Year: 1875

In another column Will be found some
account of recent smuggling operations in
New York. We print it not only for the
information of the public, but for the pur-
pose of calling the attention of all interested
parties to the fact that it portrays precisely
the condition of commercial affairs at that
port which it was predicted by the oppo-
nents of the repeal of the moieties, through
these columns, when that question was be-
fore Congress, would exist if the proposed
reform" % legislation then under discus
sion was enacted. 1t was then boldly and
confidently asserted that the amendment
Of the. confscation act restricting the for
FIXTURES TO the guilty package only, instead
of holding officers, vessel and cargo all rig
idly accountable for the smuggling of
single article, would be simply an invita-
ton to smugglers to frequently and con-
staDtly assume these lighter risks. But we,
in common with all other advocates of a
retention of the main features of the old
law, were met with the reply that the mer-
camille community were in the main more
honorable than other people. We were
assured that if Congress once put
them on their honor they would
scrupulors!y pay duties according 10
law, and not strive to overreach
one another. We were told to repeal
the moieties and take away those spies,
whose very presence was a continual
menace to these sensitive men of honor,
and then if any slippery cusses" sue
ceeded in working their way into the i'm
porting trade and smuggled goods SO as to
undersell the general trade, the honest
merchants would expose them at the first
view, and turn them over to the authOri-
ties for condign punishment.


These facts and many others will still be
familiar TO our readers. The Detective
press of New York, which has such keen
scent for corruption in all other localities,
and the more remote the more pungent,
volunteered to advocate the repeal and
modification asked for, and to pledge its
faith for the honor and patriotism of the
mercantile community of the city Of New
York. 1t even pledged itself to fasten its
argus eyes" upon each vessel, invoice
and importer, that they should not
dare 10 perpetrate infractions of this
law. For presuming to differ with Roberts,
Foster, Dodge, Detective Press & Co.,
upon this matter we were most roundly
abused with their choicest epithets. We
were accused Of being owned by Butler, of
having been purchased by Sanborn, and
conjured and delivered over to the Evil
One by Jayne. The law was enacted.


1t is most unfortunate for the advocates of
the so-called reform, and for the guarantors
under the new law, that almost precisely
the state of affairs which we predicted has
just teen unearthed by Secretary Bristow,
Commissioner johnson and their subordi-
mates. Immense quantities of rich goods
have been smuggled and sold to these ''hon-
orable' merchants through honest auction
houses. The officers of steamers have con-
nived at the illicit traffic and participated
in the spoils. Government officers, whose
cupidity could not Withstand the tempta-
tion, have shared until they have enriched
themselves, and resigned their positions
when exposure seemed imminent In the
absence of moieties all the witnesses have
been spirited away, and it is not probable
that the Secretary of the Treasury will be
able to command testimony sufficient to
convict a single smuggler. He has no fund
to compete with the ill-gotten gains of the
thieves. Congress stripped him of power
to punish smuggling, in order to have the
proud and sure protection of mercantile
honor as a safeguard to the Treasury. And
this is what if comes to: Men who prate of
the honor of Christian merchants go to
auction and deliberately purchase large in
voices of rich goods at prices fifteen or
twenty per cent. under market rates, which
they know must have been smuggled or
entered at under-vsluation by some poor
devil who had but little money or character
to lose, and 50 could afford to take the risk.
Which is the worseH He that infracts the
letter of the law or he who knowing this
keeps silent and takes share of the spoils?
Both are robbers of their fellow-merchants
and of every consumer and taxpayer in the
country. .....-


1t is noteworthy that the Tribune, Her.
aid, World, E0sning Post and Times,
which were particularly loud in their de-
nunciations of the. moiety system and in
favor of the Roberts, Foster and Hawley
modification, haye not yet discovered the