The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-04-10
s3HisrtHanenns.
THE sANBoRN CASE.

The following from the New York
| Tribune presents the law and the facts
| in the mOiety cases, so plainly, that we
| give it without abbreviation.
When the House of Representatives
last February called upon the Secretary
of the Treasury for the documents bear
ing upon the contracts made under this
law. Mr.. Richardson strangely kept back
some important papers Of which we
have just obtained knowledge. 1t ap-
pears that few days after the passage
OF the bill person who had discovered
that Il certain land grant railroad was
indebted TO the Government in the sum
OF about $1,000. 010. fled the required
af!idaviTs. ;ud applied for contract TO
collect tie money. But this person did
not understand tie game. His aPplica-
ton was not granted, nor has the debt
ever been recovered. Ii was privately
arranged that this enormous monopoly
should De given 10 Gen. Buffers man
Sanburn. although fora short yiire other
persons - Kelsey. Elber5. Clark. and
Camphpii-were allowed. perhaps. for
The sake Of appearance. 10 try their
prentice hands. The understanding ;us
that SaHborn should freeze OUT the
informerS. WHO had already gone on the
track of certain frauds. and should then
take possession oi eases already in the
hands Of the regular officers, act aS the
medium for turning the money over to
the Treasury. and retain forEiS services
fifty per cent. of the gross proceeds. Ac-
coriin.ly the law granting Huirtie- To III
formers in internal revenue eases was re-
peaief in June, and Il few weeks later
Afr. Sauborn made his first contract with
tile Treasury. iuforIHers, with valuable
clues IN Tlie r p; session. suddenly found
themselves at the mercy of SaHbUrn and
Butler Tie fortunes upon which they
had counted vanished in the air. The
money which tlIeir hands were stretched
out To grasp turned out To be dead I"aves.
They sold out for mere TTiiie TO the new
mOnOpCliSt>, who seemed to have 10
difficulty in getting from the Ieyart-
ment any privilege they asked for. When
ever he applied for q contract cover
ing hundreds OF names Of persons
and corpO but giving no
particulars OF the indebtrdueSS or tie
evidence upon which hc depended. it
was granted as a matter of course. If
In any case there was tie slightest hes
itatiOn or inquiry. the least effort to de-
terinine whether the taxes lie proposed
to collect We're already iii tie hands of
the regular officers. no trace thereof ap-
pears in the official correspondence.
On the contrary. it is clear that the tax
lists were taken out of the hands of the
collectors. and corruptly transferred ac-
cording to previous secret understand
ing. 10 this private farmer OF the reve-
nue..
1T viii he remembered that the law
authorized the Secretary OF the Treas
ury to employ private persons TO assist
the proper officer" III discovering
and collecting taves wrOngfully with
held: and il was urged by its apOiOgiSts
In Congress. that It's object was To recOy-
er money which the Government could
not reach by it. ordinary agencies. The
very first act OF the Treasury Depart
ment under the contract exposed rhe
dishonesty of the pretansc. and the
fraudulent character of the whole ar-
rangement. Mr.. Boutwell, issued Il gen
eral order to supervisors and collectors
to assist John u. SanbOn. and 10
place the records of their offices at his
disposal. From these records SanbOTn
obtained the names included in his con
tract. The Solicitor Of the Treas
ury next instructed the District
Attorneys to give notice to the cOllec-
tors mot to receive payment in ce-eS
embraced in Mr.. Sanborn's contract"
and authorized them to institute suits
at Mr.. Sanborn's reqU>t. Sanborn was
TO pay their fees Out of his money. and
it has been learned that the cOmpensi-
ton OF the Di~trict-Att0rney under this
bargain was i've per cent. though un-
der the law H. only received two per
cent. SanbCTn now proceeded 20 Use
the regular collectors and supervisors a.
his -rbCrd;natcs. causing them 10 col
lrct the taxes from the Information in
their OWE Offices. and TO hand the
amount 10 him. when L. paid haii into
the Treasury, and retained tie rest In
other words. he intercepted the taxes
on their way To Washington. and the
Secretary OF the Treasury allowed lin
to charge fifty per cent. for that very
predetermined service. In several cases
htri~ shown 10 have received This CON-
mission upon payment, with which he
had not even a nominal or apparent con
necJion: in the Phelps ease iie induced
the collector 70 insist upon the paymeut
of Il tax not Vet due. 80 that he cOuld
pocket half Of il: and there Is the
grave~t reason 70 believe that when TAX
- We're voluntarily paid 70 the Secreta-
~. without Sanborn'- knowledge. some
body in the Department Immediately
sent him word. 20 that H. could write
an official lettar, pretending 10 ''inclo-a"
the check which wa~ already in the
Treasury. and demanding his fifty per
cent. We are ashamed 10 say thar the
demand se"Ius 20 have been promptly
aud invariaLlE cnmpIied with.