Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1881 — THE STAR ROUTE FRAUDS. [ARTICLE]

THE STAR ROUTE FRAUDS.

How Senator Beck in the Senate More Than a Year ago Exposed Brady’s Methods—And How His Colleagues in the Senate, Now James’ Colleagues in the Cabinet, Have Changed Their Views. [Washington Telegram to the New York World.] Ex-Senator Dorsey and Gen. Brady protest against all allegations as to their complicity with the “ Star route frauds” in so vehement a fashion that it would seem as if these frauds were of fresh development ; whereas the recent action of Postmaster General James and President Garfield in pushing Brad/ and his confederates to the wall ought to have been taken by both Postmasters General Key and Maynard and by President Hayes last spring when those frauds were fully exposed by Senator Beck in the Senate. Page 1,214 of the Record for Mareh 1, 1880, shows that Senator Beck opened what proved to be a severe campaign against the star routes by procuring the passage of a resolution asking Secretary Sherman to state the payments made for those routes during the two years before, the times of payments and what amount was needed to meet the existing star-route liabilities according to any existing increase of rates. Having obtained this information, Senator Beck a fortnight afterward, when the Postoffice Deficiency bill came up for discussion, followed Senator Wallace’s explanations of its purport with an analysis and exposure of the star-route swindles, which no one undertook to answer except by generalities. The pending amendment when Senator Beck addressed the Senate was for appropriating $1,000,000 toward the deficiencies in payments on star-route account, the $6,000,000 originally voted having been exhausted. It was explained that the phrase “Star routes”—originating from the star mark placed against them in blue books comprehended all mail service not done by steam, and that it included a service of 215,000 miles, against 21,000 miles by steamboat and 79,000 miles by railway. Senator Wallace had called the attention of the Senate to certain inconsistent requests of the Postmaster General and his subordinates as to the star-route deficiencies and had remarked that “ either they did not know their own needs, or they had some purpose to serve.” Senator Beck forthwith proceeded to demonstrate the nature of the purposes that had been served. He caused to be read the letter from Gen. Brady to the Committee on Appropriations, datjd in the autumn of 1879, in which that official asked a turning over to the credit of the star route the Hinn of $2,000,000 which remained unexpended to the credit of the other routes; and Senator Beck showed that Brady was attempting a nullification of law, because the Democrats succeeded to the control of Congress before all unexpended balances were systematically turned over from one to another account at the will of Cabinet officers until a law forbid such methods. Senator Beck next invited attention to the fact that the statutes required from the Postoffice Department a blue-book every September, which was to contain all possible details as to contracts, contractors, service, and increases of speed or money, yet that the book, although partially published at that time, was silent as to details of star routes, and that six months had passed without additions as to these details having been made to the blue-book. Senator Beck then read an answer from Gen. Brady to a committee request for explanation of these delays, in which the Second Assistant Postmaster General had said: “I should be compelled to investigate before lean answer. ” In connection with this the Senator read a statement from Mr. Cranstoun Lawrie, of the Statistical Bureau, in which he stated he had every week regularly furnished to Gen. Brady in person all the facts which were kept out of the bluebook, which Gen. Brady wished to “investigate.” Senator Beck next indicated how all this led to investigation and to a refusal of the committee to permit any transfer of the $2,000,000 —which in consequence of the investigation had dwindled to a demand for $1,000,000 of deficiency. Senator Beck then denounced the consequent process of coercion that the Postoffice Department at once began. He read a letter from Postmaster General Key, by which he informed Congress that because of its refusal of Brady’s request he must reduce all the star-route service to one trip per week and must cease all extensions of postal service. Mr. Key was immediately summoned before the committee to answer by what authority he had already expended the whole of the $6,000,000 appropriated for star routes ; or by what authority he proposed to cripple the postal service by reducing it on at least 10.000 routes, but he escaped answering by immediately withdrawing his proposition fdr the reduction. These postal officers, Senator Beck pointedly said, “ did not exceed the appropriation by accident; they did it by design. Thus we are coerced. Road agents order us to stand and deliver—to furnish them with money, or the mails shall be stopped.” This brought Senator Beck to a sharp analysis of three star routes in order to show how the plundering was done. The route from Fort Worth to Fort Yuma was let for a contract price of $134,000, but $165,000 was soon added because a mile—one whole mile—per hour had been added to the contract speed, yet without one additional mail being carried or one additional office established along the route—and all without competitive bids. When another route from Prescott to Santa Fe. benefiting only fourteen postoffices, was let for $13,000 the first contractor threw up his service, and Gen. Brady, at an increase of $78,700, payment for supposed “expedition.” put it into the hands of a man named Walsh upon Walsh’s own unsupported statement that such increase was absolutely essential. When summoned before the committee for an explanation of this extraordinary conduct Gen. Brady was forced to admit that he had himself theretofore, upon his own sworn testimony, procured in New Orleans while a revenue officer the indictment of this very Walsh for defrauding the Government. Indeed, upon the indictment in the Department of Justice, Senator Beck found Brady’s name indorsed as the principal witness against Walsh. Gen. Brady having absolutely no explanation to offer for presenting $78,700 to a man whom he had under oath pronounced dishonest, Walsh himself was summoned, who brazenly said, “If I had been longer in mail service I would have made the extra claim $200,000, and you would now have been investigating me at that figure. ” The third route to which Senator Beck paid attention extended from Vinita to Las Vegas—a service done on

a buckboard, and the mails of which filled only three sacks, yet for which service Gen. Brady had of his own will increased the compensation from $6,330 t 05144,260. “Here are three star routes,” repeated Senator Beck, “ increased $430,000 when there is only an increase of $300,000 on 10,000 of the other routes throughout the United States.” Senator Beck passed by Brady because, as he said, Brady was a subordinate and he must fasten the complicity in the transactions upon Judge Key, in regard to whom he showed by testimony from Judge Key himself that with a full knowledge of a statute providing that no head of department could exceed the periodical quotas of appropriation for his department, Judge Key had suffered the star-route appropriations to become exhausted in half a year, so that at first $2,000,000 and at last $1,000,000 of deficiency had been impudently demanded. When, two months later, the regular Postoffice Appropriation bill for the approaching year came before the Senate, Senator Beck renewed this contest, and repeated all his previous statements and arguments, and on each occasion without success. The Record shows how Kirkwood —now Secretary of the Interior—defended the claims for deficiency and for the huge appropriations on starroute account, and even referred to Gen. Brady as “a faithful, honest and capable public servant.” Senator Blaine then added his voice and vote in championing the requests of Gen. Brady for deficiency moneys. A stringent restrictive amendment’offered by Senator Beck was lost by a vote of 28 to 32—there voting with him such representative men as Bayard, Eaton, Edmunds, Hamlin, Kernan, McDonald,. Morrill and Voorhees, and there voting with Blaine and Kirkwood and for Gen. Brady such allies as Allison, Cameron, Dawes, Hoar and Windom. Conkling had been present at the first debate, but had said nothing, and his name is absent from the roll on each occasion. Of the Senators who voted for the fraudulent deficiencies and appropriations after Senator Beck’s exposure Blaine, Kirkwood and Windom are colleagues of the successor of Key and Maynard, who has practically turned out Brady and Brady’s principal, Dorsey. It becomes an . interesting question why Garfield, Blaine, Kirkwood and Windom when in Congress did not upon Senator Beck’s exposures do what they now approve when it is done upon Mr. James’ motion.