The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-06
The Internal Revenue.
From the N, y World.

The movement against Commissioner Rollins
Is prompted by cupidity, and It is being en-
gineered by men who have conspired to deraud
the Internal Revenue; who have been prose
cutting their unlawful traffic here for several
weeks, and whose operations are embarrassed
by Mr.. Rollins.
The pretext for these frauds upon the revenue
is, that the money Is wanted to sustain the
National InteLhgencer, whose managers (Snow &
Coyle) claim to have the Presidents authority
for their depredations upon the revenue.
The reported Cabinet removals originated
with those InteLti0enceY whisky manipulators
who are auxiltaries of the Blairs, Jerry Black,
and Fernando Wood.
onerous to tax all the time ability, aud courage
of the revenue officers before the National Intel
H0encer gang. armed as they profess with the
authority of The President, entered the field
Brooklyn. before an indomitably honest Dis
trict Attorney commenced his raid upon
revenue robbers, was given over to Illicit diStil
lation, The decentralization was general, en-
bracing manufacturers, inspectors, and collec-
tors. The conflict was fearful. for in money
there is power. One man who before his
whisky enterprise commenced. scarcely knew
from $4,000 to S25 OCO, OF which amounts the
revenue was defrauded. This man, with some
of the dishonest revenue Inspectors are in
dict6d. One dishonest collector was removed,
but that was not the only reform demanded.
The removal of Mr.. Rollins, and the appoint
man. would open the foodgates OF fraud and
corruption to an appalling extent. The COM
bination is already formidable. The profit Is
so large that 1t makes men reckless. The con-
spirators are making money fraudulently now,
but m not last enough Their T aPPetitS S @
is endeavoring to do its duty but If Mr. Rollins
should be removed, or their powers in any other
way diminished, all control over the question
would be lost
Andrew johnson maintained, through life
the reputation Of personal and public pecuni;
airy Integrity. That reputation, streng gthened
by his early and consistent devotion to the
Union. made him Vice President. We confded,
Incorporating honesty. We believe that
men who are systematically defrauding the
revenuet use his name either Without his
authority, or that he is not informed of the dis
honest nature OF their operations. We think
the President erred, in principle, in endeavor-
ing to resist the action of Congress in recon-
stTuction after the people had declared in favor
OF Congress. We think he erred Qn policy In
the rope they wanted, Tor IL he had done so
their leaders would ere this be looking through
But II the President, now that he is informed
OF the operations and designs of men VINO have
conspired TO rob the Treasury, lends himself TO
them, the last link in the chain which bound
Us TO him will have been broken.-N. Y. Com.
ACu.
article merit careful consideration. The gist
of the matter, as laid by the Commercial,
is that Mr.. Blair, senior, Mr.. Montgomery
Blair, and Mr.. Black, are in a conspiracy
with the managers of the National Lntelligencer
to defraud the internal revenue; that this
band of copspirators has set on foot move
ment for the removal of Mr.. Rollins, the pre-
sent Commissioner; and that the cause of
this movement is the embarrassment he offers
10 the aforementioned schemes of unlawful
traffic.
1t will be observed that this alarming incul-
patton by the Commercial embraces names of
much prominence in public affairs, and to
which, hitherto, no taint Of dishonOr in peeu-
mary matters has ever attached, whatever
criticisms may have been vented upon the
political opinions and actions of the indivi-
duals referred to. We have never heard before
that anybody believed Mr.. Blair, senior, or
his son, or Mr.. Black, TO be capable of per-
forming acts so base as are distinctly charged
by Mr.. Weed. And we do not think man
can be found, outside lunatie asylum, who
will put credit in the averments OF the Com
merciGl upon this point. Such conclusion
upon one branch Of the article necessarily in
wolves suspicion of the truthfulness Of the re-
mainder.
We do not doubt that Mr.. Rollins has done
the best he could to secure an honest and
efficient administration of the internal revenue
law. Has he sueceededl II he has not, does
a suggestion that another man could be found
TO nj the Office, compel us TO jump to the con-
clusion that the suggestion Is made in the
interest OF Illicit distillers
There Is no denying grossly improper prac-
tioss In the Internal Revenue Department. nor
the failure Of the Government 10 collect the
full amount Of tax ON certain manufactures.
The existence Of dishonest officers, and gross
frauds in that department. are as notorious as
the existence OF fellow fever at New Orleans.
Il is generally believed that prominent officials
in this city ara in the pay Of those who eVade
the Internal Revenue laws, and we cannot
upderstapd how Il "a that the Secretary Of the
Treasury ana the Commissioner DO not require
that those officials shall explain how Il
happsEs that, within few years Of official