Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-26
NEW YORK FRAUDS-AN AGE OF
oORRIrPTInN

P-SAAAHOAs pOSielO1s, III tlAost SUdpeDuouS
frauds. The frauds were accomplished
by means of false invoices of exports and
differentiation of imported merchandise
II is alleged that these frauds commenced
about four years ago, and the raInifca-
tions of the ''ring' engaged in the nefa-
rious business seem to be almost with
out limit Drawback claims arise under
the act Of Congress which provides that
if manufactured articles on Which an
internal revenue tax has been paid
shall afterwards be exported, the tax
collected on them originally shall be re-
funded. The payment of this tax eonsti-
tutes the drawback The requisite export
papers pass under the supervision of sew
eTal officers at the custom-house, who GER
tify, by their names or initials that the
articles have really paidthe internalrevenile
tax, and check is then drawn on the
Treasury at Washington. The business
of defrauding the government commenced
at first in a small way, with fraudulent GER
tificates of the expectation of tobacco and
petroleum, and as forged papers were
found to pass with impunity, an extensive
conspiracy was formed among the sham
claimants and clerks in the New York
custon-house- and in the Treasury Depart
ment in Washington. The conspirators
made enormous claims, in one instance
pretending that large number of loco
motives had been shipped out of the
country The division of the proceeds of
this plumber, as exposed in the evidence,
was arranged as follows; The chief con-
spirator received 40 per cent, the agent
who presented the sham certificates forty
per cent, and the two government officers
ten per cent. each. 4 large number of
these plunderers hare fled the country
with the spoils, amounting, it is asserted,
to $3.50, 600 for each person. The discov-
cry was caused by the confession of one
of the subordinate agents, who was dis
satisfied at the small amount of money he
had received The New York CONNER
ciay says:
20 We now learn that two or three prom
inent notaries in the city were implicated.
In making up their exhibits of imaginary
exports, il was necessary for the conspir-
ators to have numerous affidavits. AT
first fellows were employed 10 make such
aililavits. This, however, was both eX-
pensive and risky So many different in
diyiduals would have 20 be employed,
that the danger of exposure would be
great The bold, adroit conspirators ac-
coTdingly hit upon a plan for obviating
all this They bought up nOtaries 10
prepare to order such allidayits as they
might want The government has OBJ
tanned the names of the guilty parties,
and will proceed at once to overhaul
them.
The telegraph reports that Deputy Col
lector Blatchford, who was deeply impli-
Gated in these frauds and was permitted
to resign, has been indicted by the grand
jury of the United States District Court
The indictment is based on the evidence
Of one W. II. Kom and certain vouchers
which are endorsed with Blatchford's
name. This is the biggest nest of corrup-
ton that has been exposed and broken up
for many a day; certainly nothing of the
kind has ever been attempted on so cxten-
siye a scale in this country. The war ap-
pears TO have corrupted so large portion
of The people of The North, that whenever
man from That section gets into a public
Office, he acts As though he felt licensed
to act in the most corrupt manner. The
war appears to have precipitated upon us
the age of corruption. lagos advice TO
Roderigo is the motto inscribed upon the
popular banner, and 10 get money no
matterhow, where orWhcn, is the dominant
thought, the orthodox creed which few
have moral courage enough TO question or
dispute Thus il comes 10 pass, says the
St Louis RcpubHc0H, as a natural and
Legitimate consequence, that the public
service throughout, from Congress down,
is virtually controlled and shaped by n
corruption so open and shameless that the
great master of bribery, Sir Robert Wal
| pole, would blush TO own IT, The lobby
at Washington is more powerful than Sen
ators and Representatives combined, he
cause through that channel there flows a
/ subtle current which transmutes the basest
metals into precious gold. Every bin
which involves a financial feature has its
ring of advocates outside, whose business
it is TO grease the wheels of Legislation,
remove all obstacles, soothe all prejudices
and secure the final passage of the measure
by whatever means may he requisite to ac-
complish the end. Once passed and the
successful manipulators scarcely take the
trouble TO hide the machinery which has
performed the work, and with the game
in their hands laugh at those who We're
too clumsy or two scrupulous to give the
cards the decisive shuttle What is done
at the capital on a grand scale is done
elsewhere on a smaller one. Men calling
themselves, and perhaps called by their
friends, honest and honorable, enter I'M
hcsitatiugly upon swindlms jobs and car
" them through to a triumphant conclu-
sion with a reckless defiance of criticism
which little while ago would have
astouudcd the community and con
signed the perpetrators TO So
cial outawry. Now and then a
steal unusually large and impudent Gre
atcs brief excitement which lasts posi-
bly, q week or month, and then passes
away The parties engaged, having an
accurate knowledge and n correct estimate
of the situation, are seldom frightened by
these demonstrations of disapproval, and
never voluntarily relax thcir grasp upon
the fruits of their rascalily. The storm
speedily subsidies, and these men, with the
stains of fraud clinging TO their garments,
walk abroad, summed perhaps by a few.
hut cnyicl by the many.
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APEaNTO REDUCE ysIE TNDEss's'-
EnNESS eF'TIsE SrETE.
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