The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-05-09
THE STAR ROUTES.
TaE VERY SUGGESTIVE. / HBFoRH
Orths Prauds PraclIesd Under the GuIas
OrBeneltIInE the PnblIo-HxtenSive
Prosecutions 10 be Commenced
Against the COnspIrAloFs,

in great measure, devoted 10 0 history o
the various routes and the means used Il
have the pay for transporting the mail
over them increased. The beginning o
the story Ia suggestive, and 10 as follows
WASHINGTON May S.-The time will
come when the rings which have pluudsr
ed the Treasury Of the United States BY
means Of contracts for carrying the mails
will take their place In history and in the
estimation OF the American people by the
side Of the most infamous organizations oil
their kind. That time Ia near at hand. The
Tweed ring OF New York and the Canal
ring OF New York State, have passed be.
yond period Of denial, explanation and
attempted defense, and their dishonesty
and corruption are facts % firmly estab.
lished in history Rs the events OF the war
Of the Revolution. The "Star service"
rings are still in existence, but their con.
dition resembles that oil snake that has
lest lie head and 10 seeking TO replace 1t,
The head Is gone but there is tremendous
energy and power In the body. New.
ertheless, without head, these
organizations must die. II Ia o
great struggle In which these rings are
engaged. Their influence extends In al.
most every direction; the agents are nu.
merous In both great political parties;
their operations have been interviewer
with great political undertakings; their
acts can be unders, s,ood only by those who
have sought for evidence Of their Corrup.
ton and seen the efforts which they have
put forth 10 their own defense. There
are intelligent persons who predict that
they will win this, their greatest battle,
as they have won battles before. The
people will make the iulfllment Of this
prediction impossible % soon az they
plainly understand the manner In
which they have been ROBBED. To
tho people facts must be shown,
tor with them lies the enduring RENE.
dY through their representatives In
Congress, In the past the people and
their representatives have innoCently been
a bulwark for the protection oil these
rings. Any attempt 10 lay bare this ac.
Cumulation OF wiCkedneas has been de.
nounOed 40 an attack upon the energetic
pioneers Of our growing West and South.
west, and the influence Of these people has
frequently been sufficient to turn the scale
In favor Of the persons who were robbing
them under the pretence OF a brand new
policy for thorough dissemination OF In
telligence.
In the last report Of Postmaster. G eneral
Maynard then holding that office, there
was the following assertion: "The gen.
eral public cares only to know that its cor.
respondenCe 10 conveyed to It's destination
with certainty, celebrity and security, and
IT pays very little attention to the methods
by which these ends are attained" This
is true, and In this truth may be seen the
safety Of rings. When the people deter.
mine to pay some attehtlon 10 these meth.
oda then the reign Of Star service rugs
will be at an end. The Times article
goes on to say that the evidence
which has been rapidly accommodating
since Mr.. James and Mr.. VAcVeagh
Joined hands for the prosecution and pun.
lshment oi the guilty persons, will be the
basis, 1t is expected, for large number Of
important suits. These suits will be car.
ried on by tho Governments prosecuting
officers In many States and Territories,
The authorities who now have thls eyl.
denCe cannot, OF course, give II 10 the
presS. Some Of the inside history OF The
Fancy" routesiS, however, notorious, and
reference will be made To II In connection
with some oil the routes which will be de.
scribed. The main purpose Of these his.
tories 10 To net before the people methods
by which so much money has been given
away and thrown away, as shown BY the
official records themselves. Washington
was the place where the official work was
done, but the inside planR were laid 10
New York, where house was hired and
set apart Tor consultation and revelry.
On the 7th inst. awards for carrying
mails In various parts OF the country,
under advertisement Of March 10,
we're finally decided upon Of the PostotFiCe
Department. This letting Of the contracts
s not what 10 known as the regular letting,
but consists Of the soivics on luch routes
as from various causes cannot be adyer.
tised and let at the usual time aud man.
nor. IN opening proposals for these
contracts o material departure was made
from the usual custom 10 such caseE,
The law requires that all proposals for car.
rying mails shall, before being turned
over to the contract office, be "opened
and marked" Heretofore with one ex.
Ceptlon, occurring several years age, J th o
custom has been merely 10 open bids and
stamp them, q work which some Of The
officials at the departme Mt say is practical.
y OF no vslue, and evidently pot what the
law contemplated since, as no rec.
ord OF tho bids was made, others
could be added after opening, or
bids In blank could be alled Ii 90 as to
secure the CONTRACT, or le withdrawn so
as 10 give some favored bidder the con.
tract, or could be changed for Oome pur.
pose. Some years ago quite o scandal was
created In the department by some Of
these very dolnga and several of the EN-.
ployes ol theOontraCt office were dismissed
10 consequence, but still, with the exCen.
ton before alluded 10, no change ia the
manner OF opening bids was made.
When the present opening was made
Postmaster General James authorized the
change 10 be made, which was as follows,
After the bids were opened they were
stamped with the date Of opening and
with on engraved device, Of which
there 10 hut one In existence.
They were then numbered consecutively
afrBnged by routes and O list made oi
them, giving the number OF bids, name oil
the bidder, and The number OF the route
on which the service is 10 be made, The
amount Of the bid and any defect In The
foSnality OF iffegulaflty that was
discovered after this bid were turn.
ed over 10 the contract office and q list
furnished the Postmaster General with
the engraved device mentioned Before
these bids we're turned over 10 the con
tract Office they we're always under the
committee appointed 10 examine and
marx them OF In the vault, The keys o.
which were In the exclusive possesatOA OIL
onel Of the commitlee. II will be seer
that under this plan there was no oppot
tunity whateVsF ior tamperlng with tht
t.g4a = -. a T.