American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-02
An HOnored Special Agent.

When Tom Murphy resigned his post
as Collector of Customs at the port OF
New York he received a letter from the
President, in which he was cOmpllmented
for the zeal with which he had discharged
the duties of his office and received as
surances from the President of his es-
pecial regard. The merchants with whom
Murphy had from his position been'ln in
innate business relations were glad that
he had retired from the Custom House,
which, with him at its head, had been
largely made use of as a political ma
chine, but the President viewed only with
regret the severance of official relations
with an individual who had on more than
one occasion proved himself boon COM
panion. Genial Tom Murphy might well
snap his fingers at the complaining mer-
chants of New York and sneer at the
civil service reformers after the magnln-
cent Endorsement he received at the hands
of the Chief Magistrate. 1t appears that
there is some one in high position
in Washington who thinks as favorably
of ex-Special Agent jayne as the Presi-
dent did of Tom Murphy-perhaps, in
deed, it may again be the President.
The obnoxious head of the gang of
spies and informers harbored by the New
York Custom House, and who bounded
down merchants with an ardOr and de-
termination which have scarcely a paral-
lei, some time since concluded that his
position was becoming uncomfortable,
and in order to relieve himself as much
as possible forwarded his resignation to
Washington. The Geographic dispatches
published Friday morning announce that
the resignation had been accepted and
that the letter of acceptance compliments
Jayne upon his zeal in protecting the in
terests of the Government. How happy
the reception of this must have made the
Special Agent. The merchants of New
York have risen almost as one man IN
protest at the nefarious manner in which
he conducted operations. He has been
denounced as blackmailer, and prosecu-
lions have been instituted against him to
recover moneys out of which he Is alleged
to have fieeced merchants without ever
turning it over to the Government He
has admitted himself that many of his
acts, even if done under color of law, were
yet contrary to the first principles of JUS
tice, and that at least some of the
firms who were made to feel a
taste of his quality are subjected to in
tolerable hardships. Self-confessedly a
man who stopped to anything and who
hesitated at nothing to fasten charge
upon merchant by which he could come
rewarded for his baseness by compli-
ment for his faithfulness. As if faithful
ness ON the part of an official servant con-
sisted in keen scent for plunder-in the
amassing of a large fortune in short
time by unjustifable raids upon mer-
chants.
Murphy and Jayne have been singled
out from their fellows for especial marks
of consideration from the Administration,
yet it would be difficult TO name two men
who voluntarily retired from offices they
held who more richly merited sharp
rebuke. But it is the practice of the
present Administration to honor men who
least deserve it. Its special pets and
proteges are to be found in the Murphys,
Caseys, Packards, Leets, Stockings, San
borns, Simmonses and Jaynes.-Detroit
Free Press.