New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-05

Government has laid the temptation in his
way. and offered him large reward If he
would be rogde and we think it is very
dirty work for any government to be engaged
in.
The scandalous abuses of our system of
revenue seizures have repeatedly been brought
to the notice of Congress. More than year
and a half ago they were discussed IN the
reports of the CustOm-house Investigating
Committee The inquiries of that Committee
were prosecuted in spirit of intense parti-
sanship, and the disclosures presented by them
were soon forgotten in the angry political dIs-
cushions which were then raging In regard
TO the present system OF seizures, however
all the six members of the Committee
agreed. The Administration majority and
the Democratic minority were equally
emphatic in denouncIng it. The ma
iorty members, Senators Buckingham
Pratt Howe. and Stewart, advised the appoint
ment of commission to revise the whole
service. "Moieties,n they said, E" should not
be allowed to officers of the customs except
Z" in the case of struggled goods seized.' TO
prevent undervaluations and Irregularities is a
part of their ordinary duty, for which they
receive a salary. " The Government should
mot bride them to be defrauded by holding
CUP to them great fortunes for detecting the
fraud. The husbandman who pays his har-
"vester meagor salary for gathering grain,
but offers him one-half for cleaning all that
4" his own rake passes over, should not he
~ ..,.~.:.ol hat h;s IN kos
slOvenly."
The minority report of Senator's Bayard and
Casserly was still more vigorous in its
language on this branch Of the subject. After
exposing the injustice of the impOunding and
ransacking of books and papers, the report
goes on:
This system OF division OF fines, forfeitures, ana
penalties among the officers Of the revenue has we
repeat n most demorazing influence. In the fret
place the necessary result il that the efforts or tue
officers directed TO the discovery ana proven
ton OF fraud but interests naturally lead Ihem 10
encourage commission OF fraud IN order 70 seize
upon the fruits OF accomplishment II the ounce OF
prevention is worth the pound OF cure in any case IN
none would the maxim apply so strongly as IN THESE
alleged frauds upon the revenue. Jayhe
admits that he has paid money to merchants Tor IN
formation against other merchants, and that he has
bribed the clerks and other confidential employees OF
merchants to disclose the most private affairs of their
employers Can such denominations "a these be Justned
by the pretense that they are meant 10 puisu auu'
upon the reyenuei Who will not say that the remedy
is worse than the diseased What security Is there tnat
the bookkeeper clerk suborned by the inforner
shall not make such entries in the books OF the mer-
chant unknown to him. would be proof almost con-
elusive of crlminalityl Such system would honeyoomD
society with fraud and discrimination, aud Danish all
confidence between men"
1t does not seem to us that Congress can
afford to disregard any longer the protests OF
both parties and of all practical men of affairs
against this mischievOus system. The useful
ness of the Custom house as political insti-
tuition, and of the seizure plan especially as
means of rewardng partisan activity, has
hitherto stood in the way of reform. Now,
however, when political partisanshp has
"almOst ceased to exist, especially in the agrl-
cultural regions" there is a good opportunity
to make a fresh effort for that revision and
remodeling of the service which the four Adj
ministration Senators recommended year and
a half ago.