The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-13
MOiTIEs, lNEORMERS, Err.

There is no doubt that II large proportion
Of the better sentiment of the country is
opposed to the ''moiety SYSTEM as it is
called, in connection with the collection of
the revenue and to all its attendant hordes
OF spies and informers. 1t may be proper
10 explain that the word 'moicty' is not,
necessarily or always, used in its true
meaning of ''One-half," but is used to in
dictate that system by which certain pro-
portion of fines, penalties and forfciturcs is
paid to infOrmers or elsewhere other than
in the public treasury Whether the pre-
sent Congress do away With the whole
system or not, this feeling of opposition
is constantly increasing in volume, force
and strength, and the time is not far dis
,ant when the whole system will be wiped
from our statute books, and violators of
revenue laws will be detected, dealt with
and proceeded against as the viOlators of
other laws. Public opinion has been
drawn to this subjecs by the Phelps,
Dodge Il Co. case, by the disclosures of
such men as Jayne, the wealth accumu-
lated by special agents and informers, the
enormous fees, or 'moities," received by
certain officers connected with the collec-
ton of the revenue and the prosecution of
otfenscs against these laws, and by the cx-
tra"rdinary contracts made with Sanborne
and others, Every one of these transac-
tions may have been strictly legal-nnless
1t should turn out as is charged, that there
has been connivance on the part of San
borne, Jayne and other men of that class.
with those entrusted with the collection of
the revenue, whereby "moties" might ac-
crue-but after all they smack some
what OF oppression, somewhat of the
French police system, and somewhat more
of vindictye persecution than of legitimate
prosecution. 1t is, moreover, little diff
cult to avoid slight suspicion that there
might possibly have been conniyance,
when we read over the items Of taxes col
lected by Sanhorne for which he received
one half. Take, for instance, the taxes on
dividends made by railroad companies. 1t
was matter of common notoriety that
such dividends had been declared and paid.
The fact was published as news by the
press, and advertised by the companies
The internal revenue officers of the proper
district must have known of it, as they
must, also, have known that the tax there
on was unpaid. 1t was the duty of the
proper officer to collect the tax so that the
whole amount thereof might have gone in
to the treasury instead of one-half as was
actually the case. This alone would have
been sufficient to arouse the attention of
the people, and to have united them in de-
mandng the repeal of all laws which re-
suit in diverting so much money from the
treasury.
This, however, has only deepened the
public feeling upon the subject. Sanborne,
Sanborne's contracts, Sanborne's procedures,
and the ease with which Sanborne was max
ing money, were matters unknown to the
majority of the people three months ago.
The cause is back of all this We are q
free people and profess to be living under
free institutions, among the foundation
stones of which are those on which is in
scnbed the principles that our houses, pa
pers aud effects shall be secure from un-