Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-10
Very respectfully,
JOHN A. LOGAN.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 1872.
Dear Sir Your letter would have re-
ceived an earlier reply but for the fact
that we were all in different parts of the
country when it was received.
Your letter states that the charge has
been publicly made Ex-senator Trumbull,
that twenty-five per cent, or, as he states
it, $685. $50, 9S6 % is lost to the govern
nent annually from our revenues and
and that he refers to our report of Dec.
lS 1871, as evidence of the fact that so
much money is plundered from the rev.
enues when collected, and that this is
the result of a corrupt administration of
the laws by the present authorities at
ut Washington. You do not say that
Senator Trumbull says that he believes
thN there is any such enormous theft,
although his remarks necessarily convey
the impression that the friends of the
administration acknowledge it nor, in
deed, is it conceivable that any well in
formed man should believe it. But. as
he makes the statement and quotes our
report as evidence, it is proper that we
should explain the paragraph to which
he alludes and which is az follows
ltis not easy to compute in figures the
exact economical difference between a
good and bad system of the civil service
II is necessarily matter of inference and
OF comparison between the probable Oper-
alton of n careless and n careful method.
But il is calculated by those who have
made careful study of all the facts that
99tne-Iourth OF the revenues Of the United
states are annually lost in the collection.
and for large part of that loss Il system
OF the service which is fatally unsOund
may reasonably be held responsible.
The calculations to which we alluded
were mad under the administration of
Andrew Johnson, when the evils of the
"spOils' system eliminated, and we Sc
lected the facts Of its worst condition as
the most fOrcible illustration of the mis-
omets Of the system. The calculations
are found in the report of the commission
tor the revision of the revenue laws. in
January, 1866, and the report Of the
special commissioner of the revenue for
the year 1868. Hon. T. A. JenCkesq, in
a speech delivered in New York, i'm Jan
uary, 1869, remarked
81 have said in discussions on this bill,
that the present condition of the public
service loses to the people annually one
hundred million dollars. = *
When | say to you that | have studied
TINS matter for four years, and taken the
testimony of hundreds of witnesses.
ma that none can trace any other result.
| have stated in the House
or Representatives that by the due col
lection of the revenue by efficient reve-
nue. officers you can gain one hundred
millions annually"
lie proceeded to quote the report of
me special commissioner in evidence of
ms statement, and pointing out the eff
,yect, upon the payment of the public
uebt and upon the national credit, of the
gam he had mentioned, he concludes,
mat does not depend upon my state
ment--it Is sanctioned by the support of
4e secretary of the Treasury. Mr.
McGulloch was then Treasurer.
lhese are the calculations of "those
VINO have made careful study of the
iacts to which we alluded, and the char