National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-05-19

the grain, and the product is very fire.
quently sold for joint account of m4Eufac-
turer and capitalist.
In 1867, when the Metropolitan Revenue
Board was created in New York, the fact
was soon developed that the great cities Of
New York and Brooklyn were the very
headquarters of the conspiracy for the rob
berry of the peoples Treasury. There was
scarcely receiver of highwines in those
cities whose hands was not found to be
stained with the color or tinctured with
tie cdor Of illicit spirits. And in most in.
stances it was proven that they were in
collision with the shippers.
But the press in New York was muzzled.
Ii did not then denounce the fraud. With
the quotations daily in its columns of sales
of highwines at $1.75 to S1.9O per gallon,
upon which the legal tax was 50, it did not
have the heart to denounce the fraud.
Neither will 1t do so now, unless it can
prove that some washington Ring" has
made some money out of it. 1t howled
fiercely over Tweed's thefts, and inaugu-
rated Tilden reform in 1871. Tweed was
thrown into prison, sacrifice to its clamor,
and rev government established, which,
under the direction and inspiration of Til
den, has added thirty five or forty millions
to the debt Of the city in a little over three
years, and the press is satisfied that all is
correct now so far as New York is con-
cerned. But it has had an abundance of
time to kick up terrible hullabaloo over
the ten millions of debt created in this Dis
trict during the same time, for which we
have solid and permanent improvements to
show. But Whist has New York show for
its debt of $135, 100000? 1t has a debt
more than ten-fold greater than ours, and
yet is not ten times so populous.
The Detective press of New York must
have its sensation. lift be corrupt or scan
dalous it must not touch the blue blooded
commercial honor of New York. If it
happens TO slaughter Brooklyn preacher
or two, or Republican politician or two, it
is all right with this delectable Detective
press; but if it assails a merchant like W.
E. Dodge, or S. B. Chittenden, or H. B.
Claflin, pillars of the Chamber of Com
merce, or a stock operator like Jay Gould,
or Daniel Drew. or Commodore Wander
bilt, it is horse of another color, and the
Detective press is unanimous in the opinion
that such cannot be implicated.
The facts are well known to be that
Treasury robbers who enter goods at the
custom house at undervaluations or under
false names, or who secretly buy such
goods at prices below first cost and duties
which is primG .facie evidence that they
have been fraudulently placed upon the
market, are the meanest kind of thieves
thieves who steal from their brother tax
payers under the garb and pretense of hon
esty. And yet New York merchants do
such things daily, either personally or by
proxy, and hold up their heads amongst
honest men. 1t should be one of the ends
and aims of a well-conduCted press to in
culcate the idea among the populace that
each man who evades legal Government
obligation cheats his fellow citizens. Such
q man should be the abomination of all hon.
est men. All upright citizens should con-
slider it their duty to inform against him
in protection of their own interests. What
he evades or steals they have got to pay.
Stealing from the Government is stealing
from your next door neighbor. Defraud-
ing the revenue is defrauding your brother.
1t is the meanest kind of stealing, because
it is done under the pretense of honor and
patriotism. 1t is keeping back part of the
price of that in which we pretend to have
all things common. 1t is the sin for which
Ananiss and Sapphira were struck dead.
The Detective press condones it. 1t dare
not condemn it when committed by New
Workers. 1t has no anathemas too sweep
ing for it when charged against District or
canal rings. The country is to be con-
graduated that the Secretary of the Treas
ury, the new Attorney General, and the
new Commissioner of Internal Revenue
understand this matter a little better than
the Detective press Of New York, and that
they will have no fear of men and no re-
spect for persons in their prosecutions of
the offenders in New York or elsewhere.
These recent frauds are not so new as they
are of increased boldness and importance
since the repeal of the mOieties and the in
crease of twenty cents per gallon tax on
whisky.