, 1874-05-06
ia pronounced very nearly like tho English word
" "shirta," substituting the sound as ADORE.
THE HANBORN CONTRACTS.

upon the blaokmaillug Banborn contracts, which
WAS printed in THE TRIBUNE Of yesterday, moro
than confirms the charges upon which the iu-
vostieatfon "as based, and develops An utter
looAcncss in the administration OF tho Inv, snd
An Indifference to pa1pabia echemos Of corruption
and plundcr, which arc surprising oven 1t this
day when dishoncBty is tho rule. There arc four
prominent faots developed by this report WHICH
show tho extent aud nnbluahing character Of
sanborn'a operations. aud the manner iu which
they "oro wInked 1t In The Treasury Dcpart-
ment
I. On the 9th Of June, 1872 In conformity with
tho ls", Secretary Boutwell, directed that parties
applying for contracts should sct forth In
written statement, under oath to DO held In his
Office uae character in detnil OF the claim, tho
natno Of the person, firm, or corporation With
holding money, the laws by violation Of which
tho money has boon withheld, aud tho ovidcnco
by which the claim is to bo supported; upon
upon such terms and conditions as ho shall
doom bost for tho intorosts Of tho United
Htatos." This order vas peraistent1y ignored
aud not even recognized by Sanborn Al worthy
of a momonts consideration. When ho applied
for bis railroad contract. he furnished list Of
592 railroad companies taken from annsnua1, and,
a. .ho afterwards confessed, had knowledge Of
tho delinquency Of only 100 Of thom, The Treasury
oflcists themselves required no affidavit, but
simply told him 1t mado no difference, and to
"put them all in" Acting on this advice, ho
not only put nj tho railroads in, but ho put
everything else In. Banks. lnsuranco compA-
niou and mercantile frma wero put in by the
wholesale, aud thus his contract, which only
callod for tho collection Of buck taxea whore a
delinquency was known to exist, WAS in reality
distorted into permit to place every morcan-
tile firm and corporation undor suspicion, to
aoizo their books and papers, and to black
mail them. Undor this Illegal and mon-
stroua construction Of his contract, In which
he WAS aided and abetted BY the careleasness Of
Treasury ofloinls. his power Tas absolute, and
oven more comprehensive than that Of the Inter-
nal Revenue Bureau itaelf.
q. The Law under which these contracts mere
made provides for the employment Of three per-
aons to assist tho proper olicers In discovering
aud co1lectipg,-tho proper officers, Of coursc,
being tho Informal Reyonue officers, s,-whilo
the contracts provide that tho contract
ors may "proceed to COLLECT thus ig-
norlng tho Internal Revenue Bureau Alto
gether. Instead Of ganborn's assisting the In
tornh Rovonue Department. tho Internal Rev-
n l. A. - g., ,hn-r.
Tho Secretary Of the Treasury coolly ignored the
| agency Of tho Commissioner of Internal Rev.
| anuo. The whole power of tho Internal ReV-
! enue Bureau, as we'll rs the whole machinery Of
tho Government for the collection Of taxes, was
| placed ut his disposal. Orders were issued to
Supervisors and Collectors OF Revenue to aid him.
| Agents Of 8anborn, who were not employees Of
| tho Government, wero empowered to demand the
| rsices Of ofboera Of tie Revenue Bureau, and
= seoret-aorvice detective vaa commissioned by
tho Solicitor Of the Treasury and place d at San
born's disposal. Thus, in the first place, be was
authorized, contrary to lar, to blaokmail in
| every direction In the next place, hs WAS pro-
vided With every appliance in the RESOURCES of
| tho Government to carry on biz infamous bust
meas.
8. Thus armed and equipped, with the whole
Treasury Department. at bis back, and tho whole
Internal Revenue Bureau At his command, It IL
not matter Of surpriao that 8anbosn mado 4
good thing out Of it. The report says; ut IL
tho opinion Of tho Committee that very large
percentage, il not MI at tho s487,000 OF the
taxes collected by sanborn, wore not proper
subject Of contract under the law, aud that these
taxes Rhould and would have been col
lected by tho officers Of tho Intornae
Revenue Bureau in tho ordinary discharge
of their dutlos." Tho elasticity OF this contrae
IL shown by the fact that, When supervisor
Hawley and Simmons collected 80, 900 from cor
tain ta1eR imposed by the Revenue laws, and MOI
included in Banborn's contract or any other con
tract, he put in hiB claim for 50 por cent Of ths
collection, aud tho claim WAS allowed.
4. Who was responsible for this permission t
override the proper officers Of tho Government,
to uAurp their powers, to ignore the law, and Il
practice blaoknail With impunity7 Upon thi,
point the report Of tho Committee glvos no hin t
but ut the same time it displays laxity In th'
manner Of conducting business IN tho TEeasur,
Department. Which ought to bring down tn
. seyerebt cSnsure upon Ill concerned irrespeotiv
Of sny copsiderstions OF corruption. The Com
mittee had before them esoo1etary Of tho Treas
usy, the Assistant Secretary, md tho Solicitor
The Secretary waa entirely ignorant "a to th
manner Of making tho contracts. tho admiuistta
tion Of the Inv, or evon the provisions Of th
law, aud affixed his signature to papera whic
, came to him as mere matter Of routine. I'll
: Assistant Secretary Was equally ignorant on th
same points, aud affixed bis signature in til
, aamc manner. The Solicitor shifted all respor
sibilty, and shielded himself behind the o1cua
, that he was obeylng the orders OF his superic
officer. How long would suoh loosenoe
and Ignorance be endured In priyat
, husiness7 Thus the most reckless caro- 1essnes
, and la1ity went hand in hand with rascallty. an
p aided and protected it In its schemes Of plunt1e