The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-30
Ghe 9ailg Arens,
Independent an Eoerythiaag.
Defau1ter Va. Disti,ier

SAeAsSA Vs. OlsLlller.
Ex-Collector of Internal Revenue John
L: Harper, of Springfield, ILL.,, the man
who footed MIR. Logan's bill during the
Senatorial contest in 1871, subscribed ST.
600 to the Grant campaign fund in 1872,
and defaulted for $l07 900 in 1873. has re-
turned from Canada under a pledge of
immunity to testify in the suits against the
Pekin distillers and his late deputy and is
no longer
A wandering Harper scorned and Door.
The Republican officials have in his case
made a remarkable divergence from ordin-
airy procedure 1t is usually the custom
to take the evidence of the accessory
against the principal, but here the chief
thief is pardoned on condition that he will
aid in securing the conviction of his instru
ments. What would have been. thought
had Tweed and Garvey been permitted to
change their positions, and the ex-chair-
maker, with a r,otte pros in his pocket,
lifted up his testimony against the ex-plas
terer? There is no doubt that the Pekin
distillers obtained stamps on credit. de-
frauded the government of about 5000. :
600, gave bonds which were purposelv de
fectiVe, and cooked their books as if thew
had been those of savings bank. But there
| is no doubt that Harper connived at all
their practices, and profited by them, since
by pretending that the distillers were in
debt he eluded discovery as a defaulter,
| By the agency of this defaulter the gov
ernment expects to recover 100000 from
the bondsmen of the distillers, in consider
alton whereof it valves all claims to the
$l07,OOO stolen by him. IF the United
States authorities were so anxious upon
the subject of bondsmen, why were Mr..
Harper's sureties permitted to make over
their property and put themselves beyoyd
the reach of the law? Is it better to lose
$107, 1000 by defaulting collector or $780,
600 by dishonest distiller? Two. thirds Of
the American people will prefer the latter
SO that justice be done in the other instance
Because our revenue system, with it,
appanage of spies, informers and black
mailers, is largely responsible for the
frauds perpetrated or attempted to be com
mitted upon it. We are prepared to heal
that the distiller is deceiving or corruptine
the official. but we should not be prepared
to learn that the official is in partnership
with the distiller. We object to having
in classical phrase-to watch the watch
man. To mulct the merchant is, after all
only to bring about one contingency purel,
commercial, for which he was undoubtedl,
prepared, and neither to deter others in tn,
promising future nor punish him for tn
profitable past. But to recover his boot
from the defaulter. and secure his disgrace
and incarceration, is to exert decided ant
healthy influence upon others Hence w
regret that Mr. Harperis to appear agains
the distillers
The facts that the Federal ring in Illinoi
dares not proceed against Harper 1t
{ members are not anxious that he shout
say how much of the funds of the Govern
mept was wasted in grain gambling, ho'
many thousands of dollars fonnd their wa
to the pockets of politicians, how man
checks went without the shallow precautio
, of change into currency from the Collie,
tor 8 office to the national bank, there to b
applied to private purposes. So the cou
edy of prosecution which will be contir
ued till the September term and then az
journed to the Greek Kalends is played
Meanwhile the farmers of Illinois will cor
tribute 100000 bushels of corn to max
up Mr.. Harper's shortage, and the journa
of the Administration will plead in mitig
. ton that he was "a genial and popui;
. man" and companion of the martyre
D President" There is a Scriptural prec
dent for the salvation of the Magdalen-
qua multam dn,dcit; we can hardly stret(
, it to include in forgiveness and honor d
, faulter just because he snapped" stori
with dead President and set 'em VI
for living one.-N Y. World,