The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-06

Il
reach to Ssrapeum. Thus Lesseps has mas
| the laying If the Atlantic cable, who win say
that anything is impossible?
| The Fuss About the New York CoIIectsrsLip.
The fuss about the New York Collectorship
is very singular piece of business in its way,
and affords the uninitiated public some curious
insight into the dealings and intrigues OF poll
ticians as well as into the purchasable value
of public men who occupy positions of infiu-
ence and Importance. Thus, according to the
investigating committees report, United States
Senators and Presidents sons and sons-in-law
are put down at from three to five thousand
dollars each, a copperhead newspaper man at
i've thousand dollars, private secretary at
three thousand dollars, deputy collector at
two thousand dollars, and female known as
"a Washington woman" at three thousand
dollars.
So far as Collector Smythe is concerned, the
| facts in relation to his administration OF the
Custom House are such as can be readily I'M
derstood by every person Of ordinary intelli-
gence. He has no subterfuges or conceal
ments to resort to, and tells his story in
straightforward manner. When he came into
Office he was met at once by urgent applica-
| tons from half dozen or more different par
| ties for the warehousing and carriage business
under the general order system. He knew
nothing about the matter, but became at
once aware that it was, as he ex-
pressed himself, the biggest plum in the
gift of the Collector" The Seward and
and the Manhattan Club copperhead influence
attacked him on the other and he was told that
| forty thousand dollars would be readily paid
| to secure the general order business. He soon
learned that he would be expected to levy an
assessment for political purposes upon the poor
clerks, messengers, porters and others in his
employ, who were receiving beggarly salaries,
| and most of whom had families to support, and
it occurred to him that it would be more just
| to make the men who received the big
plums" pay this assessment than to extort 1T
out of the hard earnings of needy subOrdinates
He therefore made it obligatory upon the par
ties to whom he should give the general order
business to set apart a fund to meet the de-
mands of political committees, and thus relieved
the poor clerks from the necessity of handing
over one or two months salary ont Of their
pitsance as political tax. This Isl substances
his share in the general order transaction
The politicians who were working to secure
the "big plum set to work to bring outside
influence to bear upon the Collector to enforce
their claims. They visited Washington and
made overtures and proposals to members
OF the Presidents family, and pressed q
female, called Mrs. Perry, Of Cincinnati,
who seems to be as mysterious .
person as the famous yelled murderess, into
their service, and got up the intrigue which
has afforded the Congressional committee ma
tcrial for their recent lengthy report The
Collector gave the coveted "plum" to other
parties, and the disappointed spectators, find
ing themselves unable to obtain reversal Of
his action or to get 80 much as finger in the
pie, set to work to make public and to turn on
to the shoulders Of tho Collector the very facts
they had themselves created.
The whole business is plot of these greedy
politicians from beginning to end, and the
Collector has had nothing to do with it There
are two rival interests al work to secure his
removal, each with the hope of carrying it's
own point in the scramble for his old shoes.
On one side are the copperhead democrats Of
the Manhattan Club, who put forward Richard
Schcll as their candidate. On the other are
the Seward and Weed faction, who are work
ing to secure the nomination of Abram Wake
man, under whose administration they would
make grand bolt of the whole spoils, from
the general order business down to the hall
porters in the Custom House building. These
Seward politicians. with Weed as their lieuten-
ant, have been the most active and efficient
in connecting this plot and bringing about the
recent investigation. They have been restless
and greedy during the whole Of President
Johnson's term Of Office, and after enjoying his
patronage now turn round and bring this
shame upon him. Prior to the investigation
they endeavored to alarm or bully the Presi-
dent into the removal Of Collector Smythe by
threatening the exposure of the very overtures
they had themselves made TO bis relatives and
connections.
A more barefaced and disreputable piece Of
business has seldom been brought to light.
The report Of the Congressional committee,
based upon the testimony Of the very men
who created all the facts elected in the evil
dence, is a fitting finale Of the impudent in
trgue. Misery is sometimes said to make
strange bedfellows; but here in the greedy
scramble after the "big plums" Of the New
York Collectorship we find Manhattan Club
politicians, copperhead newspaper men,
Seward republicans, United States Senators,
mysterious females, members Of the Presidents
family, Congressman and political hrcksters
all bundled and huddled together in the same
dirty straw.