The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-26
MIR. YERKES, TAKE YOUR OWN
MEDICINE AND .sSTEP OUT
BEHIND COVER

ers' banquet, Mr.. Yerkes, u. S. Col
lector of Internal Revenue, had a good
deal to say about political peonage
stupid, blind and dishonest men
who resisted the appeals to join the
Republican party and said:
BE honest. Be true. For years the
Republicans of the North, East and
West have by their votes saved you
from your own folly and blindness.
You know it. Now, gentlemen, step
out from behind cover. Get into the
open.''
We are glad to have Mr.. Yerkes in
North Carolina and glad to hear him
"step out from behind cover" We
commend to him the wisdom of taking
his own medicine. For about a year
this paper has been trying to get Mr..
Yerkes or some Washington city rev.
enue authority to "step out from be-
hind cover" and stop two species of
crime and wrong practised in North
Carolina by employees of Mr.. Yerkes's
department. but without success.
About a year ago it was discovered
that certain distillers and revenue of
ficers by collision had swindled the
government out of very large sums
as much as 100000, according to
Judge Boyd District Attorney Holton
prosecuted some of them. Tt was
pretty we'll established that the frauds
could not have been perpetrated but
higher up" than the store-keeper who
was convicted. 1t was generally be-
lieved that the gang caught had allies
high up in the party, both in North
has been done to punish or make an
example of them. To show how wide
spread is the fraud practiced by of
ficials in the control of Mr.. Yerkes we
quote the remarks made by Judge
Boyd, the National Committeeman of
the Republican party in this State I'M
til he was appointed Federal Judge by
President Mckinley In pronouncing
sentence in Greensboro on May 4th,
1894, Judge Boyd said:
"My sympathies involuntarily go out
to see men like these before me over
taken in crime. 1t is hard to see my
way clear. Temptations to defraud
the governemnt are so great. and such
practices have become so common in
this district not only by dealers but
by government officials it has become
more the rule than the exception to
violate the law. These frauds could
not have been committed by defend
ants without the active, wilful, corrupt
of government officers. |
am satisfied these stamps obtained out
West, were never placed on packages
there but were brought by persons or
sent by mail, direct to these North
Carolina establishments raised from
nine proof to 100 proof and these
gaugers never even inspected the IL
quor or saw the stamps on the North
Carolina barrels or took the proof, but
that they simply attested whatever
these rectifiers and distillers put in
their reports, aiding and abetting them
by certifying under oath to the gov
eminent to anything they were told.
The loss of money to the government
is not half so bad as the absolute and
complete decentralization to society. 1t
is a subject for profound thankfulness,
that public sentiment has reached the
healthy point to recognize this fact
for it means that such abominable
practices must stop. In this case the
jury could not have found any other
verdict than that of guilty. The evil
dence presented by the government
was absolutely conclusive. There must
be an example set to these rectifiers
and manufacturers, who have grown
to think it legitimate to defraud the
government and debauch its officers.
'"These gaugers have been at this
business, many of them, a long time,
are at it right now, and the whole
business has got to stop. The manner
in which these frauds have been and
are being perpetrated against the gov
eminent and honest society in this
district is crying shame and dis
grace. These frauds and irregularities
are being carried on so boldly and
openly as to amount to an actual de-
fiance of the government and it's courts
of justice Nearly every rectifier and
Whiskey manufacturer in this district
have been here during this trial eth
er in person or by agent, watching
this trial, or for other purposes less
creditable. / know every one of them
and / have seen them here in this
court room. | wish they were all here
now, to understand that just as GER
tain as they continue in fraudulent
practices against the government, they
will be overtaken in their crimes, as
have been these defendants. Not that
am a prosecuting officer myself, but
this trial has shown that the govern
ment has a prosecuting officer who is
able and fearless enough to properly
attend to all such cases, and that he
has the power of the government, and
the incorruDtible honest citizenship of
this district in the persons of its jurors
behind him."
When appeal was made to Judge
Boyd for clemency he is quoted as
saying that "if the defendants would
pay back the 100000 the government
had lost in their case alone, he would
remit the sentence to prison" Now,
wouldn't it be a great deal better for
Mr.. Yerkes to put an end to dishon-
esty in the revenue service by appoint
ing better class of men than to be
calling men ten times better than he
can hope to be towards and charging
them with political dishonesty?