Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-02-08

amount of respect for either of the
New York factions, and would about
as soon trust one as the other, the
great fact with which the public have
to do remains. 1t is not to he de-
nicd1hat tue Custom House abuses
exist, and that these abuses are at the
bottom of the prevailing dissatisGac-
tiop, and that they arc the main cause
of the general demand for civil ser
vice reform.
Outside of the circles referred TO
the people are wholly disinterested
observers, and it is to the opinion Of
this class of people that the President
should give attention. 1t is not to
what the Greeley faction or the
Conkling faction demand, but what
the great body of the people demand,
that the President should give atten-
ton. Abuses great, broad, deep, and
fostering, exist: and these the Presi-
dent can not safely refuse or neglect
to remove. The crack of the party
whip in the Senate or out of it will 90
for nothing. Every attempt to hide
the abuses will do harm. Senator
Morton may say that all is lovely, but
the people will not be satisfied in that
way. The abuses are known to exist.
Knowledge of those abuses is firmly
impressed upon the mind of every
ono who reads and thinks. 1t will
not do, therefore, to deny their exis'-
ence; to seek to prevent investiga-
ton to Impugn the motives of those
who by voice and pen ring the
changes upon those abuses, or to neg
lect or refuse to correct the evils in
accordance with the general and cor
rect sentiments of the people. If the
President shall listen to those who
profit directly or Indirectly by the
abuses, and shut his ears against the
voice of the people, he will commit u
grievous wrong, and can not fail to
suffer the conseQunces.
But the question will be asked,
How are those abuses to be removed !?
This is question not easily answer
ed by those who are not acquainted
with the details and practical work
ings of the system; but surely the
Prsident and his Cabinet, and his
friends in Congress who do under
stand the details of the system, are
equal to the emergency. In the first
place, it is very plain that the laws
that authorize q Collector of Customs
at New York to make sixty or one
hundred thousand dollars year are
radically wrong, as are also the laws
and regulations that permit or author
ize o general order system that yields q
profit Of fifty or one hundred thou
sand dollars year. These may re-
suit in part from the regulations un-
der the law. In either case the law
should be simplified and made spe-
cific. There is no sense, for example,
in requiring all goods TO be removed
from vessels within forty eight hours
after arrival. This is a physical i'm
possibility, and renders necessary the
general order system. The goods
can not be examined and appraised
within foty- eight hours. Therefore,
the government should provide stor-
age for 4 reasonable time that will
permit its own officers TO perform
their duty. Goods for obvious rea
sors, must be removed from a vessel
within a short time, but more time is
required for examination and apprais-
al. The expense of this delay should
be borne 3y the government. There
is no Justice in imposing 1t upon the
eonsignee. This would remove one
OF the most fragrant abuses. Then
why rot place the Collector upon o
salary, and abolish all fees?
The Secretary of the Treasury re
ceives a salary CT $4,000 per annum,
and has no perquisities. That which
is possible and practicable with that
high officer is possible and practicable
with Custom House officer The
whole fee system is bad one. Wher-
ever it prevails it is abused, whc.Le in
the national, state, or municipal gov
ernment. We all know how it is in
Ohio and Hamilton County. As q
general principle, it is true that tie
officer who requires fee stimulent to
perform his duty would abuse the fee
system.
But without enlarging further on this
branch OF the subject, We pass to an
other, which is very simple. The
duty of the Custom House
officer should be to collect the reven-
ues, and it should be no part of his
duty to run the political machine.
This is very plain, and it requires no
legislation or Treasury regulation to
fix it. We have seen that the scan
dals which have brought disgarce up
on the administration have resulted
from the appointment of paitisans,
whose places depend or were suppos-
ed to depend on their zeal in political
wire pulling in the interest of one or
the other faction. Under this require
ment no honorable man could hold
the office of Collector at New York .
He is required to appoint subordin-
ates, not with reference to their quail
ifications to discharge the duties of
the office, but with reference to their
political influence, and their ability to
run ward meetings and pack conven-
tions. This is demoralizing, and no
service can be efficiently perfol med
that is subject to its influence.
Now to strike at the root of the
evil, the President should place man
at the head of the New York Custom
House equal in ability and integrity to
MIR. Boutwell,, who, as head of the
Treasury Department, has gainel
the confidence of the public. This
appointment. should be made, too
outside of New York. This Office
does not belong to New Iork-it
belongs to the nation, and the selcc-
ton should be made with special ref
erence to- the qualifications and rep
utation of the man. Then Congress
should frame the laws so as to rip up
all abuses. This would settle the
difficulty IF niUlt not ha sofiSfac-