The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-05-19
THE STAR ROUTE RINGS.

How the Star Route Frauds Were Mau-
aEed.Freeztng Ont Honest Conirac,aE.
and FeathertnE the Meats or Favorites-
: The New York Times printed, the other day,
eleven columns devoted to the Star Route
frauds, giving details as to how much of the
swindling was done. In summing up it says
sit is q remarkable fact that most of the
notorious routes are advertised for less service
than has been in existence in the preceding
term For. example, q contractor has been
making three trips per week upon his route.
When the time comes for advertising it, bidders
are invited to give the price for which they will
make only one trip per week over 1t. A ring
favorite puts in the lowest bid, and very soon
the service is raised to the old figures, or to
higher ones.s But if some outsider chances to
put in the correct bid, thinking that an in
crease must soon be made and that he will in
that way save himself, he finds that his con-
fdence has been misplaced. The service, which
is not profitable unless increased, remains
at the advertised figures, Notwithstanding
all kinds OF appeals, and m the course of time
he is frozen out. Then the ring man steps in
with his bid little higher, and in short time
the service is increased or expedited SO that he
can see his profits. But in most cases the low
est bidders on the 'fancy" are members of the
ring firms, and the work is given to them.
In some cases it seems plain that collusion with
persons in the Department has shown these
bidders just how low to bid. In others it ap-
pears that they bid very low upon the under
was an investigation in 1876 of the notorious
''straw-bid SYSTEM" Some of the most effective
features of that system have been in use ever
since. The peculiarities of bidding and the
methods by which the rings have controlled the
routes are so many and SO varied that they can
not be described here. They will be better un-
derstood in connection with the history of
specified routes. The looseness of the law con-
corning the increase and expedition, and the
reckless Interpretation of it for the benefit of
Ror-N no1d 11o
examples described The service has been put
| by Brady upon routes through regions where
mails could not be carried at all, and favoriteR
have been paid thousands of dollars for the
| work which could not be performed. Service
| has been increased or expedited upon the os-
| tensible basis of petition or recommendation,
where such changes were not only Unnecessary,
| but were also eondemnedin in advance by Postmas-
| ters. In short, the discretion given by the law
has been stretched to the utmost conceivable
| limits in order to put money in the pockets OF
the ring firms. Honest bidders, in some sec
tions Of the country, long ago discovered that
| they could get no government work, except
| through some of these favored middle men,
| who "farmed the revenues" as the Romans
| did of old in the provinces, and there was @
color of law for all this. Few, if any, instances
| of increase or expedition can be found recorded
| in the department which are not supported by
| petitions and statements, and within the dis
| cretionary power of the Second Assistant Post
| master General. Mr.. Brady is not a fool and
no one may expect to find in the records of hi
office the account of any transaction
which did not rest upon statements
which seemed to deserve his attention. No ont
can tell, of course, how many interesting state
ments, remonstrances, ETC., came to his handi
and were not filed with the records. 1t il
pretty certain however, that all the statement
In support of his action may be found there
The several rings or ring firms were general!
in competition with each other, but the depart
ment's favors were quite evenly distributes
among them. Each ring had its Washington
agent its Congressional influence, and its per
suasive representative near the 'tBoss.' With
out these a ring firm would have no stock il
trade. Washington was the place where tn
official work was done but the inside plan
were laid in New York, where house wa
hired and set apart for consultation and revelry