Year: 1872

dent had such confidence tLnt In forming his Cabinet in
March Isc9 La selected him as his secretary OF the
Treasury


"Mr Stewart ESQ spoke TO Collector Murphy on tho
same sulject and gr.ed on him the fine opportunity
presented 10 him.


early In 1871, the Joint Select Committee Of both
Houses OF Congress Investigated the General Order at
NewYork, and, by OF testimony from the most
eminent merchants and business men, exposed to Con-
gress and the country the enormiiy OF the system the
hands Of eet and his associates and the means by which
he got hold Of monopoly oppressive This exposure
but the expression, in its most authoritative form,
OF the all but unanimous voice Of the community and
press OF New-York.


Twice the Secretary Of the Treasury, evidently much
impressed by the remonstraDces OF the commercial
community OF NewYork and by the concurrent testi-
mOny OF his own Commission wrote TO Collector Grin
nell June S70 and again June 1870 urging tho
same views on him.


"a third time the Secretary wrote TO Collector Muir
ply TO the same effect


"Yet nothing done at Washington for the relief OF
the commerce Of New-York. Nothing was done to re-
Lee Stocking from the position they so grossly
abused. Nothing done to break up their monopoly
before unheard Of in NewYo even TO reduce their
extortonate charges.


ain spite OF everything Leet and his associates held
their ground. They maintained themselves and their
exorbitant monopoly in defiance Of the merchants OF
NewYork; of the press and public OF New-York; OF the
Joint Select Committee OF Congress in 1871 In defiance
Of the Secretary Of the Treasury himself; In def
Of public exposure and public deeency.


"Nay, at this hour Notwithstanding reform Of the
whole General Order system they able to maintain
themselves in important share of the best business
publicly enjoyed by them beside whatever private in
tcrest they may share with others.


"What, then, is the power which has sustained
and upheld Leet Co. to this momenti Where In
the Government s the power which Is stronger than
the merchants the people, and the press Of NewYork
stronger than the two Investigating Committees OF 1871
and 1874 than the Secretary OF the Treas
ury and much ronger than each and all OF these
TO defeat them, one and all, without effort


"To this question there can be but one answer and
that very plain to leave mystery whatever
about the matter"


All the miserable instruments of corruption
and extortion, the perjured inspectors who
buy Office with votes and pay themselves with
bribes the rascilly informers who levy upon
the fears of merchants the whole corps of
official swindlers from the special agent with
his search variants and handouts down TO
the steamship vatchman who goes home at
night with his ten dollars and his bottle of
gin, owe their existence to the Secretary of
the Treasury AMI the President of the United
States They are parts of an infamous sys-
TEN which these high officials have fostered
and are still fostering, and we shall have no
relief until we force it from headquarters.
The President has full power over the civil
service. He can turn out every one of the
rogues by single word He can put honest
men in their places, abolish bribery, reform
the General Order rules, bid Custom House en-
ployGs mind their business and let political
squabbles alone, break up the Odious practices
of campaign assessments and persecution for
opinions sake, and stop the demoralizing traf-
fic in appointments. If he fails to do his
duty, it is because he is too obtuse or too un-
scrupulous. He has ample power.