New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-19
yoL.XXXVI.....N0 l0.93'
WASHINGTON.
(,,,cT,,,c CORRITpTION,

vita IN THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
coRROBORATED.
ley TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl -o
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Apr 10 Ao,o'
Tho Uonse of Representatives. has caheu
or tho Secretary Of the Treasury for copy u 'a'
upON ' -, t, srecial Agent ID. L. Phillips OF ILLINOIS,
- vros detailed last Fall TO investigate tue "i'0A
pines snnoosed TO exist the Pacific slope. A""'
will be forwarded the House III re" gay h,cb
soIlowinr are some OF the most mte'es'i"e - an n
contains; Nj Phillips reached san
1.,l ~ sen,emler 1875 and one OF the hrst
l4ln VI ,bat men earnestly intent upon en-
. ., Iou II they hailed from States east OF Tue
~ -, ,,n,ains were not regarded with favor eitier
b. ,bose in office or by dislers or lquOr ueaeIs o 'o
poe,ac coast He al o fOuni great DECENTRALIZATION " ~
civil service which caused by the partisan ""u u
Sesnotie authority of those in California VINO
oontrol Federal patronage at Washington honest
end upright men who have seh-fespee' anu
-, worth So not want Office in California, nor could
r And emplovnent in public service II they desired
se ronoe siuaton of the Pacific coast from the scar
of government and the general understanding Una" "l
nointmtrts 10 office really made by senators anu
representatives In Congress, inspired lie sSu III an
r9cehoders very lively and grateful sense OF loyalty
-, 90 the Goverament or any Of its departments, but
% the Senator or Representative through whom such
appontmens held and the results are thst 80 os
. ofess can he held under such circumstances ana sur
nndings the civil service must be utterly debased,
yenal and purely personal, and such he says Ill his
Judgment is the condition Of affairs in California
It WAS assumed almost everywhere he wentthat thero
was Whisky Ring in Francisco. and that to bnid
nm ~. int rests protect its members, and secure It's III
mnnity the OF brandy aud whisky distaoh I'D
all other portions the state were oppressed ana wen
nigh DESTROYED. The disation Of whisky rom Whoa'
has for many years been favored interest IL has Deem
more or less mixed up in all political struggles ana
spending its money freely it has had Its share OF political
recognition.
Mr. Phips saws he investigated carefully the accu'a
lions made by Senator Sargent against Revenue Agent
Clark now on duty at san Francisco he found that th'
aayts upon which thu charges were based were maze
by distlers whisky dealers, and one Johnson o KEY
enue Agent who was admitted TO have been spy upon
Clark The attacks upon him were intended he thlhks
TO impair the confidence OF the Department in his hon
esty and thereby secure the removal of public servant
who was proving troublesome in California to revenue
officials and dstilers engaged in pundering the Govern
ment Mr. Phillips thinks that Clark had abundant rea
son for urging Collector TO seize the Antioch dstey
Notwithstanding the fact that IL was owned by Charles
Joel who had been member of the California Legsla-
tnre ana mad voted for Mr. Sargent be United States
Senator.
MI Phillips says that the Executive has made many
removals aud appointments without consultation with
members of House OF Congress- and asks why not
make the rule uniform apply to California Until
this is done, there will be NO Improvement IN inc Puoc
service In that State
The following extract from MI. Phpss report is very
interesting:
About the time that Senator Sargent filed his charges
against Clark it was learned mat one C1as; warner
formerly engaged in distlDg at Atlanta and Canton,
H. and residing In the town OF NatsOlNIIe, CI',
was in possession Of important information eohceIniS
frauds on tie revenue In tie dlstliauOn OF WHISKY III
Ban Francisco. After prOtracted Efforts ana hes pro
tesatl0ns on us par u sisin hooks kep br hin
which disclosed most startling frauds on the revenue III
rs6S6 and 1860 and these franks perpcTacd by
ne have ana 40 now cOHtTo Nle-
filling and liquor business vi California, especially ID San
The details OF these frauds, explained at length aud
sworn BY Warner, are on file III Tue Once OF thc Com
missioner of Internal Revenue and need not he set out
ip this report OF these frauds approach to-
nearly $1,500000, and cover niue over Two years
time Tn men who perpetuated them men who met
Mr. Clark with nsOlence, abuse, and threats, ana some
their adauts tie basis In part vi the charges vi
MI. sargent against him
Mr. Warner from whom I was manly instrumental in
procuring information, and whose testimony was taken
In NV room the night, ut HIS earnest request with no
one present supervisor Hawey ana mysef has been
Threatened with death for rs disclosures, ana Informed
Of men who will murder him. He has written 10 Haw-
lev to furnish him protection and 10 escape assstss
nation he expects be forced to leave California IL Is
well known that hired spies IN tie liquor interests inc
past Winter watched by day and night every step OF
hawey, Car and myself. and every word incautIonsy
uttered was known and reported 10 GOFeihment oheais
ana Whisky men continually
Mr. Phillips details at considerable length the attempts
made by himself aud Supervisor Hawiey to prosecute
persons engaged in deirauding the Government, but
failed, he says, because Of the failure OF the District
Attorneys Office to do Its duty. He became convinced
not only OF total Discrimination to prosecute dist ers
and liquor dealers Tor the violation OF law lest Officials
should DO found involved but of fixed determination
In tie DstrictAttOrneys oce not 10 do 70. If escape
hererom possible He closes this branch Of his e
port Is follows:
After long and careful observation, am convinced
That under Tue present Federal officials on tie fachc
coast, the prosecution and conviction vi guilty. discrs
sud whisky dealers san Francisco cut OF question
wish however TO cay that III tine Federal judges the
Government has great reason 10 take All earnest honest
pride. iHey are able, learned, patriotic, and JUS and
no man can more kceuy feel than they the npossibty
OF faithfully executing law and vindlcatng the just
claims vi the Government as matters now stand
IN his investigation OF the Customs service, Mr. Philips
found great lOoecncss and rregularty He discovered
that in instances the luggage OF passengers
irving from foreign ports delivered 10 the
without any examination, and that this was done by
special order from te Collector IL this way hundreds
OF thousands OF doars worth Of merchandise is brought
Francisco aud passed without payment OF duty
When merchandise personal effects are examined tney
are valued low that little than 30 per cent of
duty Is collected. Sometimes masters Of vessels come
Into port without having all Of hei. cargoes their
maniests. When cargo is discharged, or during its
discharge, II the inspector finds goods not and reports
them the Collector allows the master TO enter them
Manila cigars have been brought into San Francisco
either without paying duty, with the payment OF
very small portion OF the duty which should be col
leeted that tho market price OF them only about $40
per 1000 although the average duty upon them is about
Gao per 1000 Large quantities OF costly furniture pic
'ures' works OF art, etc, Mr. Php says, imported
Into San Francisco without payment OF duty.
EXTRADlTION COMPLICATIONS.
THE GOVERNMENT DECLINES TO MAKE ANY PROM
ISIS IN The wiNsLOw C,sE-ENGLAND FIRM IN
HER NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. END on THE IN
TRADITION ARTICLE OF TIE TREATY OF 1912.
lSi TELEGRAPH To THE TmBUEE.l
WASHINGTON, April 1S.-The comDlcltions
arising under the Winslow To-, =