The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-25
THE GRANGE ADVANCE.
TUESDAY,, MAY Is. 1875.
Silk Ring.

the surface. If this thing continues
much longer, the unearthed frauds
and steals will be innumerable, and
the Republic will stand forth before
the world as one mass of damnable
corruptions. 1t is not very happy
showing upon which to celebrate
the hundredth anniversary of our
National existence, but it is better
that the disease should be discov-
cred and the knife applied, than that
even our fair fame fortified with false
hoods, should be preserved. The
most vexatious question to every
true patriot is, whether in the midst
of such general corruption it is pos
sible, when escaping from fraud and
its abettors in one direction
to keep from it in some
other direction. The revelations of
the past few weeks certainly show a
terrible lack of good faith and hon
esty among all classes who have &C.
cupied positions of honor and trust,
and to eradicate disease that is SO
general, will require the most con-
slant application of the most search
ing remedies.
The New York Daily Witness has
the following interesting statement
and thoughts in regard to this latest
discovered ring, which evidently had
a number of United States Revenue
officers in its pay:
The mode of operating was as fol-
lows:
The silks were bought chiefly in Ly-
ons, and shipped from Liverpool, being
entered as low-priced fabrics, made Of
jute or other cheap materials-a class
of goods on which our tariff charges a
much lower duty than on silks. There
were usually eight cases shipped week.
ly, one of which contained goods of the
description entered; the others being
filed with costly black silks. These
cases were consigned to fictitious names
and on arrival here were entered by q
person called Lawrence, as agent for
the imaginary consignees. The GUS
tom of our port is to send one package
out Of ten or any smaller number to
the Examining Warehouse, allowing
the consi gnee to take away the rest;
and it 50 happened that the Custom
house officer whose duty it was to desig-
nate the package for examination, al
ways pitched upon the one case con-
tanning the cheap jute goods which cor
responded with the entry and allowed
the seven cases of costly silks to be TAX
en- away by the agents of the bogus con-
signees.
Our dry goods merchants have been
aware for many months that some great
swindle was going on in fine black silks
and rich laces, on account of the much
lower prices at which these goods could
be bought here than the cost, duty paid ;
and MIR. Clahin,. before purchasing a
large lot, last Fall, from a man named
Graf, informed the Collector here of
the circun, lance, and offered every aid
in his power to detect the smugglers
who were running his business in these
goods. The clue furnished by this
transaction, being diligently worked up
by District Attorney Bliss, enabled
him to follow Lawrence, otherwise
called Lazarus, who fed first to Mon
treal, where he had accomplices, then
to Halifax and then to Ireland, where
he was arrested few weeks ago. His
confederates in Liverpool, offered the
officer first $4,000, then $4,000 to let
Lazarus go, but the detective proved
faithful, and brought his prisoner, who
was extradited, out here last week.
Now here question arises, what
was the value of Jayne's outside agen-
cy, when he could detect less than two
hundred dollars discrepancies in the en-
tries Of one house, and make that house
pay $27l, 900 for those unintentiona]
discrepancies, but could not detect this
gigantic silk swindle that was going on
under his nose every week?
And what was the value of Sanborn's
agency, when he could not detect the
Whisky Ring that has swindled the
Government out OF many millions.
We're all eyes sealed when the amount
of the fraud was large enough.
In the light of the stealing that is
done in the revenue department OF
the government and the immense
cost of keeping it up, would it not
seem to unreasonable mana more SEN
sible and safe way, to collect what is
needed for the support of the gener-