Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-08-08
A BORDER SCANDAL.
scathing Arr-ignment OF the El Paso Col.
lectOr Of Gu. toms.

The Railway Age has repeatedly and
in very plain English called attention to
the outrageous practices OF the custom Of
fcers at I'll Paso, Texas, un der the reign
OF Collector James Magottin, by viii h
the railways leading to that most import
ant gateway have been damaged many
thousands OF dollars and Ameri an and
Mexican merchants and manufacturers
have suffered almost irreparable injury.
Recently commission was sent to FL
Paso by the government to investigate the
conduct OF the office under his admins
tration and its report is most damaging to
that individual--more than justiiying
every charge made by this journal and
furnishing abundant grounds on which to
base criminal prosecution.
1t is shown that in Magofin's hands
tie office of collector OF customs has been
used to further the dishonest purposes of
a corrupt ring Of spectators; to embar-
rass and punish all who stood in the way
OF this ring or criticized its methods to
compel shippers to and from Mexico to
pay exhorbitant tribute to gang OF
leeches who were basking in the sun
shine OF his favor to enrich members OF
his family who were apparently either
unable or unwilling to earn living by
honest means; TO advance the present
and temporary success of Ell Paso at the
expense of its future and permanent pros.
perity; to discourage the merchants and
manufacturers of Kansas City, St. Louis
Chiraso, San Francisco and other cities
IRON engaging in Mexican trade in com
petition with FL Paso, and generally to
Ills redit American integrity in the Mex.
lean mind and dissuads our people from
any further effort in that direction.
1t is shown that Magotin attempted to
use tho courts OF the country to further
his personal interests and destroy opposi.
ton to his methods and practices to such
Il tagrant extent that in one case ut least
the department of justice at Washington,
while yet in the hands of his own political
friends, felt Obliged to interfere and did
so in the promptest possible manner.
Duties have been exacted upon articles
which were clearly not dutiable and to an
amount many times their value trave ers
returning from Mexico who were not so
fortunate as to enjoy his friendly acquaint-
ance have been subjected to inexcusable
inconvenience and brutal indignities
shippers have been obliged to incur serious
loss and injury to their business interests
through unnecessary delays occasoned by
arbitrary exactions, based on the simplest
technicaites, and the business of the
railways engaged in Mexican traffic has
been embarrassed beyond estimate by his
inetiiciency, or venalty, or interest in the
business OF the army OF brokers who infest
the place, or by all these.
To the railway companies and to the
merchants and manufacturers interested
in Mexican commerce the Railway Age is
now able to say-and is very much graft.
fed to say it-that the condition OF things
to which it has alluded will soon cease ia
exist. The treasury department is fully
determined on this point and in this deter.
mination it has the earnest support ol
President Harrison, who will probably
have removed Magotiin and named his
successor before another month has
passed. Were it not for the difficulty Of
determining the relative merits OF the
gentlemen who have been named to sue
ceed the objectionable official such actor
would have been taken long ago. The
Railway Age is in receipt of assurance.
from the highest source that it will not b.
much longer delayed, and it congratulate,
the country and especially the great ives
that change so SADLY needed is 80 nea
at hand.-Railway Age.