Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-05-04

FIpIl VHI IpENTN NV''''I''""'"'
WASHINGTON LETTER,


eeutiye sessions Ofthe senete, to eohhf'n
some OF the important nominations, that
evidence Of break las gathered Will'lh
the last few days, II u plain that u ma
iority OF the Republican Senators desire
give way, They are tired OF the contest
and we'll satisfied than Il Is not doing them
any good bepre The country, but tile ques'
lion Is how TO change front without Yield
iug 10 the Democrats, over this problem
they have lately been eaueuslng twice q
day, and finally q committee OF seven was
appointed 10 devise q way out OF The
dilemma. lit IL finally decided TO pre-
nit executive sessions for confirming the
more urgent nominations over when
there Is no special contest, there VIII DO
great difficulty in continuing the Malone
Rlddelberger struggle The bottom would
fall out Of il ia hurry aud the hot wealth
or, such ~ they have had last week i"r
instance, would soon cause ~ a'Uoufh'
ment. Senator Conkllng, who opposes
going into executive session, plays II pref
~ sharp Oh the Administration Senators
by pretendIn 4 10 be ready TO take up tie
Robertson light mud warning them That
they must take tbs responsibility OF MS
defeat. This rather disconnected the IRE
sldent's friends Nho were working nor
al
executive session. Conkling inlima'eu
that he had counted noses aud Knew
where he stood, Dut out OF al THIS o''s'
Ion IN the camp will finally come " sinai
Democratic victory, It viii 10 4 new
sensation to witness Republican back
down, but II IL coming, Our side mas
here ia Congress, generally done Tue
baclIng.down, though the Democratic
position has often been aS strong asst I"
In this contest. Perhaps we fight better
when we are In the minority
The "star route scandlc IL sii'l the
sensation here, and from oil that can DO
learned concerning future developments
IL PROMISES to be second only the whisky
ring exposures OF eight years ago. Brady
and the contractors so fur implicated, only
meet the accusations against them with
hold general dcnlals. The whlskey ring
scamps did the samei so also did Twee'
IN his time. But there Is ample evidence
that what has been charged Is not a'l
ml.ehood and Islander, One laugable iea-
,urc Of Brady's dcfcncois Ills attcmp'
TO make Samuel J. Tilden responsible Tor
his downfall. II has been admitted that
Mr.. Tilden stole Charley Ross, and that
very likely, he wrote the Morey letter. all
of which was pretty bad, but here Is still
another crime for him to cxpiate. Brady's
Washington newspaper, edited by Geo.
G. Malone. Gorham, says that the cx'as'
sistaut Postmaster-G General was instrn'
mental In causing the publication of GER
tain cipher dispatches and that this "star
rout" scandal has been invented by Tilden
for revenge. In the language OF the
street this Is "rather gauzy,"
The method by which so much plumber
-, hoo. 5000 - - 49,. ---.---' "."'' !
Is difficult to prove though 1t may be
very apparent. 1t consists In raising the
compensations after contracts are let
upon the ground Of increased or "cxpe'
dted" service. For instance, A and Il
are competitors for q contract worth
about $4,000, over n route requiring
three trips week. A Is an honest bid
der and files his estimate In good faith
Bis lobbcr, and by an understanding
with the authorities In charge Of the
letting, makes his bid below the actual
cost of performing the service. He gets
the job and straightway sets about getting
signatures along the route petitoning fol
daily trips and "expedltcd" service, In
accordance with this petition, his com.
pcnsation is increased to $4,000 or per-
haps 100000. This sort Of thing being
done on about 90 routes, makes good
thing for not only the contractors but for
their confederates in the Department
with whom they are suppose to divide.
most of these cases the increase In
compensation is nearly all profit, as the
extra expense is but slight. Yet 1t
Is all done within the letter Of the law
and the records of the contract Office are
in perfect order.
Old Simon Cameron has been here try.
Ing to secure tharmony" between Senator
Conking and the President. The basis
upon which he proposed it, however, was
the withdrawal of the nominations OF
Robertson for Collector Of the port OF
New York, which would amount to a
complete surrender on the part Of the
President, his argument being that the
appointment was regarded by Mr. Conk'
liDg's friends as an act Of direct hostility
to the stalwart element in New York.
But the mission was total failure. Gen.
Garfield said that others had already
presented the case to him from that
standpoint, but that he could not enter
tain the proposition. 1t would seem that
he means fight, and it may be, if it comes
to open hostility, that Gen. Garfield will
not reproach himself in the end as Hayes
has done. The latter now acknowledges
his mistake in being half-hearted about it.
lie has said since he left office that he re-
grets he did not remove every Conkling
man from Office everywhere, high or low.
PHONO.
There is something like a panic
among the leaders Of the Republican
party, caused by the exposure of one
ofthe great frauds by which the peO-