The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-05
President johnson and tho Corruptions q
the Treasury Department.

President johnson and tho Corruptions or
tho Treasury Department.
We have reason to believe that President
Johnson is about to signalize the close of his
administration by coup detdt that will
astonish the country and create profound
sensation from Maine to California, wherever
the name and fame Of whiskey rings and reve-
nue. frauds have reached. Some short time
ago Solicitor Buckley, with the consent and
approval of the President, commenced prose-
cution before United States Commissioner in
this city, embracing in its scope the heads Of
the Internal Revenue Department. This move
ment apparently failed; but there is reason to
believe that it was designed simply as pre-
liminary skirmish, and that 1t fully answered
the desired end. Its object was to take sound
ings prior to entering the main channel Of in
vestigation, and to discover exactly what
officials were favorable TO q thorough scrutiny
Of all the acts of the department sand by
whom inquiry was evaded and INSTRUCTED. 1t
was, in fact, trap into which more than one
unfortunate victim fell. Since the close of the
Buckley prosecution the President has been
employing agents in the several cities of the
United States, and especially in New York, to
secretly search into the alleged frauds and cor
ruptions going on among the revenue officers
and the outside rings with which they work.
These agents, lawyers of ability, frmness and
integrity, have done their duty quietly but
effectively, and are now prepared with a1i-
davits and evidence showing the most startling
frauds throughout the entire Internal Revenue
Bureau, and duplicating large majority Of
those holding positions of trust under the
Treasury Department They are at present in
Washington arranging the preliminaries for the
grand raid soon to be made upon these who
have been engaged in robbing the government
for the past four or five years.
We understand that President johnson,
satisfied with the cases presented to him by
his counsel, has determined to make clean
sweep Of the whole Treasury Department, from
top to bottom. Exercising the power still re-
naming in his hands under the Tenure OF ONCE
law, he viii suspend all the prominent officials
on the ground OF incompetency or active par
ticipancy In the revenue frauds, by which two
or three hundred million dollars have been
diverted from the national Treasury. Secre-
tary McCulloch, who, as the head Of the de-
partment, cannot evadc the responsibility for
these frauds, will head the list Of martyrs, and
he will find In his company Commissioners Rol-
Inns and goodly list Of superintendent,
collectors, assessors and district attorneys,
more numerous than the ghosts that
passed before the eyes Of King Richard
on the eve Of the battle Of Bosworth field.
President johnson will no doubt state dis
tinctly the grounds upon which he suspends
these incompetent or dishonest men from Office,
and will set forth in a practical and striking
manner the damaging character Of the Tenure
Of Office law, under cover OF which these
enormous frauds have been contaminated
almost without decent pretence Of conceal
ment. 1t will then bs.seep whether Conarsss