The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-06

The Report OF tho Senate Investigate
Scandals.
The report of the Senate Committee Of In
vestigation will probably fail to please the
violent partisans on either side in the vexed
question of Custom House fraud. From the
first the BIASED character of the evidence
made it difficult to form anything like just
Judgment on the merits of the case. The
charges that were made by those OPP
posed to the present Custom House officials
for the most part were not new. They
had already been made against every
party in turn. There can be no
doubt that many abuses which require
correction exist and have existed for many
years. These have been constantly made
the basis of charges like those the In
vestigating Committee have disposed of;
for politicians out of Office have
always been the loudest in denouncing
abuses which they are willing enough to profit
by when opportunity offers 1t may be well
that it is SO, as the public are considerably
enlightened by the disputes.
After an evidently careful examination into
all the charges made against the administration
Of Murphy, Leet & Co., the majority report that
there is sufficient justification for the serious
accusations brought against these gentlemen.
1t is not claimed that no abuses exist on the
contrary, a recommendation, which is well
worthy of attention, has been put forward,
aiming at the radical improvement of the
system. This is the only effective and states
manlike way of dealing with the difficulty. It
will serve no good purpose to tinker with the
Custom House abuses for as fast as they
are patched up in one part they will
break through in another. The evils
from which the commercial interests Of
New York suffer are inherent in the present
system, and can only be effectively dealt with
by uprooting it. We would wish to see this
question approached by our legislators with
out reference to the exigencies of party. The
report of the Investigating Committee, in
order to inspire complete confidence, should
be followed by action in the direction recon-
mended otherwise it will not fail to be cried
down as a mere whitewashing operation. 1t
ton should not lay themselves open to sus-
picion Of connivance with fraud, and they can
best prove their concurrence in the finding of
the committee by carrying out the recon-
mendations of reform made in the report.
The abolition of the moieties system, which at
present acts as premium on corruption
and neglect of duty, will meet the appreciation
of the public. 1t is, at best, bungling way of
defeating fraudulent entry, and tends more to
demoralize the officials than to deter dis
honest merchants. 1t ought, therefore, to be
done away with as soon as possible. The best
guarantee for the proper performance of duty
on the part of Custom House officers in future
would be furnished by appointing men prop
erly qualified, and making them understand
that as long as they discharge efficiently their
duties they will be allowed to retain their posi-
tons. We are rapidly tending toward a re-
form of this nature in the civil service, and
would like very much to see the thin end OF
the wedge driven into the chinks of the New
York Custom House.