The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-24
THE DUTIES COLLECTED ON sU-
GAR.
Secretary sherman's Reply to the Request Of
the Chamber Of Commerce.

Secretary sherman's Reply to the Request Of
the Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber o. Commerce received
yesterday the following letter from the
Secretary of the Treasury, in reply to
the report ofthe committee appointed by
the Chamber to investigate alleged il
legal collection of duties on sugar:
Geoyge Wilson, Secretary Cham6er Of
Commerce ofMS State Of NSaO York,
NeaV York.
SIR: l have considered your note of
February 7, in which you inclose copy
of report adopted by the Chamber of
Commerce on the sd inst. on the SUBJ
iect of the collection of the duties on
sugar, and in which you state that at
the same meeting it was resolved, That
the Secretary of the Treasury be respect.
fully requested to rescind his order of
September 2, 1879, and to refund the ex-
cess of duties collected under it above
the lawful duties as prescribed by exist
ing statutes"
have the honor to inform the Cham>
Der of Commerce that prior to the order
referred to this department had become
fully satisfied that large quantities Of su-
gar had been imported which had been
artifcially colored for the sole purpose
of introducing them into this country as
of color and grade below that which
fairly belonged to them, thus defrauding
the Government Of large amount of its
customs revenue, running honest im~
porters and depriving the sugar-vlanters
of the country of the protection which
Congress intended to afford them,
Two cases had been tried in the courts
-one in San Francisco, and one in Bal
tirore-in which such fraudulent arti.
fetal coloration was established by court
and Jury. In both cases the courts rul-
ed as matter of law that it is the right
and duty of officers of customs to look
through the fraudulent artificial color
and to assess duty upon sugars accord
ing to its true color stripped of all dis
guises This doctrine must commend
itself to the common sense Of every hon
est man. To hold that an importer may
import sugar the true color of which is
above No. 20 Dutch standard manifestly
colored so as to reduce it apparently be-
low No. 7 would be to hold out premi.
um for dishonesty and fraud.
order of September 2, 1879, has under
taken to look through the fraudulent
color and assess duty upon the sugar as
its true color In executing lis order it
is stated in your report that thousand
suits have arisen, aggregating nearly
81 900, 900. The order was prompted by
the highest sense of official duty, with
no other object than to prevent frauds
upon the revenue and to protect honest
importers and sugar producers. No
thing has occurred to shake the conf
dence of the department as to the corr
rectness of the course pursued. The
Government will be prepared for a trial
or the pending cases in the courts as
soon as they can be reached, 1t will be
seen, lEGIGlOIGj llldt llC lCEuCSI W dDdh-
don the suits and refund the duties in
controversy cannot be complied with.
1t may, perhaps be proper to suggest in
conclusion, that one at least of the gen.
tlemen upon the special committee who
made the report to your Chamber is
party to one or more ofthe suits referred
to, and has, therefore, a pecuniary in>
terest in this question. My sincere re.
spect for the Chamber of Commerce of
New York and its important functions
and influence in commercial matters
leads me to state more fully in answer
to your resolution the position of the de-
partment than perhaps your formal
communication would demand. 1t is
the desire of the department not only to
enforce the laws in the collection of the
revenue, but in doing SO to secure the
kindly aid and good will Of the mer~
chants with whom the customs business
is chiefly conducted. Very respectfully,
JOHN SHERMAN, Secretary.
Treasury Department, Washington,
February 10, 1881.
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