Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1881-05-19

The postal committee of both houses of
congress were in control of satellites
or friends of the contractors and their
employees in the department. Bill
King, who aftcrward made a fortune
and lost it in passing the Pacific mail
bill, with its attendant scandles, was
postmaster of the house of representa-
tives when the postal routes were put
up and the appropriations passed. Gen.
Famsworth, of Illinois, was long chair
man of the postal committee, and he
had clerk by the name of Painter,
who was continually involved in scan
dies, and had to be saved on one Occa-
sion by COnkling. The celebrated
PomerOy, of Kansas, generally called
"Old Beans" was high on the postal
committee of the senate, with Ramsey,
of Minnesota, and Flanagan of Texas.
Mr. Terrell, the entering wedge from
Indiana, against whom no charge has
been made, and who is lmsuspected of
anything, so far as | know, was trans
fered to another Office in that state,
and Mr. Tyner came on the lords, a
gentleman of lofty style, r0. q white
moustache, who looked like D .uuw.
do Wood that had been cuuyr".aI 10.
a religious revival. lie ras probably
no man Of business, but on po5.urtr
Being raised for a shOr ,imc t. u.
dignity ofpostmaster gey1, ujs q'lo.
as assistant was taken b. 90 unkuowu
man named Brady, a CO 1872 Lewspl-
per editor from Indian believe, ,
soldier in the war, WHOM 1Dy, Morton
had rewarded for state Jupaigl sr-
vices with the impOrtar c.nsuatc J.
st. ThOmas,in the West lU's Fyuu
had lived plainly as bee nes IT., ,s.rt,
but Brady was hardly o. the r,1. Ng-
fore it was understood a' ia H.,s %
rare business man, IN .I made d
large amount of money II the Bell tele-
phone. He bought or rented II large
house of lIallet Kilburnc, in the row
built by Boss Shephcrd-a residence
which probably cost $4,000. Mr..
Kilburne bought it with the rise of
real estate in Washington, which after.
ward had relapse, and he had tosacri-
flee the property. He became the pub
Usher, at recent date, of Mr.. Brady's
daily newspaper, the Republican.
In very little while, by the force of
either audacity or character, Mr.. Brady
became the principal figure in the post
Office department. Morton was on his
last legs and had suffered his last de.
feat in 1876. Mr.. Hayes amateur
policy of putting southern man in his
cabinet had led to the selection of
Judge Key, of Tennessee, an honorable
chap, without the least idea of his
place in the department. Tyner was
posturing Key was behaving like Il
patriot, and there was a beautiful
chance for II bold business man to rush
right in and seize the department.
Nothing in Mr.. Brady's previous his
tory should have qualified him for this
work, except being at the head of the
Republican state committee in Indiana
in one campaign. lie was about 40 or
Is years old, with broad shoulders,
large head, slow Of speech, and of the
listening quality. lie wore spectacles,
and could be rough as poison when he
wanted to. Unquestionably he did
make some money out Of the telephone,
and this gave him more independence
than is usual with assistants in the
pOstonce department. lie found that
his money brought him adhcrents and
parasites, and there are I'M enormous
number of people in Washington for
sale at all times, ready to rush upon Il
purchaser.
In the closing part of Grants admin
istration he called to his cabinet Jewell,
of Connecticut, Il successful business
man, but not corrupt. lie soon saw
that there was great amount of
thieving and cOllusiOn in his depart
ment, and he began to confer with
BristOw, of the treasury department,
and the two resolved to conduct Il
mutual work OF purgation. Grant he,
came incensed against Jewell for put
ting on airs, and for refusing to con-
slider the claims of personal friends,
and soon put him cut But in that
brief period that Jewell was pOstmas-
ter general, be it said to his credit, he
carried CONSERVATION among the rascals
of the postal department; and had he
been continued there many u man
trembling to-day for fear of an indict-
ment would be saved from apprchen-
sions and in character.
/ have heard it said that Mr.. Key, as
postmaster general, was generally
treated like dog by Brady, and finally
never opened his mouth to ask Il ques-
ton; Mr.. French, aforesaid, continued
to be chief clerk under Brady. The
big contractors were continually in
Washington. Eighteen months ago,
when every man stood to his guns
to defend what the second assist
ant postmaster general had done, they
announced to congress and the coun-
try a deficiency of over $2000,000,
after a postal expenditure of nearly
$6,OOO,OOO for this same star-route ser
vice. Therefore the conspiracy had
had the handling of $7,900,000 during
one year. As have before related, at
this discovery every party in Washing
ton jumped in to get hush-money.