The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1872-03-21
CARL SEIZURE AND EDMUND JUSSEN.
Revenue Matters in icag0-OrviIfe
Grants attempt to Run a Distiilery
How il Failed.

How il Failed.
Fr the Chicago Tribune, Nsrche
BoNN on THE RHINE, GERMANY
February, 10.
To the Editor Of tie Chicogo Tribune:
SIR: Accidentally American pa
pers are remarkably rare on the Continent
i met with a number Of the New York
Times Of the 10th ult. To say that l was
surprised TO read the charge of ncpotism
as preferred by the leading Administration
organ against Senator Schnrz, in connec-
ton with my appointment to the United
States Revenue Collectorship of Chicago,
would but mildly express the impression
produced. Permit me brief explanation
of the real facts in the premises
Senator Schurz neither asked my appoint
ment, nor was | appointed because | am
/ his brotherin-law. visited New York in
the spring Of 1860 for medical treatment,
/ and, when certain gentlemen in Chicago
rendered me their influence for my appoint
! mcnt to the post Of Collector, | asked
Schurz, who is not only my brother-in-law,
but lifelong personal friend, for a letter of
recommendation to the President. He
| t1atly refused the request, solely upon the
| ground that he did not wish to make him
| self liable to the charge Of nepotism. N
entreates or representa- ions on nv
part could move him from his purpose to
remain entirely neutral as regarded my as
piration to Office, Though | did not per-
sonally visit Washington, am very posi-
tive that, even after the Senator was urged
/ by my friends to exert his influence in nv
/ behalf, he could not be induced to DO more
than simply endorse my character for in
tcgrity and capacity. ] was assured of
this position of Senator Schurz BY the gen
tleman who a." engineered my nomination
and confirmation; for he complained Bit
terly, on his return, of the Indifference and
i...~y.:-:r ~. 49, i -. 8 ,,o,,,, -
the matter in question, and proudly claim
ed that | owed my success solely to the ex-
ertions of my Chicago friends That this
must have been true, subsequent events
proved very conclusivcly. These Identical
Chicago friends, relying upon the fact that
they alone procured my ppointmcnt, sought
to convince me, very soon after assumed
the duties of my Office that, though was
Collector, and had the honor and RESPONSE
bility of the Office, they must insist upon 4
division of the profits. To what extent |
yielded to their imperative request, and
how subsequently they worked as sedu-
lousy to remove me as they had labored to
have me appointed, simply because | de-
clined TO be blcd to death, is a point
which prefer to discuss at some other
time and place.
Having said this much, it NAV not be
amlss to disclose the additional reasons for
my removal from Office; not that | think
my personal fortune can be of any interest
to the public, but merely because believe
the recital viii form Il valuable addition to
the many illustrations of the rottenness Of
our Civil Service. The first mistake which
| made-as the world goes in our fair Re
public-was, that caused the removal of
a certain Dr.. Lamper, who was Unitod
States Guager IN my district. | had de-
tected him IN fraudulcntly arpropriatinc
highwines. lie boosted that | would not
dare to touch him, as he was IA cousin Of
President Grant, and offered to bet $500
that he could not be tuuchsd On the
same day | reported him for removal, and
at once revoked his assignment to duty.
lie resigned Immediately, to escape dis
graceful dismissal. All these facts re
ported to the Hon. C. D;lano, then Com
missioner of Internal Revenue. lie ap
proved of my course, and added that NV
action in the premises was entirely salts
factor, to lie President \ few months
later, This same Dr.. Lamper, cousin of the
President, was appointed Receiver of
Public Moneys IN the United States Land
Office at Washington Territory 1t is but
fair to presume that the President, in the
hurry and press of business, had forgotten
the official record of his cousin. However
he was reminded of it when, subsequently,,
DR.. Lamper loaned the moneys of Govern
rent 10 his personal friends for private
speculation. Where L=mper NAV be en-
ployed now to guard the interests of the
Government. | AIN unable to tell. 1t is tc
be hoped, however, that his eminent talents
will not be lost to tie country.
But this Lamper affair was not my ONLY
mistake. | committed several others much
more damaging in their Consequences. 4
few months after taking charge of the
duties of my Office, the lrother of the
President, Orvillc Grant, Esq, honored
me with a call, talked revenue business
generally and quite tiuently, and finally in
vited me to his store. He repeated this
invitation three or four times, once bv let
ter, before | complied with his request.
When | visited bis store, Mr.. Grant, though
somewhat embarrassed, but on the whole
with the graceful air of an accomplished
business man, proposed to me to join him
IN defrauding tie government by permit
ting certain distillery to run double its
registered capacity, or, in other words, to
collect the tax for only one half of its ac-
tual product. If you decline" said the
acute gentleman, "the Government will
gain nothing, for, in that event, the distil-
lery Viii not increase its pro .uct. If You
consent, the same tax which You now col
leet Will still De paid, and the receipts or
the Government will therefore not be d.
minishcd \ few barrels more or isss on
the market cannot depress quotations, and
the competitors who DO not enjoy the priv
ilege | ask for my friends, cannot suffer.
There can therefore really be no fium ia
tie transaction proposed No eorer, /
shdU see to it that oil IS safe IN Wasaiaa-
tom humbly Informed the talented
morahst that | begged to differ with him
as to the ingenious definition of fraud, and