The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-02-23
Daily argus.
From the Missouri RopubliOan.l


1t Is every day becoming more and NOR,
clear that the only hops Cor any effeetiv
reform OF our civil service, and the re url
OF ire government aud its officers 10 tn
honesty aud efficiency of former times. vii
come from An election of the Radicals frou
power At Washington, aud especially iron
Thorough purgIng Oft Radical Unitet
States Senate. Seemingly the only etfec
produced on that body by the exposures o
ohclAl corruption in the late debate by MIR
Sdhurz and other senators, was to elicit from
leading Radical senator the contemptuou'
remark that the whole OWL service reform
movement was mere piece OF visionary
sentlmentalism. When the Chorpenntn
swindle had been seemingly killed outright
in the house of representatives, the senate
gave il new life By authorizing the claiman
TO carry his case before the court OF clsims;
if defeated there be will Of course again pre-
sent it 90 congress and, by perseverance and
che aid of the lobby, may eventually succeed
10 getting al he asks But the incsPaci'y
OF the Radical administration and its con
stitutionsl adviser in the exercise OF the ap-
poi1tinp mower. the senate, TO secure honest
officials for the country, has never been
more glArinpy exposed than IN some recent
disel,sures concerning the New FORK cue
tom house. The charges do not rest mere
IL on the allegations Of political opponents
who might be suspected of partisan bias
nor are they mere TRADES of outsiders igno
rant Of custom house business. They res
on the testimony Of such men as A T. Stew
art, President Grants FIRST secretary of the
treasury, W z. Dodge 5 B. Chittenden, and
others equally we'll known rs prominent i'm
porters and Jealous Radicals.
From the revelations made in the United
States senate and in the New York press, OF
the unimpeachAble testimony before men
toned, il ia clear that q ruthless game o
black-mailiug importers is carried on in
the New York oustom-house. With the
intricacies and antiquities of our monop
oily tariff, aud the arbitrary regulations made
20 carry out its true intent and meaning
which is 20 prevent importations altogether
the clic als f nd it gu easy tss& 10 make OBJ
iections to the regularity Of papers, but The
importer TO trouble and delay ia receiving
his goods, aud even scare him into fearing
tha. he may lose them altogether through
fines and furfeitures. Rather than run such
risk the merchant submits to pay a bride
70 the custom. house officers, who thereon
furnish him every facility. OF course this
extra expenditure is added to the cost tC
him Of importing bis wares, and enters inc
the increased price be must charge to those
70 whom he sells; thus iu the eud the con
sumers Of those wares throughout the coun
try are made to pay tribute 10 enrich cor
rupt Radical officials in the cIty of New
York Such abuses have grow u up into
regular system, aud the general body o
importers have become afraid to resist i;
A merchant, for instance finds that cases o
valuable goods are detained at the custom
house on frivolous preteXt of irregularit
in some proceeding, or even for pretend
ed violation Of the revenue law: unless b
can pass them through in the usual time
tina saason for tuem will be over and the
may have to he kept for the next year, b
which time the goods may be spoiled or
change OF fashion made them uusalab,e
AuoIher expedlent Is TO suspend the bus
ness OF al importing bgm by seiziHg il
books on some trumped up charge OF uude
valuations IL invoice, or some such matte
Ia one case, su lm porter Was compelled l
pay $40 OUU over the regular duties, as
DrIoe, to obtain his goods. The books
TO return them tor 81 ZOO, but RferwarC
reduced their demand To the modest tr ID
OF 800. Bat tue importer refused to /
U,ed, Jet his case come 10 trial, gained
aud paid II COSTS and lawyers fees ten tim,
tie amount OF the DrIbe which would hs,
eua bied him to yOld It.
Very naturally the importer finds
cueugy to stand the robbery by the custom
house oHcIsls, aud charge II 10 his custom
ers, than 10 resist it. hundreds of cases
such BLACK mailing have come 10 light, b.
.. course the number of those still kel
concealed must be much greater. The di.
uIsssl Of the lew UthcIS who may be caugi
IL such outrages cannot stop the evil as oI
- the same Incompetent administration q
points those VINO are to take their place
\ or would il be any remedy TO alter Il
standing principle Of our revenue laws al
indemnify the importer for his e1pens
where he resists the extortIon and gains Il
suit which the black mailer Causes TO
brought against him by the Z uIted STATE
as warning to deter others from like ind
poudeuce. As sae guilty officer, even whe
he can be- shown to have acted corrupt
and not from mere mistake, Is usually Wit
OAL FlSAbip u4SHhsJ tho RuFoEuuAtbt Chui
recover from him the sum with which it
inismuihed toe innocent importer thus
will never be d losing game for the Off
except in the contingency Of his losing
place. If the importer submits to the O
rage, so much the better for the purse
the officer; II he stands suit, Uncle 81
might indemnify him, but retain the oft
who could easily persuade radical coll
tor that he had merely been over zeslC
and made a slight mistake.
The only course left for the people is
purity the official stream at its source.
paIliatives will suffice; the most emerge
remedy must he applied. Only q migl
stream can cleanse the Augeen stables
radical Official corruption; the elections
last year, aud the signs Of the times sin
sufficiently indicate that the Democrs
Hercules will accomplish this labor in
coming presidential election.