The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1891-10-30
Tht ae,norrat.
A aREAr { CONSPIRACY.

paper,
The United States treasury depart ment
has a job before Il that has not been equal
cd except by the Bristow administration
In 1870, when Il attempted TO put down
the great whisky ring, which had Its agents
in the White House while Gen Grant was
president.
For ak months the ablcst detectives In
the governments employ have been hunt.
Ing out the facts In relation to the great
opium smuggling, which has i,s head and
center In the Puget sound district. They
have made a report which IL appalling.
The evidence now In possession Of the
treasury covers a thousand pages Of fools
cap. II Is of so startling a character, In
Guiding such statements about men Of ia
tional reputation, that Il Is almost lneEed-
ible
Il extends through Portland. Ore, 4,
through all the cities along Puget sound,
down the line OF the Canadian Pacific TO
the metropolis. II is 20 enormous In ex-
tent that the treasury docs not know where
to begin lat prosecution and includes so
many men OF high standing. At leastt two
United States senators are involved and
FIVE congressman. 1t is the most euor-
nous combination to cheat the govern
ment In its extent and power that was ever
known In the eountry's history.
For six months the United States treas
ury has been aware that an oplum-smug-
Cling was In successful operation on the
Pacific coast. II made It's details for In .
vestigation with the utmost care, for il was
difficult to find men who could he trusted
Nobody from the section where the work
had to be done could be employed, be-
ause the concern was all-Powerful, and
u bribery was not sufficient darker meant
might be employed.
Though II Is difficult to get any positive
Information from the government officials
enough has been given out to show thai
the full details are In the treasury's pos-
session.
ave have full Information as TO th'
methods employed" said an officer OF ,h'
. treasury today, "but the difficulty will b'
.. In procuring testimony that will convict
The eonsplrators are American and Chi
nese, and though we know who nearly al
of them are, our information is not In I
form that can be produced In a eour,
There is the trouble"
"why Is this opium smuggling 80 prohi
a5lel"
Because there Is a duty of xta pei
! pound on the stuff ="
"Didn't the Mckinley bill put this dut'
on opium"
ayes, it did, and that :. Why the busi
hess has grown TO such colossal dinsn
sions"
Cant the collectors stop Il or catch
some of the smugglers"
Sometimes a lot OF the stuff Is captured
but we never can make case against ,t'
smugglers that will hold. All We have eve
been able to do Is to coniiscaIe the con-
trabAnd opium when Il is found. Wher
Daniel Man ning was secretary Il the treas
ury, Col Beeeter,a son Of the great Brook
iyn preacher, was appointed collector for
the Puget sound district. He had been 4
captain In the Al ,iiIeryIoi the regular army
during war and was brevsted colonel To-
distinguished gallantry. He was a new
man, and came out from Brooklyn and
tsok hold with vigor.
. "BeioTe he had been In Office thre'
! months he got on The track OF the ring
lie found one lot OF opium, about 9,5o'
pounds, that was In Alaska waiting d,
chance to be smuggled Into the Unitee
States Il was in a big batch Of canned
salmon, put up In two-pound cans. marked
ALASKA Salmon" There were nearly
10000 cans of opium and fish together ,snc
II was an awful job TO tell o.e from III,
other. Beecher ad foun nearly sISo,ooc
worth of opium when he was stopped. II
two months mere he would have ruined
the ring and hadiita ringleader In thePeni-
teniisry.
ale was offered $4,000 by a man high
In great political pariy's ranks to stof
hunting for opium lie refused the bribe
Then another tack vas tried. Beechei
had been appointed during the vacation oi
congress. The senate was not In session
and he had not been confirmed. The big
politicians sent their agents to Washington
and charges were made against Beecher
of some sort. Just what they were don't
know. But the senate CON mIttee on GEN.
merce would not make favorable report
on his nomination and he was never con-
Grmed."
"Were the facts you have stated made
public iheni"
"No. The treasury hoped to catch the
smugglers and everything waskept secret.
When Col Beecher was beaten new man
was appointed, but he did nothing"
"Do you know who beat Beecher's con-
hrmationl"
"No, because the executive sessions of
the senate arc secret, but we know who the
senator's were that caused his rejectment."
| Sand where were they fron?" was
asked.
"The man who really did the work was
from the Pacific slope. About a month
agU the collector for the Port Townsend
district, a man who was appointed by
President Harrison at the beginning of the
administration, was removed without warn
ing or explanation. He was seizing too
many Chinamen andtoo much opium be
onging to the ring"
When custom officer proves too efficient,
and makes too many seizures or keeps too
bright lookout, the all-powerful ring
has him removed. This Is especially tn c
case with the Puget sound district. This
district has given the treasury department
more trouble than any other in the United
States. When the removal month ago
was made a senator from the state of WASH
ington said to the Times correspondent that
he had not asked or accomplished this re-
, moval and that 1t was not made for any
political reasons. The correspondent
thought then there was something curious.