The National tribune., 1899-08-03
A CONSPICUOUS DIFFERENCE.

between Mr.. Evans and the other Commits
sioners at the bead OF important Bureaus
of the Government. He is the only one
among them that is continually haunting
Newspaper Row to exploit puffs of his own
Isurpassing "smartness" and integrity, and
ISLANDERS of the men and women with whom
his Bureau does business. He alone
sings a song that never intermits, as long
as his typewriter will hold out to work,
about how "clean and able" he is, how
wicked and designing are the old men.and
women who simulate rheumatism, blind
ness hernia, deafness, and senile debility.
to defraud the Government, and how much
he saves the Treasury every year by
his phenomenal shrewdness.
Compare him for q moment with some
of the other Commissioners, who manage
still more important Bureaus, grapple with
much greater problems, and worry daily
with exceedingly deeper perplexities. and
yet are rarely heard of in the newspapers.
| The Commissioner of Customs has the
administration of our vast and complicated
tariff system. He oversees the collection
or 5000 different classes of articles, which
are perpetually changing in character,
valuation, graduation, etc, on account Of
advances in manufacture, alterations in
trade, etc, and lie is bcset by the keenest
men in the world, eager to make fortune
by some sharp practice, slip, oversight, or
evasion Of the law. Many Of them will
not hesitate to violate the law if they think
there is a good chance TO escape pumislI-
mcnt. The Commissioner is in a state OF
perpetual vigilance against these. He
spends none Of his time peryading the news
paper Offices with laudations Of his "cIcan-
ness and ability" and ISLANDERS on the whole
class of importers, merchants and ship
people, with whom his Office does business.
The Commissioner Of Internal Revenue
has, if possible, a still more arduous re
sponsibility lie has TO keep a wary eye
and firm hand on every distillery, brew
cry, tobacco factory, warehouse, cigar
factory. oleOmargarine factory, and the
places where these products are retailed.
He has to see that every deed, mortgage,
check, and proprietary article is properly
stamped, and so on through a multitude
of ramifications, by which his Bureau col
lects something like 100000, 600 a year
from the people Every step is beset by
sharp. unscrupuous men, desperately
eager to make money by some evasion or
violation of tile law, and these range all
the way from the mOonshiners Of the South
ern mountains whom he has to OCCASION
ally order killed, TO the men who institute
a wholesale forgery of cigar stamps, as was
recently discovered. Bat the Commis-
sioner of Internal Revenue employs his
leisure hours quite otherwise than in filing
the newspapers with encomums on the
Governments rare good fortune in securing
ening the character of every manufacturer
and merchant with whom his Bureau deals.
The patents of this country probably
involve 81 ,OOO, ,0OO,O worth of property,
bIltIt 10 iiSt.SNblg
over them, with the strongest temptations
to make fortunes by warping the law, or
infringing on rights. Yet, we never have
word Of self-praise from the Commissioner
of Patents as to how clean and able" he is,
and what thoroughly bad lot are paten-
tees. patent attorneys and promoters.
A worse lot Of men can not be found than
some that Commissioners Of Indian Affairs
and Of the Laud Office have 10 deal with.
Both of them have occasionally need to call
upon the Army OF the United States to sup |
press, disperse or Kill the greedy rascals |
who strive to violate the law. Yet, |
neither of these Commissioners habitiIaIy |
perciaim their 'clcanness, ability, and
back bone" and dcnounce the whole body |
Of homesteadcrs, Indians, Indian agents, |
land attorneys, etc, as an organized body |
Of villains, intent only upon robbing the |
Treasury.
On the contrary these officials go ahead, !
doing their duty quietly, intelligently and |
faithfully. They exercise ordinary in
telligence in distinguishing the occasional
bad men from the great mass of honest
lawabiding people. They punish tho bad
men relentlessly, but give full credit and
faith to the men whom they have sense
enough TO discriminate are only anxious
to obey the laws, and receive their benefit
and protection.
That is where there is great difference
in Commissioners.
THE Grand Army Of the Republic is
called upon to mourn the death of another
and jealous comrade. Brig
Gen. Nelson Cole died at lis home in ST.
Louis. July 81. Comrade Cole was one OF
the original Union men III Missouri, and
by his ability and courage was of signal
assistance to Gen. Lyon in saving that
Stale to the Union. When the troubles
following the election of Lincoln began,
he took a firm stand for tie Union, and
organized a company in ST. Louis, which
did good service during the troublous early
days in overawing the secessionists, and
securing the United States arsenal, and
other property. He was wounded at vii
pon,- rraoI, HE. co,nr,o,,, ba,,,,a .,.4