The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-02-01
New York Custom House Inves.
S tfgatfon. :,

3 #E t1gaGIOns .,s
S The investigation of, that "robbers'
ioost,n the NewoYo ork Custom House,
by the Senate COMMITTEES, is unearth-
ing d vast amount of corruption prac-
ticed in that Institution under the hon
este rantadministration ,notwithstand-,
ing the persistentreffertsl of the Radi-s
cal members of the committee To ieevu'
eE up and whitewash the iniquitops
practices. Among the disgraceful prae-.
tices proyedfo prevail thereis that the
N. Y..tgdstoin9 House was used as an
Administration engine to control the
Republican party Of the Empire State ).
.thatmen were appointed to positions
whose only business was to run ward
lconyept tions; THAI contributions for
fpofiit icat iexpenses were levied upon
iall lof the, employees of that institution;
and any aone refusing to- sante" was
summarily discharged that itiscoms
mon to give and receive bribes, and 10
Idefraudnthe government as wei as
citizens in Rthe importation of goods,
ana tie 5sthpendous sswrGadle Of the,
/ general order business, by which
the Presidents pet, Leet and his mess
cempelled importers to- pay for stor-
Ing goods from 25o To- 800 par cent.
more than they bad q right 70 demand,
Eld These things as well as many others
of aaikeicharacter are So fully estab-
Elished BY the Testimony as to place
them entirely beyond denial. Hefthe
Radical jQnrnal farea eHdeavorfng TO
excuse the administration from all
blame in the matter on the, 1imsey
pretext that the President had no
tknowledge of the outrageous and dis
gracefulfpradtices.i And this they do
in the face OF the fact that Mr.. A. T.
| Stewart, whom the President first
Nominated as his Secretorys of the
Treasury, swears that hed called the
| Presidents attention to this swind ling
1'.ageneral order business three times,
| but the President refnsed to take any
action to correct the great evils and
to Iprotectrthe merchants o6New York
prom being longer s~indled by, his
town .pyS5tege; and in face Of the fur
thera fact that Hess, q former revenue
officer, testifies to having sent proofs
of the defaIcation Of ex-Revenpe Col.
iector Baiiy to Secretary Delano, on
the 7th of March, 1869, but nos action
was taken thereon $ also to knowing
diof fraudulent sales iofo stamps for ci.
gars BY revenue 7officers not now il
Office for 90 per thousand less than
the legal value, ;of which, he informed
the District Attorney, but nothing was
Idoneabout ii. The proof goes far tc
lconfirm the belief of Senator Upton
that there is % corruption deep, damn'
ing and fostering all through the Ad:
l'ministfaticn, ''and the attempt to shield
the President ifi'on blame ON the plea
! Of ignorance WIN hardly wash.
1 "A few months ago the Radical pa
pers, when a little capital was to be
1 gained for their party by so doing,
! were bowling their virtnous indigna-
ton throughout the length and breadth
of the land over the, corruptioRs of
Tammany, but they are as silent as the
grave over these astounding reyela-
tons which bring home to the doors
of the officers of their own choosing,
rescalities of much greater magnitude.
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