The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-05-20
Caot. JOS j. Davis ON the Revenue
Leaks.

Mr. Davis. speaking TO that clause of tile
Appropriations Bill. allowing S75.O1D for
he payment "f De; ectIves III the revenue
Srvlce and the hr nging to trini OF detected
prties. declared that n hranch of The pub
c service needed investig ttion SD badly az
b,. Quoting official fi2ur S t" show that
the expens, of collecting were Increased
and the amount of Coiiec ions decreased dur
,r e,ection Years (as for example the re-
cepis in 1872 % iell eff $I6. 9l2S63 while
bt cost of coiieciing for that year increas-
| ID sl2. 81, 1881, he proceeded tn say:
Now, why was thlsl Was it the result
| Il anv accident! No, sir; it was becau>e
brse officials in ny States of the Union
we're engaged in using their POSITIONS for
roItic Il purposes. hink the facts will
how that this must have been the reason
great deal has been said about gentle
men on this side of the House being sensi-
| tive on this subject, and 1t Is alleged that it
s because their constituents had been en-
gaged in vinlatirg the revenue laws. No
one on this side approves violations of the
| law. but the remedy is not IN spies and de-
tecpives. We have had some Of these de-
,ectlves in my State. and though they were
emplo, ed neminally to- detect crime, they
were oftenlmes the greatest. and some
times the only. criminals connected with
. the matters WHICH it was said they were
EMPLOYED tn expose And on their tessi-
mony men have been bound over to the
Federal court on fa'se or frivolous charges,
. and on the h, aring the judge has instruc
| It'd the grand jury not to find bills of in
iictment on the testimony OF those men.
Whenever the Government finds it nee
essary in the execution of its laws To EN-
pl0y men ef bad character. to employ
| knsves as many of these unQuestionably are
it is time that we should try and see where
/ the evil ls We shall find If IN the bad ad-
nrDistration of unjust and unequal laws,
which do not command the approval Of
ImbiC sentiment. Whenever 1t becomes
necessary to enforce the civil law through
he medium spies and detectives, then, |
lay, you may bid farewell to the freedom
tins country. and this Republic will go
hWr as other republics before it have
.ne into despotism, through corruption.
II the grand juries and the ordinary law
ncers of the country are now sufficient TO
mnt out offenders and bring vislators of
De law to justice, | say for one, never hy
ny vote shall one dsllar he paid to de-
active or an infOrDer. 1t is only to the
Nfh0n relating TO detectives and informers
~M my remarks apply.
Mr. Chairman, there has been nothing
4ie corrupting nothing more demcriii-
Hng nothing that has gone deeper IN
@yPng and undermining the foundations
mis Government. than this system af in
FfoaI revenue. The great thie'es 90 un-
'upped of justice but little offender in
sls mountain gorge is seized and carried
MO Albany or some other prison, while
"Se thieves, not aDly in matters Of reve-
I've, nut IN other things. go free. over
e IL the State Of PeDnsalvania some OF
genteman's political friends have been
ss,'g-of whatl They have been charged
,nu conuptiy soliciting the votes of legis
sst o procure the passage of bill appro-
t%hng 81, 900, 900 for property destroyed
"e pittsburgh rioters; claims which by
way were settled afterward at one
r"'sn and half of dollars or thereabouts.
* men, after being convicted or plead
sulity' and after being sentenced to
ypsn'entiary, were pardsned by the
slner upon the recommendation of the
81 pardons of the State, and it Is
aD.d PIohciy IN the papers that this was be
Nv s tney said to leading men of their
d" -onltss you let us out, many of you
t,r. Voaie IN" ALL have to say is, that
WI WI friends on the other side desire to
,aTs = SI'lm'nals to justice let them begin
,p,slse nsse no were pardoned out Of the
seI,tsentiary WE after being convicted of frauds
Me Se revenue at Saint Louis. One or two
nm H Dig thieves will. defraud the Coy
rn n' ~ ost of more money in enc month
.sh the blscl aders In Nerth Caroliha
ms N,-A
e Ssi1 il1amuni,y. N'> N'
efniaen' -sspNican politicians as W.