New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-20
THE ,UVTN CASE,

All our readers know what the Juvin case
is Such Of them as are members OF fashion
able society do not need to be now told that
Mile. Juyin was a French mOdste, acting rs
smuggling agent for well-knOwn actress
who in her turn was agent for certain lair
and fashionable ladies, leaders of the great
world" whose vanity tempered their honesty
to the extent of cheating the Government III
the matter of duties on their pOlonalses ana
petticoats Our fashionable readers know
doubtless just how the thing was done; how
waist and shoulder measures of these lead
"ers of the great world y were sent to Worth,
with photographs when possible, that that
careful artist might costume them in pctur-
esque cOnsonance with Nature; bow the noted
actress, acting as cat for the monkey QOr
consideration, was ready to drag the chest
nuts through the fire of the CustOm-hOuse
how the woman Juvin was the paw of the
cat and (for o less consideration went into
the fire. Others of our readers whose keeniy
watchful eyes regard the interest OF the
Government rather than that OF gowns, are
rejOiced to know that she came out scorched,
having been sentenced last week to three
months Imprisonment and q fino OF $4,000.
The actress, being 80 very distinguished an
actress, was held uncomfortable in the case,
and escaped scot free. The names Of the still
more distinguished leaders of the G. w. were
not breathcd even in the most secret places
of Justice, and care was taken that the dresses,
when sold at auction, should fall into their
hands, each fair dereiver sending her agent to
bid for the especial gown suited to hcr waist
measure and photograph, and thus procuring
it at less price than she would have paid to
Mile. Juvin after tho Government had been
triumphantly cheated.
Now here is an example which ought to
silence the most captiOus grumbler OF the In
tegriy of the Government and the Custom
house and matters and things In the Civil
Service generally. If any man doubts that
reform has begun. let him look at Juvln in
jail, while her fair employers friSk on light
fantastic toes through waltz or German in
their stolen tulles and velyets. There are
some people, however, never to be satisfied,
whom even this sacrifice to outraged justice
will not propitiate. They are turning over
jast now the musty records OF the Indian De-
partment and complain that since the resig
nation of the Board of Commissioners, even
in the last few weeks, men condemned pub
licly by the Board as thieves have been re-
stored to their places as Indian agents and
invited to batten again at will on the public
money. 1t is of no use for these carpers (eacf
of whom has an abnormal taste for figures
to sum up the hundreds of thousands leaking
out here or elsewhere. They ought to know
that there is q nameless class which grows on
to every part of the machinery of government
in q wel-ordered republic, as sponges to an
old brig in the South Seas, and which sucks
the moisture out of it pretty thoroughly.
They are always good fellows, old classmates
or nephews of somebody's. Cabinet officer
or the village postmaster; it is not in good
taste for these officials to talk of them any
more than for German prince to brag of
his morganatic marriage, but they must have
their bread and butter nevertheless Some day
some millennial day hereafter-no doubt they
will be slaughtered to satisfy the grnmblers; but
meanwhile immtigable Justice points proudly
to the little dressmaker in her cell and her
silks and laces towzled on the auction block.
The Juggernaut car has rolled easily over he
tawdry little butterfly, but it begins to creak
when there is talk of putting Indian Agents
and Pacific Mail suJsidists under the wheel.
1t is an edifyng spectacle to note the host Of
men with itching palms, palms that itched
until they were full, phalan1 upon phalanz,
from the gorged bribe-taker at Washington to
the petty pilferer on the frontier agency,
smiling approval as the sempstress is crunched
under the law. 1t reminds us of the old
Bible days when the sins of the whole people
were laid upon one poor beast who WAS forced
to carry the load out of sight into the wilder
ness. Just imagine the crowd of unsavory
characters, old swindlers and young liars,
watching the operation! With what comfort
able complacency they saw the miserable little
goat trot off; with what JUNCTION they joined in
the hootings of derision and vengeance that
followed it. How many of us enjoy to-day
the same repose of soul and rejoice in the
gracious Government that has visited the sins
of the people upon the Frenchwoman behind
ber iail bars