New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-24

should be administrable. Additions suptrac-
tons, divisions, and reductions innumeraDie
have been made by successive congresses
until the patchwork has grown 80 incongru,
GUS and overlaid with fragments new ana oio
that none of the original fabric can be dis-
covered. Yet, superficial people, when the
difficulties and burdens of such scheino Oh
law attract their attention, exclaim-A"ay
with the Tariff
The principle of Protection needs neither
defense nor explanation. 1t is already 700
firmly fixed in popular estimation 10 require
any special pleading But it does neea I"
coherent. compact and easily intelllgiD'e
tauff. Az we have said, it also needs las
every principle of good governments doesy an
honest and intelligent administration. IL ls
unnecessary to say that almost every law may
be made machine of oppression or roDDery'
The bad hands which are required for sucn
peryersion of Justice are readily found. Inc
system of official appointment and proino'on
into which we have been gradually ori,'ms
supplies all the evil instruments. WIN nun
est and high-minded men sitting In inc re-
CENT of customs, who doubts that we shoulu
hear small complaint even of our present
cumbrous code of tariff laws On the Other
hand the dark passages, rambling CLAUSES
and turnings and windings OF an intricate
structure of law make admirable refuge 1or
rascals of every grade. Shall we destroy the
building utterly or reconstruct 1t 7
Two fatal weaknesses appear in the
practice of tho Government relating to i'm
ports. The first is the principle OF ad
valorem duties; the second is the system or
compromises. Under the first there Is an
invitation to fraud by dishonest importers !;
and also, an encouragement to Interested
officers and informers to lodge false informa-
ton, distort facts, and pervert an honest lnten-
ton. Most of the frauds against tho customs
are committed by differentiation. Nearly every
act of oppression inflicted on importersls reached
through the same system. Specific duties would
forever end all this. The practice OF COM
promising with alleged criminals against the
customs laws virtually transfers from the courts
to the Treasury Department the adjudication
of questions which do not belong there. This
is an enormous and growing evil. 1t Is utterly
at war with every principle OF fundamental
law, as well as with the early practice of the
Government. Moreover. the compromise sys-
tenn has infected the whole commercial inter-
est of the nation. 1t has substituted restltu-
ton for punishment. 1t has put the matter OF
dollars and cents before the interests OF out
ragged law and violated public morality.
Who ever hears of penal statutes re-
lating to Illicit trade being enforcedf These
statutes ore on the book but the arrested and
convicted culprit always gets off by disgorg-
ing part of his spoils. This manner of com
promise holds good all through the customs
laws. 1t is managed exclusively by few
Treasury officials; and it has set up for a
popular method of adjustment this rule
Take the rsscals plumber and let him go.
These are some of the existing legal deiicien-
cies. Shall we, therefore, CRY Down with the
lawst