The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-03
IMPORTERS ACT.
SendDe!egdtiOn tOWaShing-
ton on Customs Frauds.
CRITlCISE COLLECTORS POLICY
They Want President Taft to Pre-.
vent Confessed Bribe Takers
Being Retained In Gov
ernment Service.
CRITICISE COLLECTORS POLICY

New York, Nov. 2.-Importers who
have been victimized by the graft ring
in the customs service have sent legal
representatives to Washington to find
out whether President Taft and Sec
retary MacVeagh intend to back up
Collector Loeb In the policy Of protect
ing confessed customs thieves.
A number of the officials in the
New York custom house whose rec
ords have been clean would like to OBJ
tain from the president some assur-
ance that they will not have to stul-
tify themselves by working with
crooks. They have interested United
States senators and several cabinet
officials in their case against Collector
Loeb.
A number of importers have receiv-
ed a tip that they are to be prose-
cuted for participation in or conniving
at fraud. They have heard that the
government has in preparation more
than a hundred cases dealing with
organized thievery. Their attitude is
that If they are to be brought to
court they want to see the crooks
within the service punished, not re-
warded.
AS matters stand they have been re-
luctant to give any Information to
United States District Attorney Wise
or to the government special prosecu-
tors. A few days ago an importer
was sent to jail, and the customs men
who had testified against him were
protected from punishment and re-
tained their jobs although they cons
fessed before Judge Holt that they
were guilty of the same crime Of
which the importer was guilty.
The importers believe that they have
nothing else to expect If the president
approve Of Mr.. Loeb's course, but
they do not believe that Mr.. Taft will
stand for the protection of criminals.
The government is about to get action
on a mass Of cases, and the importers
whose names will be brought into
these cases are anxious for some word
as to the final policy Of the govern
ment If the president repudiates Col
lector Loeb's scheme the importers
think there is chance to get q square
deal at least.
Within the service there are a far
greater number of men interested in
what the president will do when he
gets back to Washington. The honest
customs officials are disturbed and
angry over the collectors bargaining
with thieves. Some of these men have
been retarded in promotion and threat
ened with violence by the breed of
thieves whom Mr.. Loeb is keeping in
office. They knew that the customs
service was rotten. They knew that
they were touching shoulders with
crooks every day. Few of them COM
planned because the power of the graft
system was so great that it could
force them out of the service. Now
that there is chance of destroying
the evil they would like to see it done.
Experience has taught u.s." said a
customs man, that bargaining with
crooks will mean new life for the
graft system. Sooner or later If these
men are retained in the service the
whole dirty game will start up anew
and be played all over again. There
are hundreds of honest men in the
customs, fellows that never looked at
a dishonest dollar in their lives. / am
one of them, and know what they
all think. They want to see every
man who is a crook by his own con-
fession or against whom there is the
slightest evidence Of grating thrown
out Oh his neck"