American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-28


nuity of those buzzards of prey who destroy
property and reputation without conjunction
of conscience. The events OF the last TWO
years in New York and Boston prove one OF
two thipgs-either that our revenue laws and
the mode of collecting the revenue are rad
| ically defective and should be amended and
| repealed, or that the Government has placed
men to administer those laws VINO are q dis-
grace to the country
| The evil is terrible, and should be at once
| eradicated. 1t is well to understand that this
question in way involves the tariff, though
| il NAV emanate from it, 1t Is immaterial for
| the purposes of its consideration whether the
duties on imports are high o. low. The evils
| of which complain are in the collection
| laws and in their execution by officials and
| agents subordinate TO the Treasury Depart
ment.
The system of allowing moieties to inform
ers and spies is not new thing in this coun-
try. Ii has existed as long as the Government
itself. 1t was Incorporated into the second
Tariff act, enacted March 2, 1879, after the or
ganization of the Government At that time
| there was good reason for its adoption. We
had no revenue cutter system, the Custom
Houses were poorly organized and without an
established system for the collection Of the
duty upon imports. The evasion of the reve-
| nue. laws was confined exclusively to Snug
Cling. This was the only process at that time
adopted by those who sought to defraud the
Government by the introduction of foreign
goods without the payment of duty. The I'M
dervaluation Of invoices and the more modern
tricks at deception had not been thought OF.
Hence there was good reason for the allowance
of n liberal perqlIisite to those who underwent
the hazard and experienced the danger and
difficulties of seizing smuggled goods. The
coast was wild, Custom House officials but few
| in number, and the Government very properly
took this means of inducing Others TO exercise
| a vigilance by offering them moiety of the
seizures. This law, drawn by Alexander
Hamilton, originated IN TINS country the sys
| tenn of moietirg which has existed ever
since. The subsequent laws OF 1865 and 1867
have but aggravated the difficulty without
aiding the revenue. The law OF 1867 changed
the moieties allowed and provided for The
seizure of books and papers. The history of
this law of 1867 is that one week before the
adjournment of Congress on the 4th of
March, 1867, such bill had not been intro
first appearance in the Senate on the
25th of February, 1857, and was
| rushed through the House asl 1t passed
| the Senate, at midnight of Sunday, March 3.
with two minutes debate. By this law the
provisions of several preceding acts, intended
| for the protection of an honest importer,
were repealed, and most extraordinary powers
conferred upon the Collector and his subor
dinates in the prosecution OF importers in the
| collection of fines and penalties. The Col
lector is made the judge as to the intent Of
| the importer In all cases of seizure, although
he is at the same time an interested party in
| the coniscation Of the goods alleged to be
undervalued
CONCLUSION
have thus briefly presented some OF the
errors for which the Republican party Is re-
| sponsible. Were to give them all, q days
| time would be consumed in the enumeration.
/ To that party and the Congress and Admins
| tration il has created may be charged all the
| public evils of the times well as the general
private destitution and paralysis Of trade. 1t
| has dffused throughout the nation erroneous
| and pernicious ideas of the nature of our gov
eminent and taught the rising generation that
wealth and happiness. It has deprecated
morals and taught that by pretext OF phian-
| thropy. Christianity and temperance the
| greatest public crimes could be committed
and receive. condonement in consequence
By its policy our great national re-
sources have not been developed on a
sound principle of production. Extrava-
gance, profgacy, decentralization and gen.
erai instability peryade , the 2, whole body
| Nothing is stable in property. We have
| neither permanently nor safety. The earnings
of life of probity and purity offer no security
placed in office. To satisfy its thirst for gain
| and to continue its party dominancy all men
and all things must fall, IL necessary, the great
leading object being power and plumber. These
| two words comprise the motto on the banner
under which it fights, and by which it expects
| to maintain power.
IN conclusion 1 present a series of allega-
tions duplicating this party. defy contra
\
one of them:
| 1. Through the government of its creation
| 1t has maintained a large standing army at
/ great expense during time Of peace.
2. 1t has issued and continued y deprecated,
irredeemabe paper currency called legal ten
ders, without taxing one step toward redemp-
| ton.
8. 1t has usurped by force the State author
despotism and reputation Of their moneyed
| obligations.
4. 1t has increased the civil list from a 500
persons in 1S6Oto 81. GEO persons in 1873.
| s. 1t has instituted a system of espionage
and oppression in the execution of the reve-
nue. laws which has resulted in epriching Gus
tom-House and other officials without aiding
| the public Treasury.
g. II ha, created and maintained direct tax
alton which, until its advent to power, has
been unknown in this country since the Close
of the American Revolution.
T. 1t has sfealthily absorbed the whole gov
ernmental power of the country at the Federal
capital, until all State interests are made sub
servient and dependent upon its will.
.. 1t has driven from circulation gold and
silver, the only constitutional medium, and
notwithstanding its large receipts in coin from
customs, duties and mines does nothing to-
| ward its restoration.
/ 8. In disregard of the policy adopted by
| other leading nations, it has permitted the ex-
port to foreign countries of about 81, 600, 600,
600 of the precious metals, instead Of retain
ing it here for its necessities and the restora-
ton of 4 sound currency.
| 10. IL has increased the salaries of all Of
ficisls, including that of the President, which
it still maintains, though industries are op-
pressed and poverty goes starving through
our streets.
IL. Il has maintained protective tariff in
the interest of class, to the detriment of the
whole people.
i IL. It has, since 1869, anticipated the pub
lie debt not due for twenty years, and paid
$40, 0OO, 600 for the privilege of doing 20, al
though the immediate Obligations of the Gov
eminent were dishonored and the Treasury ie
| now exhausted.
J IL. 1t has inaugurated a fatal policy In it,
treatment Of the lsdians-part peace and part
war-by dealing out moral suasiOn to the
most warlike aud certain death to the most
peaceful, thus adding to the difficulties anC
expenses of a proper settlement Of this seri
Gus question.
tent of the prOhigacy and extravagance OF it,
horde of officials it pretends the establishment
of rule of civil-service reform, which 1t ap
plies altogether to few clerks In Washington
where there are no votes to be had, but IL
nores elsewhere where party service az q re
ward for Office is required.
Is 1t has difTused erroneous ideas OF thu
nature Of our government to the youthful
and uniformed, and taught by example
I general looseness of public and private mo
rality which tends to subvert the permanent,
of our institutions and lOosens the founda
tion stones of social order and public well
being
7 Two Kinds of Industry.
E l HAVE known two kinds of industriOu
Y farmers do not include the sluggish
/ and nepliPent But of the real hare