Editing Star routes (section)

==Star Route Frauds==
{{main|Star route scandal}}
The Star Route Frauds scandal involved a lucrative 19th century scheme whereby postal officials received bribes in exchange for awarding postal delivery contracts in southern and western areas.

An investigation into the Star Routes corruption took place under President [[James A. Garfield]] in 1881. Two previous congressional investigations into the Star Route frauds had occurred in 1872 and 1876 during the Grant administration.  The 1872 investigation results had been tainted by bribery, while the 1876 investigation managed to shut down the Star Route frauds temporarily.  A resurgence of graft took place in 1878 in the Hayes administration, continuing into the Garfield administration.  Among the major players involved were some of the large contractors, [[Bradley Barlow]], a former US Representative of Vermont, the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, some of the subordinates in the department, and Arkansas Senator [[Stephen W. Dorsey]], who became Secretary of the Republican National Committee during [[James A. Garfield]]'s 1880 presidential campaign. After Garfield's death by assassination, President [[Chester A. Arthur]] pursued the investigation.  A federal prosecution and trial took place in 1882, which was finally able to shut down the postal ring.<ref>{{cite book |last=Grossman |first=Mark |title=Political corruption in America: an encyclopedia of scandals, power, and greed |url=https://archive.org/details/politicalcorrupt0000gros |url-access=registration |quote=A.J. Creswell Scandal.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/politicalcorrupt0000gros/page/308 308]–309 |year=2003|publisher=ABC-Clio |isbn=978-1-57607-060-4}}</ref>

Although the fraudulent scheme was widespread, there were few convictions. Many of the defendants in the Star Routes trials were successfully defended by noted lawyer and orator, [[Robert G. Ingersoll|Robert Ingersoll]].<ref>Ingersoll, Robert. ''[http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/robert_ingersoll/star_route_trials/second_opening.html Opening remarks to the jury in the second Star Routes trial]'' December 21, 1882. Retrieved 2007-05-08.</ref> Public disgust over the Star Routes graft served as an impetus for civil service reform and the passage of the [[Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act]] in 1883.