Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-04-27
THE STAR ROUTE STEAL,

WHAT rHs WV YORK MERCHANTS AM BUSINESS
Rhrt BlIcANs THINK ABorr rr-rHE TTrsyks
NUeT Bf INDICTED AND PRoskCCTKn
{ Gath" in Cincinnati Inquirer
The feeling against the scandal In the Post
ONCE department. Is stronger among merchants
and business republicans than anything have
known since the back pay excitement Speak
ing TO a prominent republican. who has bsen a
LIBERAL contributor In elections In Ne. York
ty, both OF congressman and President on
Saturday. he said:
Il don't think I ever read OF any question that
made me more Indignant To think OF the As
sistsnt Postmaster General raising the pay on
stage line from 5000 TO s2oo coo, and making
the delivery OF every letter on the route cost
from $500 TO S0oi No man could have done &c
unless he was iroB-clad I'm hts fmpudence or
unless be supposed be could implicate enough
men OF quality TO help him out OF his scrape;
and dare say that the latter was tie case In
TACT from my knowledge or some az the men
VINO are OMEN In New York, suppose that this
loo has been one OF the regular pickings OF
Congress men for years. one fellow GOT Ia nd
cut that he could divide WITH the mall coptrac.
tor, and LEFT his secret TO his SUCCESSOR, aud so
IL has grown 10 such an impudent ey1l that the
executive officer in charge simply said TO MIN
self: Il viii be Justified 10 get very rich II am
put at the head OF this joooery'
Now, the worst thing about stealing OF this
KIND" said the merchant, us the enormous
cost Of &c. We have got 10 expect politicians TO
steal something. When man has no other
cucintSs out pohlCS, anu ht GttS a Saihfy OF
s2,oo0 or 5000 year, and We see him giving
game suppers, living high. having q flne house
ard all the money he wants, We know that he
Is stealing IL from somebody, but every time a
politician steals 81 zoo 600 tt costs the publt.
$1,000 goo. because he has 10 let IN everybody
who knew anything about t. they found.
when Tweed was roobing New York. that ne
was poor man at last and couldn't paw
his greedy lawyers. We came 10 lad out that
the Old fellow had had TO carry thousands on
thousands OF people who knew the secret
NO rSlQ Nor lrIff Ia
conceivable kind OF harpy. The Enowlefgee
soon goes around, or the conviction IN 4 man
Is knocking down. as they call Il, or robbIng
the government and then one fell ow has 70 be
let in, ana second and a third: and there IS a
law 10 human nature TO the benefit OF the pub-
NC mat when ole man sees his nelghDoT, or
even MS partner or relative stealing he be-
comes Jealous OF him and itches 10 tell. IL is
Ike the story OF the Forty Thieves when the
woman lent her trying pan TO her brother-ln-
law next door, ana CREASED the bottom or It %
which god piece stuck On returning the pan.
and forthwith she says 10 her husband: .rhis
is your poor brother, is II, who Is using your
utensils 10 measure his money, ana who has
got so much OF it that he can't count ito The
brother gees In next door ard finds, sure
enough, that ALI Bahia has got into the ranch
CT some thieves and lac las TO be let In,
and consequently is found and KILLED for IT.
said 10 this Merchant: Are You apprehen-
Sly { that this chronic political corruption Will
some day give our people contempt for their
Il think 1t would do So" was the reply but
for our material prosperity, which is really q
cause OF political corruption aud or general
corruption. You see, our credit is better
than our government At this moment
there is more money being sent To America
1or investment than any amount Of losses we
may make by speculation or corruption OF
any sort. Trade In dry goods Is neither very
strong nor particularly weak; but manu-
factufes especially iron and AGRICULTURAL
works. are frstrate. The country Is setting
about doing everything. Immigrants are com
Ii & here With all kinds OF schemes Of business
Which Will be successful, bringing the money
TO carry them out Ii our government under
with an occasional exhibition or severity with
some such rasculs as these, We should get
along, notwithStan dlng our want OF faith ia
most or our politicians. In their case shall
feel very much disguised, and Il Will have bad
influence on the public spirit II the Attorney
General does not make an Investigation and
start number OF Indictments and then we
jury system at washington are worth any
Thing"
President Hayes knew nothing about the
question. Means had been taken, through
trusted frfends, to close his eyes TO all the ras-
califtee. The whole thing would have remained
q victorious raid on the Treasury but for the
coming In or another Administration ana the
pointed Postmaster General. II was expected
he would be handled by Mr.. Conkling, aud
made to let the old condition OF things 90 on.
But he was an expert post Office accountant,
not easily to be humbugged, and determined 10
begin his administration In the proper way
BE set bis experts 10 work, and they brought
out such showing as has astouished the coun-
try, and made every one OF those thieves who
wes sure he was now enriched for life tremble