The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-12-04
THE SUGAR FRAUDS.

Some time ago revelations of graft in connec-
ton with the port of New York were made. A few
years ago, it would have been proper to say the
revelations startled" the country but in this day
there are few who can be startled" by any revela
tions. The first revelations connected cheese
manufacturer with half dozen weighers in the
customs service. Regardless of ethics, the men in
the employ of the government were continued in
their positions by Collector Loeb of the port of
New York, and he made the plea that this
practical method of dealing with the grafters
About hundred men were subsequently dismissed,
The men retained temporarily in their positions
furnished evidence which connected the importer
with the graft
Now the sugar trust has been made the subject
of much discussion, and men high in the govern
ment service have had a smirch daubed upon their
characters which it will be impossible to remove by
explanation denunciation. According to men
who have been in position to know, the sugar trust
has for many years profted by false weights and
measures of its imports. One appraiser is said to
have laid his knowledge of the wrongdoing of the
trust before the treasury department in 1899, but
the matter dropped after the appraiser was adj
vlsed to inform the president of the sugar trust
that "if anything like that exists it must be
stopped The revelations have served to recall the
attitude of the different political parties in several
revisions of the tariff on the sugar schedule and of
the refusal of President Cleveland to sign the tariff
bill, at the same time denouncing the statesmen
who had led the party into 'perfdy and dishonor."
That was in 1894 and it is said the graft has been
going on ever since, with millions of dollars an
nually the profit of that "perfdy and dshonor"
Although 1t has come to be the common opinion
that certain amount of graft is a necessary part
OF the administration of our public affairs it has
been the cherished belief that the government or at
least the responsible heads of departments were in
corruptble and in this belief the people have been
content to permit certain amount OF petty graft
ing, believing that the incorruptible government
would get upon the trails of the thieves and reent
lessly bring them to Justice This however. has
been given severe jolt by the revelations in con-
nectlon with the sugar frauds in that the highest
officials OF the government are said to be involved
Ihe grand jury investigating the matter has not
yet returned true bills against any of the men
higher up" but there promises to be a shake-up
which will almost "startlen the country
The chief evidence upon which the prosecutions
Of the sugar trust based was furnished by Rich
q Parr. now deputy surveyor of New York. who
appointed in 1906 by President Roosevelt a
special agent of the treasury department to ferret
out the facts in the case and who now asserts that
powers higher up" in the treasury department
tried to muzze him when his Investigations be-
gan to duplicate the really big thieves The prog
ress OF the investigation will be watched with in
terest by the people of the country and it can be
safely said that nothing short of complete house
cleaning will be acceptable if further investigation
"pans out" as is now promised