Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-09-14

Parke Goodwin and MIR. Joseph Pulitzer re-
Spectivey has had the effect to call fresh atten.
fion to the defects Of our laws relating to i'm
ports, and particularly in their application to
Inc effects OF American citizens coming home
from foreign countries. Net that there was
any peculiar or unusual hardship in the expe-
fience OF these two gentlemen; theirs was
Simply that OF nearly every returning tourist.
But as they both happen to be well known
journalists, the newspapers naturally give
considerable prominence to their grievance
and eSpOuse their cause with some warmth
NO objection should, however, be made to
this seeming partiality on the part of the press
Tor its own guild, since, If any good comes
from the publicity thus given to certain abuses
complained of, the whole community will be
benefited in the end.
But really there Is little ground for hopes of
a complete and permanent reform while the
laws on the subject remain as they now are
The Inherent defect Of the present system lies
In the fact that pretty wide discretion now
rests with customs officers of minor grades.
SO long as any OF these officials, or those of
any grade, have the power to decide whether
duties shall or shall not be collected on any
and what articles found in the baggage of
travellers returning from abroad, Just so long
Will there be such abuses as fAvoritiSm, petty
annOyances, bribery, Matchmaking and snug
Cling.
The only means of preventing them will
De found In the passage OF a law requiring
the entry and payment of duty on every duti
able article brought from abroad into the
United States which cannot be clearly shown
to have been manufactured or purchased in
and carried out of this country, no natter for
what purpose such articles may be Intended,
or whether they have been used or no.. Such
An enactment might at first thought be re.
garded as oppressive and too sweeping In its
operations. But IL would not prove to be 30
In point OF fact. 1t might, it Is true, give
some passengers considerable trouble; but its
effect would be to put every body on the same
fOOting-to place honest people and rascals
on an equality before the law. 1t would be
found, moreover, that the on1y complaints as
to Its workings would come from the latter
class. For IL Is hardly too much to say that
fully one-half of all the diamonds and costly
laees imported into the country every year now
escape payment Of duty by coming in as the
effects OF travelers,-either through the over.
sight or cOnnivance of customs officers. Not
only this but the government is annually
defrauded OF large sums of money which
ought to be collected on Eu watches iewery.
silks, clothing, ai-d various other kinds of
expensive merchandise brought into the
country in the same manner. BY the plssage
and rigid enforcement of such law all abuses
of this character would be effectualy prevent
ed, while all reasonable grounds of complaint
on the part Of honest and we'll meaning tray
elers would be removed; aud 1t is safe to say
that these important results cannot certainly
be secured in any other way. Furthermore, it
would be entirely just and equitable in its
effects upon the whole country. 1t would give
rich or dishonest travellers no advantage over
their poor or honest brethren, and it would at
the same time compel ali citizens to bear their
proper share Of the burdens of government,
as imposed through the medium of customs
revenue, whether they 80 abroad or stay at
home.