Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-11

strongly OF the OHlcia!s WHcss scrupleS are
the least troublesome, and who, are hand
in-glove with every tbieving gang that
comes to the surface.
What kind of President General Brady
would make may however be better
judged from review of some Of the facts
in the present situation than from the
ignoble idolatry of Mr.. editor Gorham.
1t must be remembered that there is
nothing now in the star route frauds.
They were discovered and investigated and
condemned by a Congressional Committee
as far back as 1876, and it is one of the
mysteries of the case that though Con-
gress then knew all about them it did not
take any steps to bring them to an end or
to punish the thieves. The so-ealled
straw bid system which was then ex-
posed, was part of the star route arrange
ments, and the House Committee at the
time said of the machinery for these
swindles: "In operating this vicious
"system for the purpose of plumber and
corruption, there appears from the tes-
4" timony to have been combination be-
tween three rings-frst, ring
"of contractors second, ring of
Officials, embracing clerks in the
Contract Office, and sometimes ring
"of intermediary brokers or agents, by
which the two former combinations were
brought in contact and were enabled to
EFFECT and perfect their schemes against
8" the public treasury. That many clerks
Sin the department were in the pay of
"these contractors was fully developed in
=" the trial of Kinds, and the circum-
stances surrounding that case force US to
believe that this corrupt combination be-
tween these clerks and contractors per-
"vaded all those usually denominated ring
contracts to such an extent that the con-
tractor was enabled, from the informant ton
"gained from the clerks who had official
"aecess to the records, to know positively
"who were the lowest bidders, making it
an easy matter for him always to have
the lowest bid on any contract he desired
"tO manipulate.
The committee proceed to detail the
principle features in the star-route swim
die, the methods followed being these
First, service was improvidently and
"inconsiderately granted where no public
"demand or public convenience occurred.
Second, exorbitant prices were allowed
"for services when needed and work when
"done. Third. services when not rem
dered according to the contract, either in
Esprit or in measure, were nevertheless
"paid for" When derelictions were
brought to the attention OF the officials
they were taken no notice Of. Delin-
euents were not punished. Violations OF
contract were winked at ; so that, as the
report says, the Government lost an
"nually, in violation of law aad through
" corrupt practices, millions OF public
"mOney, and the guilty parties in Office and
''out of office have generally gone free
"both OF prosecution and punishment.
II is this kind of thing that General
Brady is now accused of having done, and
it is because he has shown himself Ca
pable of doing this kind of thing that
editor Gorham, in the aforementioned
burst of admiration, exclaims "What a
President he would make !" He Ger
tainly would make very remarkable kind
of President. Perhaps not altogether a
novel kind, for unfortunately the country
has had experience of Presidents who man
ifested q strange perverse affinity for men
of the Brady and Dorsey stripe, and who
were somehow supposed to be pure them
selves, though nearly all their affiliations
were corrupt. But it is not possible that
General Brady could occupy any such
phenomenal position. If he were Presi-
dent there would be 10 room for doubt as
to where he stood. His public career las
already put that beyond controversy.
He would enter the White House as
the representative of all the elements
which editor Gorham loves to honor /:
all the star route thieves, all the whisky
ring thieves, all the land thieves, all the
"moral agriculturists whose lives are de-
voted to the conversion OF public into pri-
vate funds. And what royal time these
folks would have under Brady admins.
tration. There would be very little left
for the unfortunates who came after them.
They would have cleaned out the Treasury
in thorough and workmanlike manner.
Eiitor Gorham would no doubt be in his
glory acting as the trumpeter OF these his
friends, and admiring their "stalwart :"
contempt for common honesty. 1t would
be sort of Rogues' Millennium, in fact.
But we venture to express belief that the
American people are not yet quite ready
for such an experiment, and that General
Brady is probably a long way from the
White House.