The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-09-14
ARTHUR!

| ARTHUR!
|IBE TAILOR THE RADICAL TICKET!
The Custom House Swindler and
the Boss Of the Gang!
Kicked Out Of Office by John
Sherman!
REPUBLICAN TESTIMONY
The Life of Hon John Sherman
pages 233, 234, 235, 236, says:
"The Secretary of the Treasury had
lc9mmunicated to Mr.. Arthur the causes
Fsss .ramosSl, which are stated substaDtfai-
ly thus by Mr.. Sherman: That gross
abuses had continued and increased DUR
ing Mr., Arthur's administration that
persons we're paid who rendered little or
no service; office expenses was increas.
ed and revenue diminished, brlbes we're
received by suborduates; want of CO.
operation with efforts to correct these
abuses. Still Mr.. Arthur made serious
complaints of the injustice of bis reno
val, Then Mr.. Sherman offered induce
ments for him TO resign, but he declined,
lest ii might seem to be a confession of
guilt
"After the rejection Of the nomina-
tons, Mr. Arthur continuing in Office,
every effort was made by the Depart.
ment to secure his corporation in need
I'd reforms, but without success
''That the reader may have full view
of the evils to be cured in New York, as
well as the importance of remedy,
some of the evidences are here recited
as they were reported to the Derart-
ment
"As to gratuities in the nature of
bribes: "The evidence taken shows that
most of the witnesses who were inter-
rogated on this point, stated that gratu-
tiles were constantly received. It was
in testimony with regard to inspectors.
that they were anxious TO be sent to dis
charge steamers rather than sailing ves-
sells. because they were paid by the own
ers of the steamships graluity of from
ten to City dollars technically called
house money The agent Of one of
these lines stated that thirty dollars was
paid 10 each inspector discharging their
steamers, as house money The agen,
OF another testified that perqnisities were
constantly paid to inspectors for dis
charging vessels; that the shorter the
time the vessel was to be in port, the
larger the amount paid that the inspec-
tors received a gratuit. for permitting
the vessel to discharge before the GUS
tom house permit reached the ship; that
if these fees were not paid, the inspec-
tor had 1t in his power to delay the ves-
sci in many ways; and that it wss mere
ly a question between the owner and the
inspeelor as to how much it was worth
to The foim to obtain these facilities
that is, whether 1t was cheaper 10 pay
the inspector a gratuity for Obtaining
these facilities, than 10 have him stand
upon the strict letter OF the law, and
throw obst uctions in bis way. 1t was
also in testimony that other irregular
fees were constantly received by inspec-
tors, called 'halchets' and bones
'halchets being fees received from mel
chants for the privilege of holding their
goods on the dock. instead of gong in
to the general order store at once; and
'bones' being fees paid by passengers
for favors extended to them at the ex-
animation of Their baggage. With re-
gard to weighers, it was testified that
there was complete list of irregular
fees adopted by all of them to be exsc-
ted of merchants for su plying copes Of
weights These fees ranged from two
cents to thirty cents ton for weighing
iron and other metals, and a schedule
upon which the foreman of the weigh
rrs was accustomed to m AXE the demand,
shows in detail the amount to be collect
ed upon each barrel, package and bsg,
upon rice, sugar and many other articles.
1t was also distinctly testified that the
collectors entry clerks received fifteen
cents for each entry, and the naval Off
GERS clerks ten cents for each entry,
from brokers' and merchants, for facili.
lies in passing the entries. The receipt
of these irregular fees by entry, with
drawal. export entry and refund clerks,
was afterwards fully shown from the
books of the custom house brokers.
'In addition TO all this, it is clear
from letters addressed to the Jay Com
mission by the collector, naval officer
and surveyor,in regard 10 this very qnes-
ton, that the practice of taking illegal
fees was we'll known.-Secretarv Sher-
mans Letter to the President, January
81, 1879"
sThe following is quoted, as one of
the many instances, from the same let
ter:
sin case which has come to light
since the retirement of Mr.. Arthur, it
has been shown that goods upon which
the duties amounted to $4,000, were
delivered to the parties without the pay
ment of any duties to the Government,
and in a suit to recover these duties, it
is claimed by the importers that the un-
lawful delivery was due to negligence or
something worse, Oh the part of the
custom house officers under the charge
of Mr.. Arthur
"Now the question comes with peril
nency. What was the reward that in
duced the officers to omit collecting du-
ties of the same parties to such an
amount? 1t could not have been per-
mi,ted without a consideration; and
where there was so MUCH BRIBERY,
there very likely might have been more,
1t is easier to believe so than that the
officers would permit such an amount OF
goods to pass unno,iced."
Tuesday, October 18th is election
day.