New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-22
SILAS W. BURT'S RECORD:
HOW HE REFORMED THE NAVAL OFFICE.


instrator in the customs service has been in measure
obscured Yet the history of his official career IA OF pc
cular interest and il, moreover OF Importance as e&
hibtng the power Of one intelligent Jealous and faithful
leader in elevatng the standards Of official life and in
improving the methods of official business.
THE CUSTOM HOUSE AS 1T USED TO BE.
To comprehend what has been effected since his en-
trance into the Tubc service is necessary revert to
the past history OF the New-York Custom House The
customs system was originally based upon European
rules and preceden and although under the pressure OF
necessity 1t has been gradually modified and moderuized
nothing less than complete reorganization, like that
which has transformed the British customs service
bring up to the proper degree Of convenience and eff
cheney When the appointments became the prey of pol
itcans the incumbents naturally accommodated them
selves TO the conditions, and, without interest or
ambition finished their daily drudgery while the unscrup-
ulous utilized their opportunities for personal advant-
Frequent changes in the force and the substitution OF
persons ignorant of the nature of their duties
thwarted every improve methods to correct
abuses The laws and regulations administered by
those heads Of departments who survived the general
slaughter and who often only blind leaders OF
the blind" The great revolution of 1SGO caused radical
and frequent changes in fiscal legislation aud as most
OF the employees and unskiled men. the man
ogement fell into the hands OF veteran ring" who
dispensed information in quantities TO suit themselves
Some OF these officers chronic bureaucrats who
hated reform certain parsonage is said to hate
holy water. curious family resemblance marked
this set the obvious characteristic OF which
tremendous profanity by which they panoplied them
selves against familiarity or high officer Of that
period is said that he condemned more innocent people
to eternal than have fallen under any Papal
ban Indeed this traditional prerogative sti hourshes
in certain quarter and the echoes heard Of those
suphurous explosions from which the unnitiated used
TO shrink appalled,.
Among these clerks having direct with the
o..
The heads OF the great departments intent upon that
kind of plumber which came under the head OF soz-
ures purpOsely blind 10 the cOndnct OF their sub
Ordinates. defended and encouraged it, Favor
ties assigned those desks which commanded the
largest gratutes. At Isolated points good strug-
gled TO maintain scmblance of order and bore their
burdens without recognition ward. All instruction
vigorously withheld by the clique In authority, and
rulings Of the Treasury. which ought have
freely distributed, locked up private capital FOR
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the few having access thereto
These persons consprod together onopoze informa
ton and thus make themselves indispensable the
service that their would be permanent Above
ALL 10 seemed desirable that uniform principles should
govern administration. Each treat "a "a
II of class OF it, and rulings colored bT the
momentary mood the transient interest the officer
Presumptvely the statutes and Treasury regulations
governed decisions, but, In practice the law made
elastic, and bore lightly heavily according circm-
stances Inc great importers were treated iafLed
consideration People OF social prominence aud OF olit
zeal importance received in the shape Of per-
mits and special constructions Of law. Certain cabal
isc marks upon official document invested b. with
the authority of ROYAL mandate absol,ng all Informal
titles and waving all penalties Custom House brokers
aud claim agents notorious for cunning device. and
mysterious relations with bureaus ne Washington Lad
the cnree To every private Meantime there
kept up the prctence Of regularity by ~ ostcua
tons severity in minor maters with splitting inter
pretaOns of law. which great acmCn and uiccty OF
diacctcs exhausted upon Insignificant questions
The ordinary citizen. dazzled by the daily ports Of
collections satisfied that tho laws we're properly On
forced, and remained ignorant Of the millions which
diverted to private gains or crude and heed
less treatment High duties and enornous mPortatons
brought such unprecedented receipts that the leaks
unnotced But the inner history OF that period would
II exposed, even now startlo the community. The
ports OF the special agents Of the Treasury from 1869
1873, on hlc In Washington, exhibit network OF
conspiraces reaching through various Office, and con-
vctng high unctonaries Of active passive completely
fraud. few prosecutions and convictions dld
uay take place, but many Of the Glcf criminals
permitted 10 depart IN peace.
DESIGN OF THE NAVAL OFFICE
The Naval ONCE designed 10 check irregular pro
ceedings and accounting for every
article Of foreign merchandise arriving az this port
To enable il discharge this independent function it,
operations and vouchers distinct from those the
Collector and the Naval OFFERS countcr.cn s. rcqu
for the completion Of nearly all papers involving rc-pon
sbiity for duties issued by him prior 20 $50 the
functions OF this Office had been discharged In
loose and perfnncOry manner that It had ceased 70
exercise any obstructive corrective privilege. low
had sunk In official re Dec that OCCASION whel,
the Naval Officers deputy had mustered courage
fuse his to dubious proceeding. IA deputy
collector wrote across the face OF order Waive
Naval Onlce -" and thns. with one dash OF bis pen
tngushed coordinate department established FOR the
urery-on Of his and,e Tlsng since The beginning
OF the Government. Throughout she various divisions
II was the understanding that any official action
taken upon paper before its reception la the Naval
ONCE must be respected. For instance, weighcr's
return was accepted final evidence in iquldatOns,
although 1t might it, face exhibit glarng dscrcp
ancies; as return by qualified officer 1t legal
basis for settlement. The Developments OF 1869
covered great frauds through the bribery OF weghers
and the slsckness OF lquidsing bureaus.
To this tide Of indifference and corruption,
prine ay redundant routine and 10 rc-csabls
methods upon a business foundation; to secure To the
importer his just rights andto protect the honest officer
was an undertaking demanding courage, skill aud per
sistency. so one iman could alone accomplish the
REFORM It Indispensable that there should In
position Of authority aud influence man intel
ligent enough comprehend fhc needs and resolnto
enough TO sustain the effort. Such FOUND in
sllns W. Burt. Well equipped by natural aptitude
thorough education and varied Training for this work.
graduate Of Union College, civil engineer engaged for
years the principal railroads Of the Northern
states afterwarI engaged in mining ana smelling
operations during the OF the military stan Of the
old war Governor. Edwin ID. Morgan. ana then OF his
SUCCESSORS and auditor Of the accounts of the
with the National Government which were all satisac
torily adjusted to the last cent The was by the ext
gencies OF fortune, thrown in April. 1869, upon
shoals Of the customs service Entering the Naval Once
as a clerk, he appointed by Naval Officer
Merritt deputy This position implies az the incum
bent be disposed monOtonOus round Of routine duty.
liking Of his signature 10 papers otherwise complete
being about the highest OF his responsibilities. But
Colonel Burt of the nature Of sntomaon
was quick discover the lack OF intelligent and
system perTadng the departments and having
made special deputy May 49, 1870 he about tho
task OF substituting order for chaos In this work he
xns hnmncred and enbarrassed by the sMeening tariff