The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-07-05
Bribery In the Custom House.
is EVERYTHING CORRUPT

IL
We have published communication
from a very respectable firm in this
city, complaining that they were de-
layed in the delivery of an invoice OF
coffee, because they would not bride
the weigh master to hand in his re-
turn.
We do not blame the heads Of the
Revenue Department for the existing
state of things, which requires an un-
authorized and illegal financial dis
bursement to facilitate the rapid pas
sage of invoices through the Custom
House, nearly as much as we do the
merchants themselves. The latter are
to blame, not only for maintaining this
corrupt system, but for having inaugu-
rated it in the first place. 1t began
years ago in press of business at the
Custom House. Each importer was in
haste to obtain possession of his goods,
and spirit of rivalry added to the
common impotence. First, the clerks
received fee, ostensibly for staying
overtime, or for taking the papers
home and working extra hours, but
really for passing entries for the appli-
cant out of their proper order and in
! advance of other business. For some
time, of course, the payment was con-
fined to such cases. The importer who
was in no especial hurry let his in
voices take their regular course while
a little "greasing of the wheels accel-
Grated the pace and put the entry
whose way was thus smoothed in ad-
vance of its competitors. 1t is easy to
see that by a natural process this de-
generated into a custom to exact some
compensation for giving even ordinary
attention to an invoice, and finally be-
got spirit in INSCRIPTIONS subordi-
mates, leading them to detain unneces-
sarily and spiteful!y all important en-
tries where the parties who We're in
terested either neglected or refused to
contribute to these illegal perquisites.
Take the case referred to in the com
munication already noticed. The gen.
tlemen composing that firm have been
in the habit of employing Custom
House broker to enter and pass their
goods, and have Systematically placed
in his hands a certain sum of money,
Tor, in the language of the trade, Civ
en- amount of ''grease') to facilitate the
business, and insure that promptness
and dispatch so valuable to them. In
the instance of which they complain,
, they waived all claim for abatement OF
duty on account of damage, not wish
ing to delay for the customary ap'
, praisement. This being all the con-
cession they conld afford to make, they
added no fee to the weighmaster OF
whoever usually pocketed the illega
tribute, and they suffered in conse
auence. Another invoice out of thu
same vessel, the delivery of which wal
smoothed by the customary process
: reached the purchaser one Thousand
l miles away, while the weights of thi
particular lot rested in an Officia
pocket or pigeonhole, waiting to be lu
= bricated.
The lubricating process is not con
fined to the lowest subordinates, no
even to those reckless officials VIII
will pocket any brihe placed in thci
palms. Some of the genteeler sort ar
approached in more Indifferent forms
A very good story is told of one o
: these who have made within a fey
d years over s25, 900 in playing a gam
: called "poker," at which he is uni
b formly successful. A friend of his wa
|. commenting upon the "skilr" whic
f led to such large acquisitions, when
e shrewd observer present called his al
tention to the fact that the players an
tagonists, who lost SO uniformly we1
3 those who could afford thus to "facil
" tate" the entry and delivery Of the
e goods journal of Commerce.
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