Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-08-26
NUMBER 33.


receive and discharge cargo, and receive
and surrender marine documents. With
the exception of ROckland and Thomas
ton, none of these ports are less than ten
miles from each other, and if there were
any less number, it would be a great in
convenience to the people who transact
business at the Custom House.
To illustrate The people Of st.
George, ten miles from Thomaston, for
merly were obliged to go to Thomaston to
transact any customs business. 1t was
estimated that the expense incident to so
doing, was not less than fifteen hundred
dollars annually to the citizens of that
town for horse hire and time.
The present collector, finding an officer
there stationed, to prevent smuggling,
moved at once to st. George created a
port. where marine documents could be
issued, as the only extra expense to the
government would be $40 per annum, for
rent of office. The officer doing the ex-
ira work without any additional pay.
This was done upon the petition of
many citizens there residing, without re-
gard to political parties. 1t will be seen
that for these five ports there are SIX
officers besides the collector, Rockland
having an extra Inspector. An officer
must constantly be on duty at each port,
consequently for all preventive duty aside
from the immediate vicinity Of the ports,
watching and guarding the coast, the
duty falls upon the collector and the IN
spcctor at Rockland.
OF the three offices discontinued, two
were inherited from the Democracy, as
that party held the positions for genera
tions.
During my first ten years Of service, |
collected in the way of fines and penal
ties, for smuggling, more than my salary
for the twelve years, and by the ruling
of this Office on the classification of a
certain kind of merchandise, and by our
contesting the case IN the courts, yer-
dict was gained for the government which
saved to the department a sum OF money
greater than the entire cost Of this whole
district since | have been collector
There are j79 vessels belonging TO
this district, with a total tonnage OF l23,-
2i2 gG. being nearly one quarter of all
the tonnage owned in Maine, and the
largest number of vessels belonging to
any district east Of New York, with the
single exception Of Boston
To transact all the business incident to
this large number Of vessels, IN addition
TO the business done at these five ports
by vessels belonging to other districts,
and by foreign vessels, added to the num-
crous reports required to be transmitted to
the department, weekly, monthly quar-
,crly and yearly, makes an amount OF
work, performed by the official force Of
this district. which will compare tayora-
bly, with the service performed by the
same number at any Of the larger ports.
The expenses of the district since |
took it have been reduced more than
onc-half. while we have collected from
every source in twelve years more than
the Democracy collected from the same
sources in thirty years.
Every one knows that the Customs
Service. as a whole, pays It's own cxpens-
es and puts vast sums into the Treasury;
and no official Of the service is ever paid
bv tax upon the people, save in the way
Of duties upon imports, 99 per cent. OF
which is collected upon liquors, cigars,
tobacco, fine silks, laccs and luXurieS,
and not upon articles bought or used by
the great mass Of the people.
one word more: These collection
districts exist by law, as at present ar
ranged, and only an act Of Congress can
change them. In his last annual report,
Secretary Sherman recommended that
law be passed authorizing the conSollda-
ton of two or more districts, where total
collections of either amounted to less
than $4,000 annually, but the Demo-
cratic Congress gave the recommendation
no heed, and took no action in the prem
iseS.
As to the manner in which my duties
have been performed, | refer, first to all
persons of every political party, who
have had business transactions at any OF
the various ports, and secondly TO the de-
partment where my record Is made up.
And now, finally appeal to the honest
Judgment of the loyal people of the coun-
try, to say whether | shall speak freely
my sentiment upon political matters 50
long as | see to it that no public duty
entrusted to me, is neglected. My reaS-
ons for so speaking, are the following:
When the war of 1861 broke upon the
country, in our family Of seven brothers,
six were living, all in good health, all
united and dwelling together in peace
and harmony, each interested in all the
others society, and all with bright pros
pects for the future -Four of US enlisted
in the army, and the only one who re-
turned. was the writer of this document.
The other three losing their lives, one
from eleven months of cruel, inhuman
treatment while a prisoner of war in
rebel pens, the other two dying in the
South from that terrible disease, the
soldiers worst foe and most mortal ene-
my. the disease a certain editor under
took to slur our present standard bearer
for having.
Ny chief cause of ofense to the Pat
riot who edits the Standard, seems to be
because | have spoken for the Republican
| ..r.,. | hay. ,,;vap my raasOns for so