The Placer herald., 1874-06-20
ROTTEN, ROTTENER.

formers, etc., in Custom Revenue cases,
which was passed when the country was
convulsed with direful civil war, when
reason in the best minds was confused, and
excitement ran away with mems judgment,
as war necessity, is still in force, with
slight amendments, and the evils which it
has worked, and the stealing, swindling
and defraudng practices to which it has
opened the way, are, in their nature, so
outrageous that even the Sanborn Contract
affair, vile as it was. will only compare
with some of these damnable acts. The
workings of the law is well illustrated by
Hon. J. b. Beck, of Kentucky, in speech
in the Honse, on the 10Th ult., favorng its
repeal. He cites various cases to show
how special agents and Custom, House Of
fcers have been in the practice, by bribery
or other foul means, of manufacturing
charges against the most honest and inno-
cent parties, for the purpose of soaring
them, and then offering to compromise the
matter for, in some cases, between one and
two hundred thousand dollars; which parties,
finding the law against them, would often
pay, to get out of the trouble, and the
money would be divided among special
agents, Custom House officers, bribedl wit
nesses. etc. One case is cited, that of
Philips. Dodge & Co., of New York, which
develops villainy unsurpassed on any Grim
nal record. The firm had carried on busi-
ness for forty years, in that time paying
$50 900, 900 to the Government in duties,
and their integrity had never been question
ed. But they had a thief in their employ,
who had their confidence, and full access to
all their books This fellow was bribed by
the Custom House officers and Special
Agent, Jayne, to mulilate the hooks Of his
employers, by making false entries, such as
would suit the thieves in making case,
and also to steal the private papers of the
firm. The work went on for some time.
until a sure case was fixed up, when the
| members of the firm were summoned to
appear before Special Agent, Jayne, who
proceeded to their unutterable aston sh-
ment, to state to them that che was sorry
to be obliged to say that the Government
was in possession of facts to show that they
had been engaged, for series of years, in
deliberate attempts to defraud the revenue; +;
and that it had been done first, by system
attic perjury in connection with the Custom
House oaths, and secondly, by false and
duplicate invoices" He then went on to
state that besides the fine for such crime,
"the false invoices would be entirely for
feted." And new, said he, 81 have a
warrant ready to take possession of your
books and papers. Thus in possession Of
the fixed up books and papers, they pre-
sented claims for S1,750,000. This case,
as may be supposed, was fought for a while,
but hen the firm saw that their own books
and papers were fixed up against them, they,
of course, readily agreed to a compromise,
by paying s271 900, half of which sum
was divided by the robbers among them
selves, and the other half paid to the Gov
ernment. And then, as testimony developed
this same villain, who had ds6gured the
books which it was his sworn and moral
duty to keep correct, with view, for the
sake of a share in the spos, to ruin his
benefactors, was, at tie time of the inv as'i-
CATION (and may be now), comfortably pro
vided with fat Office in the money depart
ment of the New York Post office. This
il an instance to illustrate the treatment
which those received who tried to be honest.
But the dishonest shared better, for, as
Jayne testified, great many got Their goods
through the Custom House without paying
anything to the Government, provided they
paid liberal amounts to the officers. And
he also stated that when complaint had been
made to headquarters, of the officers thus
receiving brbes at the expense of the Gov
eminent. no notice lad been taken of the
matter, but the othcels had been allowed l'
90 on, and are still going on in the same
practices. This is further evidence to show
the infamous condition Of our Government
under the present administration. The con
dition of things is certainly most terrible tt
contemplate. Nothing can be turned over
with which tile Federal Government has It
deal, but what seems to be rotten 10 its sur
face. ready to break through when touched
filling the whole atmosphere with a fou
stencil. And the custom houses, as MIR
Beck says, the testimony proves, and prove
conclusively. ARE "political dens supported b.
fraud. corruption and extorlion upon th
commerce of the country" And, AS Bee
further says. "these things ought not to be