New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-06
ruE c0NrRACTORS, PLEA.

SlOulU the plea upbu WhANh NV
General Brady propose to justify the opera
tions of that gentleman In the matter OIL inc
Star contracts and excuse the acts Oh the
contractors themselves be established as Il
nreeedent. il will be liable to create something
of revolution in the conduct OF cnnllnai
trials. The defence is q justification OF the
contractors upon the ground that they were
solicited 70 commit the offences with which
they are charged by the present President Oh
the United States, and that part OF the money
obtained from the Government upon fraudu-
lent contracts was contributed toward the eX-
nenses of his election. The solicitation consists
in his having written letter in which he said
"Pleage say TO Brady that | hope he VIII eve
us all the assistance possible" The defence
contains one or two far-fetched differences
and assumptions; but these gentlemen
can draw an inference more easily, II
possible. than they can an order on
the Treasury, and at much less ex-
pense 10 the Government 1t IS not so dlihcnlt
TO draw an inference rs it IS a mail wagon.
Ii is not impossible that General Garfield may
have meant something else than money contn-
buttons when he expressed the hope in August
of last year that Brady would render his own
marty some assistance in the important election
then pending in his own State of Indiana.
Aud it is quite possible that, even If he re-
ferred 10 money contributions, he did not mean
10 suggest that they be raised by robbery, OF
assessments on dishonest contractors.
But Mr. Brady's supcrscrviceable friends
Jump to the conclusion that General Garfield
knew what kind of a man Brady was, what
kind of contractors he had under him to draw
on, and by what methods they were making
money. II is a somewhat violent assumption,
OF rather series of them. And it virtually
gives away the case by attempting to show
that the guilt Of the offenders Is shared by
persons in high place. The assumption is that
General Garfield must have meant money when
he spoke Of " assistance" and that he must
have known that the money had been or was
10 be procured by dishonest means. The hitch
in this theory il that the fraudulent nature OF
the Star route contracts and the collision Of
General Brady with the contractors were not so
notorious that General Garfield was necessarily
cognizant of the actual facts in the case. 1t
WAS not so impossible az these gentlemen as
s1Ime IL TO have been for q man in General
Garheld's position 70 believe that the contracts
were fair and honest, the contractors upright
business men, and Brady innocent of any col
fusion with them. Bmdy's friends assume too
much when they infer that General Garfield
was aware Of the character of the contractors,
the nature and circumstances of the contracts
and Badys official connection with them.
Another hitch in the defence is that the action
of President Garfield since the Star route con-
tracts were uncovered, so far from furnishing
r. Al. 1..F st,af h. bod n
vious knowledge OF them, is almost proof posi-
tive that he could not have known of them,
least Of all given them any countenance.
If, however, this line Of defence is to gain
currency, we submit that the solicitors of sub
scriptions Cor public objects, and even the
passers of contribution boxes in our churches,
will have TO exercise unusual care hereafter.
It will be necessary for them to know all
about the men from whom they solicit sub
scrptions or TO whom they pass the contrihu-
tion-box If, for instance the subscribers 10 the
proposed Tammany Hall monument 10 Jcfcr-
son are 10 come into court and justify pocket
picking aud burglary on the ground that they
have been solicited by the Hon. Augustus
Schcl 10 assist in the erection of this mont
ment, il will stand Mr.. Schel in hand 30 bo a
little careful whom ho invites to contribute
And the men who pass the contribution plata
in church will do well to require a certificate
Of character from each worshipper who drops a
nickel on it, lest the donor 20 out and
levy an involuntary assessment upon the first
citizen he meets for the amount disburscd in
charity II any fellow charged with stealing
may come into court and say, "This ere
deacon set me on to it by passin' contri-
"buton box to rue when he must have known
al couldn't get no money cept stealin' it,"
there will have to be an end put to promis-
cuous passing Of contribution boxes. We do
not apprehend, however, that it will come TO
this. The contractors plea will not be ac-
cepted They were not 50 well known as they
think they were.