Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-10
TIE STAB ROUTE FRAUDS.

L OStOlnCe IL par SiiShs, buS iiSASi9 oeS~GoS
he believed that by attacking Brady and
his ring he would be striking heavy blow
at Conkling Whether there is any truth
in this report we are not in position to
determine, but if there is it appears now
that what may have been originally in
tended as feigned assault will have to be
converted into real one. The consterna-
ton and excitement which have already
been caused by the statements published.
though these statements have thus far
been rather vague and indeterminate. must
be regarded as indicating the wide ramifi-
cations OF the star route ring. In fact
there is reason to suspect thatif the whole
truth can be got at it will prove to have
had even more extensive workings than
the whisky ring, whose exploitation did
SO much TO damage the prestige of Cen
eral Grants administration.
Enough facts have already been made
public to render it apparent that there has
been bold, systematic and extensive steal
ing done through the star route contracts.
e is known that by g expediting" these
routes some of them have been raised from
small to very large sums. 1t is plain that
in this way in excess of two millions of
dollars have been flched from the treas
ury. The fact that the heaviest increase
has always been put upon routes located
in the most remote and inaccessible regions
may be taken to indicate careful pre-
cautionary spirit on the part of the ma
nipulators At present the two names
most frequently mentioned in connection
with the frauds are those of Dorsey and
Brady. The former has got into fresh
trouble through his imprudence in allow
ing man who had been doing work for
him in Oregon in connection with the pro-
curing of petitions for these star route
contracts, to sue him for services rendered,
and in putting in the plea that the claim
was barred because the contracts were
illegal. This is one of the blunders which
"smart men often commit because their
plottings compel them to have different
interests in different places. 1t is a kind
of blunder which has been made familiar
to the country by the recent policy of the
national Democratic party. In the present
instance it threatens to result disagreeably
for Mr.. Dorsey.
But it is not enough to hunt down the
one or two leaders of this conspiracy. It
is clear that if the Postoffice Department
is to be purged there must be thorough
work. and it is equally clear that Presi-
dent Garfield will find it very difficult to
make his work thorough. The reason OF
this lies on the surface. The kind of men
who are always implicated in scandals like
the present are precisely the kind of men
who plume themselves most on their par.
tisan loyalty and usefulness. Numbers Of
sach men have helped Mr.. Garfield 1t j,
almost certain that he must have come Il
be under obligations to many of them
And they are so thickly scattered through
public and official lie that If thorough
investigation is pressed it win be
impossible for those who have it il
haud to tell where the lightning VIII
strike. This is not pleasant OIL
ereditable condition OF affairs, but we are
very much afraid that it is the actual coz.
dition. 1t is not only scores of officials
who are tarred with the star route brush,
but members of Congress, members of the
National Republican Committee, people in
nigh places, pillars of the psrty. Apd
each and all of them must bring whatever
political power they can command to bear
upon the situation, with common view to
the suppression of the inquiry. That i.
what has to be apprehended now, and it i;
hard to say whether there is most to feal
from sich suppression, or from the ex.
pssure of everything.
Ii indeed President Garfield had the force
and sagacity to stand by his original reso.
luton, no matter who suffered, the inves.
tigation might be made the foundation OF a
strong and popular administration for him.
self Bat before he could take such posi-
ton it would be necessary for him to b:
wholly uncompromised, and since the pub
LEGATION of his letter about Brady it i:
scarcely possible to believe that he is thu:
free from entanglements. Yet an inquiry
of this nature can do no good rnless it i.
complete. Ii it is allowed to go just ia!
enough to convince the people that there
has been enormous corruption at work, and
if it is stopped just at the poins where the
worst exposures are foreshadowed, the
result viii he to discredit the Ad-
ministration almost as much as the
thieves themselves. We wish tina:
we could believe that President
Garfield fully intends to "let no guilty
man escape" but if he does it is very
certain that Dorsey and Brady ought moi
to stand in the pillory alone, and thai
many high officials IN the Postoiiice De.
partment, who have occupied their posi-
tons throughout the period of the scandals,
ought to be included in the inquest.
Until it is seen whether the proceedings
are to be without reservation it is OF course
premature to form an opinion as to their
tendency. All that can be said with Ger.
tainty now is that the facts revealed cal
for the most searching inquiry, and that tc
stop it anywhere short of the bottom
would be to condemn the Government a:
well as the accused.
QUITE So
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