New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-02
nuR cUsToMHoUsE.

tack" driven in the interest Oh elJner. IL
can not injure either party to say that
they have made heretofore great mis-
take in their mode of filling appoint
ments. They have taught that the
strength of party depended upon the
distribution OF its offices, and that any
man could fill any Office that he could
pay for. The Republicans have suffered
by the adoption of this doctrine founded
by Slidell & Co. For them it has unfor-
tunately happened that when the day of
battle came very few Southern Repub-
licans in Federal or State position were
competent to defend the positions con-
fided TO them, while some of those who
had received the highest and most lucla-
evidences of Republican confidence sold
themselves openly for price, and de-
| serted to the enemy.
Upon this theory the incumbents of the
principal Federal appointments here seem
to have considered them as a compliment
to the superior personal consequence Of
the incumbents, and as facility for per-
sonal engagement. They have in some
cases resided abroad, derivinga splendid
support from the Office, and intrusting
their duties to agents who had no other
interest or ability than to perform the
routine of their fduciary functions-with-
out loss to themselves. The subordinates
held their little places of ease and per-
quisites by the pepper-corn tenure of
biennial vote, and did not redeem even
this miserable serVitude with great pune
tuahty at the last election.
The foreign imports into this port have
declined very greatly. Before the war
they amounted to some twenty mil
lions; they are now about fourteen mil
lions. Those of the Eastern ports amount
to nearly five hundred millions. Before
the war New Orleans imported eighteen
or twenty per cent of the whole foreign
values; all indeed required for the valley
of the Mississippi At present the inn
ports are but two and eight-tenths per cent
of the whole values imported into the
Union. This great decline has been pro-
duced by several causes. The modern law
of trade directs all shipments upon the
most rapid means of communication be-
tween production and consumption, and
this line is not favorable to the port of
New Orleans. We have no evidence that
any large portion of these imports eyade
our Customhouse. The investigation of
Mr.. Gibson was confined almost exclu-
sively to futile endesvor to convict the
Republican officers, and did not eVince
much anxiety as to any constituents WHO
may have fanked the revenue cutter with
silks or cigars. We by no means assume
to the Republican party the sole RESPONSE
bility for not having arrested the decline
of our imports. On the other hand, the
municipal authorities are equally inter-
ested in this important work. We have
had a magnate called an Administrator of
Commerce. What that officer has ever
done to extend the commerce of New Or
leans, We do not know. He has some
times appeared as the advocate of turning
over his duties in keeping the wharves in
repair to contractor; occasionally he has
been conspicuous in the prosecution of
those who sold poultry or cabbage to the
people without paying license to the city,
but nowhere have we ever seen that officer
advocate the reduction of wharfage OF of
towage, Or of any other of those charges
on sail vessels which make this the most
expensive port in the world, except per-
haps Calcutta. The city authorities should
reduce these charges, and assess them, if
necessary, in whole Or in part upon other
sources of taxation.
The collector of the port interested in
the commercial welfare of New Orleans
should direct his whole influence to the
development of that commerce. 1t may
be done by improved vigilance in the rev.
enue service and coastguard. 1t will be
aided greatly by diplomatic service that
will give New Orleans and the Mississippi
valley a full complement of foreign
ministers and consuls thoroughly imbued
with the interests which they represent
We need reciprocal trade, not free trade,
with other countries, and New Orleans
should be the eatrepot for the whole COM
merce between the Southern countries of
this continent and the whole meridian OF
the Mississippi valley. There may be
some modification Of our own tariff
necessary, but without specification we
may say that man whose head is not
broad enough to take in the foreign diplo-
matte policy Of the country, and to build
up the direct trade with and through this
port, would constitute no improvement
upon his predecessors in Office from the
Democratic days of Hatch & Co. to the
present. In the same connection, the
subordinate appointments of the revenue
service here should be filed with men
who have sense enough 10 know that the
commerce Of q port depends somewhat
on the honesty, ciyility and despatch Of
the employees.
The appointment Of Hon. John E.
King as collector Of the port demon.
states that the President is awake 10 The
importance Of ccnfding this interest to
an officer competent to its success.
| There can be no possible objection to This