The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-10-27

bONcIHOI DuiloCk, III Ills auilllTaDlc
speech, upon taking the chair as president
of the Massachusetts state republican con-
vcntion, said that "whcrc there was SO much
. smoke of investigation there must be
some fire Of truth, and it may further be
said that this is not the only kind of politi-
cal smoke that indicates that there is fire
somewhere behind. Ever since the days of
Jackson and Van Buren,, the management
of the New York custom house has been a
stencil in the nostrils of decent people, not
only for the corrupt political influence they
were supposed to exert, but for the frauds
and cXtortions alleged to be there prac-
tlced 1t is evident that frauds upon the
revenue could not be committed by these
officials or extortiOns cXactcd-that is brides
of importers. For nearly forty years, it
has been alleged that these practices were
of constant occurrence, aud it is not reason
able to believe that they have been made
for this long series of years without some
thing upon which to found them. 1t may
be, indeed, it is not probable that the prin-
cipal officers of the customs receive any pc
cuniary benefit thcrefrom, and they are,
moreover, doubtless, ignorant of any guilty
knowledge thereof, and it would be strange
if they were. The last investigation into
the affairs of this important office disclosed
the fact that the responsible officers were
mere figure heads to the concern. We call
them the " responsible" officers, because
they are nominaly at the head, are appoint
ed TO take charge of the business, receive
large emoluments, and the people at large
look upon them as actually doing some
thing, and as having a general charge and
control of all the business there transacted
They are, however, as we have said, mere
figure heads, and, when called upon to tes
tify in reference to the workings of the
several branches of that particular service
they acknowledged themselves as innoccn,
as babe unborn of any knowledge of the
whole business. Not one Of them could
tell what ought to be done in given case
but thought he could obviatc all difficulty
by referring the matter to some deputy OF
subordinate who, by practice, had become
familiar with the details 1t may be com
Portable position to hold a responsible and
lucrative office, and do nothing beside
drawing the salary, but it is not conducive
to economy or an honest civil service.
Business being thus left to subordnates,
while those whom the government and PEG,
| pie hold responsible are unable, through
! ignorance, to ascertain whether it is pro.
perry or improperly transacted, frauds arc
rendered easy and an opportunity readily
afforded for the offer of brides on the part
of merchants for special privileges among
which may be included the privilege of
defrauding the government. That these
frauds are being committed almost daily is
beyond question but to Phelps, Dodge &
Co. belongs the credit of inventing new
excuse therefor They said, in substance :
it is true our goods have been undervalucd
passed through the custom house, that the
government is so much out, and we 80 much
in, but 1t would never have been known
but for discharged clerk" In other
words, you having received information in
reference to our wrong dongs through him,
our good name must be sustained, and the
discharged clerk" frowned down. From
that day to this, in every case of alleged or
real attempts to defraud the government,
the alleged guilty parties cry discharged
clerk" A new case was brought to light
in New York, Saturday, wherein it is
alleged that large importing house have
been, for years, engaged in defrauding the
revenue. This was accomplished by brib.
ing the weigher, who would, for instance,
return, for the payment of duties, eight
thousand bushels of salt instead of ten
thousand bushels as was actually received
The explosion came when 1t was discovered