The Republican journal., 1874-03-12
Shocking Government Extortion.

Shocking Government Extortion.
The document sent to Congress by the
Secretary of the Treasury will afford the
people OF the country much light on the
practical operations of the revenue sys-
tenn This report is in answer to reSo-
lutioa calling for a statement OF the
money paid within the last four and a half
wears in settlement of the claims OF the
United States for violation of the revenue
| laws at New York and Boston. In New
Iork about three thousand five hundred
cases are given. with the names of the de-
linqucnts, with the amount OF indebted
ness. and the names OF the lntOrmantS
and the amounts awarded to them and to
the collector, surveyor and naval officer
Of the port The smaller sums range
| from $40 to 81 900. The gross proceeds
in these cases of revenue violation We're
81. PIC. 39l, duties 1924 IA, costs and cN-
penScS s234 l04 The total amount paid
into the Treasury was S3,.53.5l2 OF
this the Collector received his share to
the enormous amount of S401 20; Naval
Officers, 1924 ,Ojs; Surveyor, 1891, 2l3;
informers, S1lG,24S After the dlstrlbu-
ton among informerS and government
officials, amounting to Sl,S3S,1GS, the
share of the United States remaining IN
the Treasury was 81 ,9l4,145. The profit
of the government is by no means com
mensurate with the cost of maintaining
this demoralizing and dishonorahlc spy
system for the propagation and encour-
agement of breed OF informers and
blackmailers Special Agent Jayne IS
the most richly rewarded of these inform
ers, his profits amounting 10 not less than
| a quarter OF a million.
Prominent in this statement is the case
of Phelps, Dodge Il Company, whose de-
linquency is put down at S21l.0l1. The
costs and expenses OF recovery in this case
amounted TO s.. 145. Government lntormer
JAYNE received 500, 71S as his share OF the
plumber of this respectable firm. and the
| Collector, Surveyor and Naval Officer,
S21 9OG each In the meantime Phelps.
Dodge K Company protest their innocence
of any intention to detrand the govern
ment. and insist that they have been made
1 the victims of confused and contradictory
LEGISLATION, of the unjust decisions OF the
treasury department, and of the cnpidlty
and greed Of government spies and in
formers A system which breeds the cor
ed bv the secretary OF the treasury should
not be tolerated One of its worst features
consists in the eNtortion and robbery OF
honest merchants whose books are fire.
uuently seized on the information of 4
clerk who has been discharged for dishon-
estY. and who would rather submit to the
black mail of the officials than undergo
still further extortiOn in resisting payment
of unjust claims.
Since the report by the Secretary, the
WAYS and Means Committee have had the
matter under consideration. On Thursday
of last week Mr.. Dodge, OF the firm
named, appeared and made a full state
ment and explanation. He said he was
seventy years old, had been an importer
for about fifty years, and had paid the
government fifty million dollars of duty.
His good name and that Of his firm had
never been assailed until it was done by
government officers. One OF the clerks of
the firm was bribed by Jayne or his asso-
ciates to give information Of anything that
would enable them to entangle the con-
Germ and fleece them. When all was
ready the trap was sprung. The law is
such that for every invoice in which the
least differentiation occurs, a very large
penalty is exacted. After a laborious
scrutiny through all the books, that had
been seized for the purpose, they could, in
all the firms immense business, make ont
but SlG5S due the government, but this
was in so many different invoices, that the
united penalties amounted to 81 200, 900
Mr.. Dodge claimed that these tritling
errors were unavoidable. He could offset
it by over valuations amounting to SO ,500,-
; 600. But this was not permitted. With a
suit for the whole amount held as a pistol
at their heads, the firm paid $27l 900 as a
compromise. OF this sum Jayne got his
share During the recital Of this case OF
worse than highway robbery, this respect
able merchant was so overcome that he
shed tears. 1t is hoped and believed that
: the result of this investigation will be the
adoption OF new laws and regulations,
which will give less facilities to such out
rageous conspiracies and iegalizrd rob-
berry.
The Maine Farmer is discussing the use
of porgie chum as feed for sheep Heay-
ems, what a flavor that would give to a
mutton chop.
An account Of Capt. Stnrtivant's meet
ing at Rockport, that should have come to
hand in season for last weeks paper, was
too late The captain had a rousing house
and gratified audience One hundred and
sixty-two signed the pledge, and $3.50
was contributed to the Allen Mission.
The Rockport Cornet BaEd furnished mu-
sic on the occasion
-Ex-President Fillmore died at Butfa-
10, on Saturday He was born in Cayuga
County in 1900, learned the fuller's trade,
and atterward studied law. He was Sic
cessively representative in the legislature,
Congressman, Comptroller, Vice Presi-
dent and by the death of Gen Taylor,
became President in 1850.