The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-04-28
STEALING BY MILLIONS.
SOME OF FRAUDULENT HAYEs'S
PETS COMING TO
GRIEF.
The ScOundrel Who Got Away With the Vote Of
Florida and Was Allowed Free Steal
ing for Four Years.

Washington Special to Cincinnati Enquirerl
Tom Brady was forced to resign his Second As
slStant Postmaster Generals billet, because Of the
Star Route scandals. When James took hold sF
Postmaster General he made up his mind to get al
the bottom Of the Star Route business, and either
exonerate Brady or denounce him He organized
a committee Of investigation on the quiet which
had hardly made preliminary skirmish before
pay dirt was struck. The investigation commit
tee took up the investigation Just where the Sub
Committee Of Appropriations dropped 1t. Brady
knew nothing about 1t until his resignation was
enforced yesterday.
The Postmaster. General makes no bones In
stating that the Star Route service has not only
been extravaganly, but cOuuptly, managed.
Although his investigation is notye complete, he
has discovered enough to know that 1t was run in
the interest ofa ring. The bulk Of the heavy ap.
preparations made for this service seems to have
been expended on few routes, which were con.
trolled by favored contractors. It is developed
that many routes on which the service has been
"eEpedlated" as they call 1t, have no terminal
points, but run into deserts and waste places
1t is believed that the Mississippi steamboat
service from Memphis reeks with corruption, and
for this purpose the Postmaster General has sent
a commission to Memphis to make thorough
investigation. This steamboat service doea not
properly belong to the Star Route service, but the
easy going Key, when Postmaster. General or.
dered It's establishment because 1t was thought to
be beneficial to the merchants OF Tennessee, At
all events, this was the argument by which be
wac prevailed upon to establish II. At the Con.
gressional investigation 1t was shown by Brady's
own testimony that he deliberately violated the
law In involving the Government in pecuniary
liability largely In excess Of the specific amount
appropriated, thereby threatening deficiency OF
nearly 100000. It was also shown that this
threatened deficiency was mainly caused by the
increased compensation awarded favorite con.
tractors, one route having been increased within
sixty days after 1t was let from S1340 to S299 OOO
and 1t is now known that the expedition" or re-
duction OF schedule time for which the Sl65,0OO
increase was awarded, was never performed.
POBtmaster- General James has succeeded in OBJ
tanning evidence that will establish beyond ques.
ton the fraudulent and corrupt character Of the
Star Route management during the past four
years, and which will at the same time confirm
the suspicion that certain prominent officers had
not only guilty knowledge Of the methods prac.
ticed, but were benehciaTies Of the corruption
fund freely used to further them. 1t has been as.
certRined that OF the IS 100000 regularly appro.
priated for 9,225 Star Routes for the last fiscal
year, nearly s3000000 was awarded for service
on 93 routes controlled by favored contractors,
leaving less than S3 600 600 for the remaining 132
routes. II is believed that at least 600 was
distributed among the Star Route group during
the fiscal year, the Government, Of course, re.
ceiving no service whatever for the amount abb
straoted. ..
There ATE a score OF rumors aHoat as to future
developments. One is that Mr. Brady will be
prosecuted. It is reported that the Postmaster.
General IA confident he has already unearthed
enough Of Tascality to lead to his Indictment. II
is reported that Mr.. James has said that when the
full details are brought to light they will recall
the days OF the Tweed Ring. The Star Route was
iar.reGching. Itlncluded as benehciaries in the
spoils Ex.gongressmen, newspaper correspond.
ents, prominent lawyers about the lobby and ex
public officials II Ia believed that whenever the
ring wanted to make q raise the plan was to
expedite" serVice-that is, increase the amount
Of the contract but not to increase the service
The amount In money thus increased was treated
az swag aud divided.
The question crises how was 1t that Ex Post
master General Key allowed this powerful ring
to build up right under his nose and run along
during his entire ineumbency7 The answer OF
Keys irlends iB that he was no beneficiary Of the
swag. He was q good natured old SOUL who
knew nothing Of what was going on. All he did
was to draw his salary and attend the Cabinet
meetings, and tell the "boys" what was going on
at the Cabinet Tyner and Brady were the auto.
Gratis ofthe Department, and told Key what to do,
and he did 1t, having implicit faith In them.
When Key was put into the Hayes Cabinet as
Postmaster General, 1t was never intended he
should run the PostOf1ce Department. and as a
matter Of fact he never did, other than as a
hgure.head.
At the proper time the Postmaster. General will,
through the press, make public the result Of his
investigations. A postal official said to-day
"There ia much that would not be prudent to
disclose now. The papers are in the hands Of
other officials and 1t Will not be- long before
there are other Developments" General James is
satisfied, with the extravagance which he can lop
Off in the Star Route service, that in two fiscal
years he can make the POstOfiCe Dc partment alb.
solutely selfsustalning. 1t is reported that the
resignation Of several other officers, who are
Known to have had questionable relations with
the Star Route ring, will also be demanded, and
that several clerks in the contract office are
marked for dismissal
The enforced retirement Of Brady may have an
important bearing politically. Brady is part
and parcel of the Malone bargain. He was In
strumental in stducing Malone into the Repub.
lican camp, and the National Republican Of this
city, which Brady owns and GOrham edits, Is the
acknowledged organ OF the Virginia Senator II
Brady wants to carry the war into Africa, he may
work trouble for the so.Gslled constitutional
majority" In the Senate.