The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-05-06
Internal Revenue Officers.

i A great evil of the Federal government Is
the army of internal revenue officers who per-
mcatc the land, who are rcpulsive TO the peo'
nle. and maintain Il system of espionage that
is in the last degree annoying. The Govern
! mcut has, with unaccountahle loDy ana
cruelty. attached penalties to dellnqucnclcS
of the most tri1ng kind thu are entirely dis-
uroportionate to the offence. \ tlno OF nifty
dollars for instance, Is imposed upon man
for falling to put two-cent stamp upon
check. and at one time, Il bill. Inc failure 10
mt the stamp of so small a denomination
could not be attributed to an intention to'de-
fraud the Government; yet the penalty was
ms severe rs though the offence was one Of
considerable magnitude and plainly indica-
five of an intention to practice fraud. In
deed. the stamp might be put on the paper,
and owing to the defective mucilage, might
fall off. The eye of the detective once light.
iny upou it, the fine could not be avoided.
The fines annexed to the internal revenue
laws were all of this character. Vast sums of
money have been collected III the shape of
fines by the spies and detectives Of Govern
ment. a great part Of them never reached
the public Treasury, but We're pockctcd by
the spies who are spread over the country
like wolves to worry and harry the people
and keep their own bellies well filed.
So great is this evil that even Re-
publican congressman see it and confess
it. Mr.. KELLEY, of Pennsylvania, i'll a
spcech in the House of Representatives on
the 1st instant, expressed himself Indignantly
and Justly upon the subject. He is Il protec-
tive tariff man, and he thinks that the Gov
ernment ought to draw its revenues from
duties OIL imports. He is in favor of abolish
| ing the internal revenue system altogether
| In the course of his remarks he expressed
himself in the following frank and just man
ner On the subject of the internal revenue
officers:
a. do not want my children and grand.
| children to live under system which shall
involve corps of detectives. a system Of eS.
pionage, and the taking Of an oath every
week or every month of the honesty and
fidelity of looscly-kcpt accounts. | believe
that with the imports Of the country expand
ing and increasing as they arc doing, the day
is not far distant when we can delray the eX-
pcnscs OF the Government by customs dll.
ties alone, and may give thanks to God that
no direct-taX collector trcads the soil Of the
United States.'
Yes, indeed; TINT would be delightful. 1t
would be great gain to the cause of liberty
and personal independence to be relieved
from these officers, who are ever spying out
to detect people in some neglect-some omis'
sion of 4 nature that could not be interpreted
into deliberate purpose to injure the GOV
ernment, that is yet liable toa heavy fine, the
informer getting liberal part Of it.
Mr.. KELLEY states that the cost Of collect
ing the revenue last year amounted to &, OOo,
coo. and he pithily asks whether the civil
"service would not be somewhat reformed i
"the nearly five thousand people employed il
1.-the internal revenue service were relieved
l"from Government service and permitted tx
"deyote their energies to the productive pur
"suits of the country" Undoubtedly thu
service would he greatly improved and thu
source of vast deal of corruption and op
preston of the people would be closed w
entirely. The new Administration will vino
up these five thousand, and they will, as MI
KELLEY says, be "permitted to devote thei
energies to increasing the productive re
sources Of the country. A happy riddanc'
for sadly misgoverhed people!