National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-06-20
Thomas j, Brady.


of about seven weeks, General Garfeld's
administration seemed to have good
opinion Of General Brady. This was
natural enough when it is considered
that General Garfield was mem
Der of the House of Representatives
which investigated all the charges
made concerning the star-route SER
vice and found nothing in them.
General Garfield was most friendly
to the Post-Office Department all
through that prolonged investiga-
ton. The House was then Dem
ocratic, and its committees were of
course Democratic. A large appropri-
alton for star-route service deficiency
being recommended by General Brady to
his chief, the Democratic leaders were in
formed by Gibson-then, as now, a ma
lignant Democratic partisan, but then, as
not now, the correspondent of the New
York Sun, and now, as not then, the chief
of the Bureau of Defamation in the Post
Office Department-that they could
greatly damage the administration of Mr..
Hayes if they would show up the extrav-
agance in star-route matters. Gibson had
full swing, and succeeded in having the
official records of the Department
brought in as testimony and printed
in a report. No improper con-
duct was shown, and, the investiga-
ton having failed to elicit anything but
a large book compiled from General
Brady's own official records, the appro-
priation was made The assaults against
Brady were vigorously repelled by the
present Secretaries of State and of the In
terror, then in the Senate and by score
of the best men in the House of Repre-
sentatives. General Garfield himself was
expected to make a speech in favor of
the appropriation and in vindication of
the Post-Ofice Department, and was only
prevented from SO doing by being
suddenly called away from the city.
He knew as President in March what he
had known last year as member of Con-
gress, to wit: that all the charges against
General Brady were based upon the
fact that he had, in the lawful exercise of
the discretion given him by statute, made
a very great increase in postal facilities,
by corresponding expendi-
lures. The only criticism to which he
could fairly be subjected upon the evil
dence was that he had in the early half
of the year exhausted the appropriation
made for additional service on star
routes for the whole year. This was
of by many, who said that he
should have only made such increase as
could be sustained through the year by
the existing appropriation, instead of
making twice as great an increase and
relying on Congress for the appropriation
to meet it. 1t was daring movement,
and had not Congress sustained him he
would have been greatly censured. AS it
was, the Senate, in making the appro-
priation, added to it proviso that
it should not be deemed as indors-
ing the legality or the illegally of the
action of the Post-Office Department
in the premises. No one questioned
the honesty of General Brady outside of
Gibson, of the Sun, and the few CORE
spondents who could not understand
how any man could be innocent of any
crime of which anybody might choose to
accuse him.
When General Garfield came into power
a Democratic Congress had again ex-
pressed its confidence in General Brady
and the Post-Office Department by the
desired appropriation for the star-route
service.
The friends of General Brady were in
formed by the President up to the after
noon before his resignation was de-
that nothing had been deter
mined on as to his place, but that it was
all to be as the Postmaster General
should determine When his resignation
was demanded Mr.. James assured him it
was the Presidents order alone which
moved him: He had to obey orders.
the President showed friend
Mr.. James's own letter asking the Presi-
dent to call for the resignation.