Morning journal and courier., 1881-04-27
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. THB STAR ROUTES. A Public Statement From
 General Brady. DENIAL OF OFFICIAL DISHONESTY. Congress Held Responsible for
 all Increases. Nothing Done Without Its Sanction. A Vindication of the Postal Au-
 thOrities.
 NEW YORk.
NEW FORA.

C0nGFacGS-@A from General Brady.
 NEW YORK; April 26.-General Brady, late Second Assistant Postmaster General, in an swer to the so-called s.Star service scandal, :" says: Up to this time have satisfied my self with general denial of the charges made by a class of newspaper correspondents who either do not care to know the facts, or knowing them deliberately misrepresent them. In saying this do not overlook the fact that many newspapers misled by the statements of these malicious correspondents have been honestly led to censure me and the Postoffice department in severe terms. The case against the Star routes broadly stated amounts to this, that upon certain ninety three of them there have been extra ordinary increases ordered. This number, as small as may be in comparison with the whole number, includes all the great national routes. few newspaper correspondents who strike the keynote for many others can- not conceive how this increase has been brought about except by collusion and fraud. These charges have been made before, were 1879 and 1880, and when Congress was in session witnesses were subpmnaed in large numbers in consequence thereof and an in- vestigation had by the House Appropriation committee, which must be conceded to have been thorough, as it surely was far reaching. Yet it is notorious that while the committee unanimously recommended large increase over the appropriation for the previous year, Congress granted nearly the full amount es- timated for by the department and thereby not only justified the increase on these ninety three routes, but continued them perma- nently on that basis. It is 8 fact that Congress at it's last session appropriated not only sufficient amount to conduct the ser vice as this increase, but gave $500, 900 for further increases during the next fiscal year, ana 1t is 8 more notorious fact that during the past four years the entire postal service has grown with wonderful growth. This is not confined to the Star service alone, but covers and includes the railway, steamboat and mail messenger service. In all of these there has been in many cases phenomenal growth. The country, as a whole, today en- joys better mail facilities by one half than it did four years ago. What the department i'd in such an augmentation of postal facilities could not be done for noth- ing, and Congress, which could have terminated it by simply failing to approve of it after thoroughly examining into all charges that are brought forward to day as late dis coveries, said that it was good, that it was necessary and wise. What the department did in all these respects it did in obedience to the demands of the country as expressed through it's representatives Nothing was done on my own volition. Nothing was done darkly or in corner, and yet 1 am respon- sible for all that was done while at the head of the contract bureau and am proud of the fact that was in position to respond to the wants of the country in it's recent and still continuing wonderful era of prosperity. No man who comes after, whatever his preten- sions may be, dares to set his face against the liberal policy inaugurated by Judge Key. It was and is the true policy and is endorsed by the people, and any attempt to change it will bring discomfture and contempt upon those who hazard the experiment. All this talk about rights and corruption comes from disgraced contractors and wou1d-be black mailers Incessant overtures were made by these press brigands to contractors who were supposed by them to be in the enjoy ment of tat contracts and large profits to properly mould public sentiment, and those propositions rejected in many instances were followed by threats that if they were denied participation therein 8 contrary sentiment would be created I have in all cases where they came to my knowledge set my face as 6 flint against such propositions, and would have been energetic in wlping out any item of the Star mail service that rested upon so base a foundation for popular support. Nothing was done, as have said above, that was not done at the request of members of Congress who were supposed to know the needs and requirements of their constituents, and nothing was persisted in that failed to receive the approval of 8 majority of both for while the public mind may be confounded by the clamor of the persons alluded to, these may even succeed in bringing national names into contumely and disgrace, but only for time.
 It is not probable that in the disbursement
 
 the support of service so widely distributed and so difficult of thorough investigation as the Star mail service of th1s country that no mistakes would be made, no money wasted even under the wisest administration, but that there has been a single case of corrupt collision between contractors and the depart ment most emphatically deny and challenge the whole body of defamers to prove to the contrary (signed) THOMAS J. BRADY.
 April 26th, 1881.