New-York tribune., 1886-01-07
BROKERAGE BUSINESS IN OFFICES.

/
| HOW THE MAINE PoST-oFFICEs WE'RE PARcELLEp
orT-A DEBATE OVER THE BROWN CASE.
WASHINGTON Jan. 6 (SpecidD.-The reply Of the
Postmaster General to the resolution OF the Senate
calling for information in regard to the appointment Oh
postmasters IN Maine gave Senator Hale an oppor-
tnity to-day to expose the methods by which D. D.
Brown the chairt'an OF the Democratic State Com
mttee had managed to carry lucrative brokerage
business in Offices is the man whose success IN
obtaining Offices for his friends aroused the suspicion
last summer of number of Democrats less fortunate
than he. Inv estigaton showed that he was III the
habit of indorsng almost every application for office
filed IN the Post-Ofice and other departments When
a commission as issued he would write to the lucky
candidate telling him of his appointment and remind
ing HIM OF the fact that the appointment was procured
through his BIown's) influence. hint to the new
official that a small of money for the purpose OF
deraying the expenses of the chairman in procuring
the appointment would not be considered ont OF
place generally ended the letter. specimen OF Mr.
Browns correspondence in this line was printed not
long ago IN The TRIBUNE. 1t furnished Mr. Hale
with a text for his resolutions
Brown has had rather checkercd political career.
BY turns he has been Republican, Prohibitlonisl'
Cireenbacker and Democrat. His influence with the
Democrats from his INSCRIPTIONS management oi
local campaigns, in which he excelled. In wider
field they thought he would prove useful to them soin
January l $50 they made him chairman Of their State
COMMITTEE What first directed attention TO his
doings was the discovery by his neghbors that short
time only after the Democratic Administration came
into power he had been able TO take up big mortgage
upon bis house and to buy horse and buggy. This
and other things led TO investigation by envious
rivals who soon were able put the Maine Senators
possession of the damaging facts which MIR. Hale
placed before the Senate to-day. Mr. Hales speech
in ..iefla R fltf
state OF things they existed III his STATE lhere
were few large Offices IN the State, be seld lbtTe
only thiItyseven Pres sdeniial oibces, ana fe"
hundred fourth-class Ones. What the people we're
chiefly concerned IN 10 have clean and decent men
appointed TO these Offices. The Republicans. had
expected TO OIt-the cldmOr OF the Democrats Tor
The Offices had prepared their political opponents for
this; but they not pre- pared TO wake up one
mering and find persons appointed whom nobody
wanted and nobody had recommended. lie had re-
ceiycd several letters saying that the people had
sent the Postmaster-G General a petition signed by
eighty four persons PRAYING Tor the appolhtnent OF
person who not appointed. Inquiry had disclosed
the fact the successful candidate had secured his
office upon the Recommendation of ). ). Brown. Fur
ther investigation showed that out o 100 oil the more
important pOsmasters III the state Brown had recon-
menGed eighty seven. The Postmaster General III his
answer had neglected to state whether thC wishes of
the people had been consulted in :hese appointments
Everything, the contrary, showed that 1T was the
dongs of one man. No explanation had been wen OF
the infamous system under which Brown ad been
permitted to distribute the patronage OF the depart
ment. The Republican party had not always been
perfect but in twenty-f0ur years Mr. Hale had never
heard that public offices had become matters OF public
sale as they had become III this case.
Mr. Vest found nothing say i'll reply to this except
that in Missouri the Federal patronage under Repub-
licau administration had been distributed by rel
eGees" to whom the names Of candidates were sub
mite before the appointments were made. He failed
altogether however to show that ohces had ever been
II adt the subject of barter sale. a. in Mr. Browns
case lie admitted upon being pressed, that hc had
never been able lay hIs finger a nge letter
dccnment showing that money had been used i secur
ing an Office lie contented himself by saying that he
could convince tIe moral of any man that !
money had been used
The discussion gave Mr. voorhees, an opportunity to
make a little political capital. He said that he
always willing 10 help his party friends TO Office
whenever he could 1t seemed TO him that it had been
shown that not many changes had been made ia the
OF Maine the people, by their votes last
fall had intended should be made by this Admnistra-
ton At one time it seemed il Mr. Voorhees,
about TO launch into arraignment of the President
for turning the offices promptly to the
Democrats but he restrained himself After some
further talk by Messrs Hoar Logan and Vest in which
the showed that the passage of The Civil Service
Act was due TO the Republican party the Postmaster
Generals reply 10 Mr. Halcs resolution referred
TO the Committee on Civil Service.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The following Is an
abstract OF reports made TO the Controller OF the Cur
rency showing tie condition OF the fOrtyye National
Banks in the City of NewYork at the close OF business
on Thursday, December q, 1885:
Resources.
Loans and discounts. S2l641557S