throughout the country who
: are polite enough to designate this paper
as star-route organ, and to say that he
9 never saw a mail contract in his life, and
never personally knew of one being ex'
tended, expedited, or increased. Fur
thermore, that he differs with some Of
: them in this: That he is not for hire
TO write views not his own. Gen
cral Brady Is stockholder in TIL
REPUBLICAN,, but does not control its
editorial columns. The men who are
= pursuing him with untiring malignity
will undoubtedly endeavor to complet
Jelonies diready begun By them, in order t.
: smirch his name by indictments which
I they know cannot be followed by conyic
; tions. We believe that if those who arr
l responsible for the use of court machinery
4 by the Government do not permit fou
and unlawful things to be attempted Ii,
will be vindicated by the grand jury, anC
: we believe that if he is indicted 1cithou
,. 1riinesSeS, under the whip and spur of
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