St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-26
The Internal Revenue Bureau
and the Business Trans
acted Through 1t.
Secretary Morton Tackles
Abuses and Reduces EX-
penditures.
Snecinltn the Globe.

sidering the history of the somber four
story mansion in which the great secre-
tary died, and his peculiarities, it does
seem strange that he should. in the con-
dition of his mind and physical system
four years ago, have selected it as resi-
dence. Its history has been filled with
catastrophe, crime and passion. Sixty
years ago it was the fashionable board
ing house of the capital. and when John
c. Calhoun was secretary of war In the
cabinet of James Monroe he made his
home there. Henry Clay made it his
abiding place during the administration
of the younger Adams, in whose cabi-
net he held the position of secretary of
state, as President jackson always af-
firmed, by virtue of corrupt deal be-
tween Clay and Adams.
The growth of that quarter of the
city, now the uitra-fashionable section.
made the place more and more desira-
bic, and along in the forties the Wash
ington club secured the house, and for
the next twenty years it was the resort
of the rich and fashionable young men
who in ante-bellum times were wont to
cOngregate IN the national capital.
Philip Barton Key and Gen. Dan Sickles
were members and fast friends. The
residence of Sickles was directly across
the park, and Key was
SfgnaIed by Mrs. sickIes
when at the club, and a few minutes
later was shot down by Sickles on the
sidewalk in front OF the house.
A few years later, when William II.
Seward Joined the official family of
President Lincoln as secretary of'state,
the red brick mansion took his fancy.
and he secured it for his residence, and
within it's walls he nearly met death at
the hands of the assassin Payne, i'll
April, 1865. The third and lat secre-
tary of state to occupy it was James g..
Blaine, and within its SOmber walls he
breathed his last. With such history,
less erratic men than George Francis
Train have marVelled that Blaine
should have selected 1t for q residence.
Calhoun, Clay, Seward and Blaine J
What an array! The mere recital of
these names disposes of all wonder at
the fact that, in spite of its history and
LONELINESS, this old house Is in great
demand, and is already bargained for
as soon as the BIaines leave it to go to
their home in Augusta.
when Decatur Died.
Speaking of historic houses in Wash
ington, the death of Gen. Edward F.
Beale, the intimate friend of President
Grant, calls up the story of the plain
old brick mansion III which he lived. 1t
faces the northwest corner of LAT yette
park, almost diagonalIy across the
park from the Blaine house. 1t was
built by Commodore Decatur after the
war of 1912, and in it he died after his
famous duel at Bladensburg with Com
modore James Barron. Henry Clay
was the next great man to occupy the
house; then Martin Van Buren,, who
lived there when he was vice president,
during the second term OF Andrew
Jackson Edward Livingstone, secre-
vice president and Judah p. Benjamin,
when a member of the senate before
the war. were some OF the distinguished
residents previous to the purchase of
the house by Gen. Beale. As the guest
of the latter, President Grant spent
weeks at a time within its hoSpitable
doors.
A Great Collection Agency.
When the new commissioner of in
ternal revenue, Col. Joseph S. Miller, of
West Virginia. was sworn in last week
his predecessor, Col. Mason, i'll taking
leave of the employees of the bureau, de-
livered short address in which he took
occasion to briefly review the work of
the bureau. When 1t is considered that
this is but small portion OF the treas
ury department some idea of the work
of this branch of the government may
be gained from the following extract:
"While | have been commissioner
there has been collected and covered
into the treasury. without the loss of Il
cent, more than $500, 000,0 00." SAID Col.
Mason. ''This is more money than
was expended by the combined admin
Istrations of Washington, Adams, JEFF
ferson, Madison and MOnrOe'S first
term, covering period of twenty-eight
years and embracing the war of 1912.
There have been manufactured during
the past four years more than 400, 600 600
gallons of distilled spirits, about 125, 000,-
600 barrels of beer-or nearly4, 900, 00O, 600
gallons, about 10000, 100000 cigars and
II, 900, 100000 cigarettes, about 1,000,0
pounds of tobacco and snuff, aDd I60,-
0O0,00 pounds of OleOmargerine. We
have issued more than 4,000.000, 900
stamps without the loss of a single one.
To make these stamps has required
nearly 100000 pounds of paper. 1t
has been my pleasure to see the revenue
increase during my term of office from
$4,000 600 per annum to over 100000,
900, Notwithstanding the fact that taxes
amounting to S6,O0O.0O0 per annum were
repealed by the Mckinley bill. l have
seen with pride the
Cost of Collection
gradually reduced until it is now only
about $3.50 per hundred. hazard moth
ing in the prediction that if the same
rate of taxation shall be maintained
during the next four years the total
collections will reach very nearly $780,,
600, 600 in 1897, and the cost of collection
scarcely exceed per centum. Such are
the possibilities of the bureau ana its
brilliant future.
1.-THE internal revenue bureau is not
only an immense collection office, but
the congress of the United States, rec
ognizing its splendid organization
throughout the country, its So collectors
and more than 1000 deputies, together
with more than 1000 other officers and
employees, has imposed upon the bureau
many other and very important duties.
We disburse from $4,000, 900 to 100000
per annum to the producers of sugar;
we supervise the manufacture and sale
of oleOmargarine; we have been charged
with the important duty of registering
the Chinese; the anticipation bill now
pending before congress, If il becomes
n will hn nnfnraah nv thIQ hnrnQn
These things show the confidence which
congress reposes in this bureau, and
the standing of the gentlemen in the in
ternal revenue service throughout the
country"