National Republican., 1883-03-16
UNDER CROSS FIRE.
Conclusion Of the Direct and Commencement Of
the CrOss-ExaminatiOn Of Gen. Brady.
The Court Prevents Inquiry as to His
Method Of Making a Fortune.
Sometimes He Expedited Routes at the Request Of
Statesmen or Contractors,
And some Days He Was Not In an "In-
Q creasing Mood"

Gen. Brady resumed his testimony in the star
route trial. Referring to the testimony al
ready given in regard to the Redding-Alturas
route, the witness said he had no means of
knowing that the mail was being carried in
shorter time than the expedited schedule be-
fore the order for expedition was made. 1t
would have made no difference however, the
witness said, because the contractors could
not have been forced to carry it on the short
schedule without extra compensation.
With regard to the Mineral Park-Pioche
route, he said they had been very desrous of
running daily mail to connect with the
Southern Pacific. 1t would have been good
thing if the route had been properly worked,
but it was not, and witness cut ii down to a
weekly service. Representations were made
that great damage had been done to the con-
tractors, and upon renewed promises to render
good service, il was restored to q tri-weekly
service but the witness refused to restore the
daily service.
Touching the question of months extra
pay witness said IL was the universal rule to
allow that compensation to the contractor
when service was discontinued; the law also
required IL.
New offices were established by the first
assistant postmaster general usually after con-
sultation with the second assistant regarding
the cost of the service In some instances,
however, the order was made by the first as
sistant without consulting the second assistant,
who was, therefore, bound to put on the SER
vice.
Witness described the origin of the mail bill
system, and said he did not write to post
master ordering him to discontinue their use
nor did he believe that any such letter was
ever sent from the department. Never knew
the chief of the inspection division, Mr.. Lake,
TO omit to report to him any delinquency on
the part of the contractors. Lake had
microscopic vision in these matters; he was
the father of the present inspection system,
and had been accused of undue severity, the
contractors often seeking to have him re-
moved.
Mr. Wilson then renewed his question of
the day previous regarding collusion or COM
bination with the defendants to dcfraud the
government, which the witness denied in the
most positive terms.
This concluded the direct examination and
Mr.. Bliss began the cross-examination.
Before going into the department witness
had studied law been school teacher; gone
into the army in '61, remaining until 80;
then practiced law and published newspaper.
In 1870 he had been appointed consul to st.
Thomas w. L., at a salary Of $4,000, and re-
manned there until 1875. Was appointed
supervising inspector of internal revenue,
and then went into the POstOilice department.
Mr. Bliss asked how much salary witness
had received in his position of inspector of
internal revenue. Objection was made, and
Mr.. Bliss explained that he wanted to show
that witness had gone into the postal service
i'll only moderate circumstances.
The court refused to allow the inquiry. The
witness then told how the cases of increase
and expedition were made up during his ad-
ministration. A statement of the revenue
was not always shown By the jackets. If the
request appeared reasonable, he signed his
name to the order.
DO you mean to say that you did not con-
slider the revenue" inquired Mr.. Bliss
The witnesses said that it depended altogether
upon circumstances. When they were build
ing up the service in the south, and restoring
broken down service after the war, small at
tention was paid to revenue. 1t was not con-
sidered in every case. In 1877 the appropria-
Sions were divided up between the railway,
star, and steamboat service. This was only
achieved after persistent efforts, and was re-
garded as u victory for the star and steamboat
service over the railways.
Mr. Bliss referred to the witness's state
ment that he had not always an available
appropriation to carry out his plans. Witness
said that was the ease in the fiscal years
1S70-S0. Mr. Bliss asked why the witness
had not increased the service from Kearncy
TO Kent to six trips, instead Of eXpediting at
greater cost?
Witness referred to the official papers, and
said that the petitions requested expedition
as well as increase; it was frequently the
case that the people were more anxious to
have Il fast than II frequent mail. He did not
now remember the case in question, and did
not know whether he had considered the saw
ing that would have been effected by increas-
ing instead of eXpediting the route.
When asked If he had considered the reve-
nues, witness replied that that was poor
criterion of the value of the service; it only
showed the sale of stamps, and not the amount
of mail passing over the route. Senator
Saunders and Representative Valentine
wanted the service badly, and that was a
reason for granting it. Could not tell what
weight had been attached to the petitions,
Mr. Bliss inquired why expedition or in
crease has not been allowed in every case.
Witness answered that possibly the senators
Gr representatives were not sufficiently in
earnest. Then, again, they had not the means
to grant all of the requests
"You distributed the plums," said Mr..
Bliss.
Witness further explained that on, some
days he was more literally inclined than on
others, when he was not in an increasing"
mood.
hi. Bliss. That was the imperative mood, was
The Witness was imperative in many things
Senator Teller and others had asked for in
crease and expedition on the White River
Rawlin's route. They asked expedition be-
cause II fast tri-weekly service was much bet
ter than slow service, seven times u week
scope" said the witness.
Mr.. Bliss reminded him that Senator Teller
had not asked for expedition to forty-five
hours.
The witness presumed that when Il route
was expedited the object was to get faster
time. 1T looks little, in that case, as if |
had done as pleased about it," said the wit
ness.
YES" asserted Mr.. Bliss
Just as had right to do under the law,
without reference to senators or petitions"
continued the witness.
Mr.. Bliss produced a letter in this cOnnec-
tiOn asking flye-day schedule, and inquired
why a forty-fye-hOur schedule had been
allowed
Witness answered that he had nd means of
knowing whether the days spoken of meant
twelve or twenty-four hours. Attention was
not always paid to the recommendations of
postmasters, because they often had personal
motive.
The inquiry into the schedule upon this
route was pushed to some length
Witness said he did not know that the eX-
pedted schedule would result in bringing the
mail TO Rawlins two hours too late to connect
with the other mails; did not believe that
such was the case, or, If il was it had been "a
mistake of the corresponding clerk, whose
duty it was 10 look after such things with
particularity. The schedule was only fixed
by the second assistant pro forma.
The peculiarities of the ST. Charles Green
horn route were next inquired into, the
Testimony hainn tacbnfooI ID, 81. |