The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-30
TRYING TO SHIFT
RESPONSIBILITY
Army of Greed, Grab and
Graft Stole Thousands
HALF NOT BEEN TOLD
The Attempt to Escape Criticism by
Putting Blame on Sheriffs Will Not
Fool the People Who Know
There's Something Rotten
in Denmark.

A gentleman who has kept close
track Of the mammoth frauds by
which the Government has been de-
frauded, talking yesterday about the
attempt to change the issue and throw
sand in the eyes of the people, said:
"a communication in the Charlotte
Observer of recent date giving an ac-
count of an interview between the cor
respondent of that paper at Raleigh
and Revenue Agent William H. Chap
man and Internal Revenue Collector
Carl Duncan. in which the last named
gentlemen seek to reflect upon every
sheriff in the State of North Carolina,
and which interview was evidently
had for political reasons, and was IN
tended as an attack upon the watts,
law, calls fos some notice. and l beg
space for few comments suggested
by that interview.
Revenue Agent Chapman assumes
that the State officers should run to
him with any information they may
be able to obtain of violations OF the
Watts law, and of the Internal Rev
enue laws of the United States; and
he also assumes that the sheriffs all
know of such violations Now grant
ing for argument that information OF
violations Of law had come to the
State officers, let us see If the conduct
of the revenue officers in this district
has been such as To inspire the con-
fidence which Revenue Agent Chap
man complains has not been reposed in
him as the agent for the Commission
er OF Internal Revenue at Washington,
the Honorable John w. Yerkes.
Coming at this juncture from
such a source, the charge of neglect of
duty seems almost, II not entirely RI
diculous Let us review briefly the
situation, and the condition of affairs
in this internal revenue district.
"It is known of all men that this
district is in the worst condition Il has
ever been III in the history of the
State, and also it is well known that
such condition is due to both negli-
gence on the part of the revenue Of
ncers or their guilty knowledge of,
and completely in the grossest kind OF
frauds, by which the Government has
been openly robbed of thousands of
dollars Of revenue. This negligence
and completely appear to have per-
nleated every department or the ser
vice in this state, as witness the con-
Nictions had in the United States Court
at this place recently, and also the
indictment OF others, embracing gau-
gers, clerks and deputy collectors. Also
the suspicious resignation Of officers
both in the Collectors and Revenue
Agents oiilces leave room for much
comment.
Nov had these late frauds. known
for a long time to be going on at
Milton and Reidsville, been punished
or prosecuted Immediately upon their
discovery, and had nothing been done
to conceal them by officers Higher
Up' there would be no Gnfavorable
comment; but. when it is known that
frauds OF the same character have
been detected frequently in the last
rev years at these same places, and
committed by the identical persons
who have been recently convicted III
the United States Court at Green's
hUro, and when it is considered furth-
er that ell these violations of law were
known to the Commissioner, the Col
lector. and the Revenue Agent, and
that some OF the grossest OF them
were 'hushed up,' and dismissed with
out prosecution, is 1t strange that the
State officers should decline TO tear
their shirts I'm their efforts TO inform
The revenue officers OF violations of
the law?
Further, Commissioner Yerkes has
just been in Raleigh on a purely
social visit, but finds time to be in
tervieWed and announce that these
frauds have been grossly eXagger-
ated.
The truth is. the half has not been
told, and everything points to the fact
that the true cOndirlon of affairs is
well known to the Commissioner at
Washington.
Nov once more why should the
State officers offer assistance to the
Government officers when there has
never been any inclination shown on
their part to advise the State officers
of frauds?
with all the stencil of corruption
that pervades the entire service,
ask could an honest self-respecting
state officer afford to affiliate with this
gang of revenue doodlers as at pres
ent organized?
1t would appear to be wise for a
cloud as does the Collectors of this
district, to refrain from all appearance
of rejecting upon others.
The State officers can claim that
even though they have not discovered
violations of the Watts law. they have
not assisted in any way in frauds
against the law; whereas, it may be
Ialrly inferred that whenever oppor-
Iunlty arose the internal revenue Of
ucefS Of this district appear to have
unolushingly assisted in violations of
law OF the groSSeSt character where
oy the Government has been robbed
70 an extent that few dream of: and
tne evidence all goes to prove that the
olilcers higher UP had knowledge of
Wfiat was gong on for q long time
prior to the recent trials at Greens-
poro. No reflection is here made upon
revenue Agent Chapman now in
Iuafge of this district who is known
10 be honest. bIlt tho ciJpoactiO1 iS