Year: 1870

at lower rate of interest, and is not
willing to put part of it in greenbacks
that bear no interest, why does it not
exercise the power which it certainly
possesses of taxing them as other prop
erty is taxed. This taxation, say at
two per cent, would reduce the next
interest to five per cent, which is less
than it can be taken abroad. 1t would
save an immeDs, amount of trouble, and
at the same time be but an act of JUS
rice. If Congress was composed of fair
men-of men who represented the peo-
ple-it would tax the bonds in this
manner.


The Funding bill passed the Senate
with nearly all its imperfections on its
head, even the foreign agency proviso
being retained, though in a modified
form. There was money in it. 1t was
"rooster" that crowed most Justify.
Senator Conkling demonstrated that the
passage of such bill was uncalled for
as the Secretary of the Treasury already
possessed all the authority requisite to
the fund, except the 100000 bonus.
Other Senators, practical business men,
objected TO several of its provisions and
suggested notifications, but all to no
purpose. The per centage allowed
to agents was reduced from
one to one-half of one per cent,
which cuts the "pickings" down from
SIP 900. 900 to S6,00O,000. This the New
York Tribune grumbles at, and hopes
that the original amount will be re
stored in the House. And yet this sum
will make twelve Congressional for
tunes, or render sixty persons who are
more moderate in their expectations,
very comfortable for life. 1t is hoping
against hope to look f6f any relief in the
lower House, but if they should defeat
this whole scheme, or substitute there
for one which leading to the same, aud
shall be free from all obnoxious fea.
lures, the members would deserve well
at the hands of their constituents, the
people.


SwINDLING REVENUE OFFICERS.


About these days a large part of our
law and police reports is devoted to the
misdeeds of blackmailing, thieving and
absconding revenue officers. The per
centage of rsscals among them is fright
ful. There seems to be no class of pub
lie officials in which so many irresponsi-
bic vagabonds have found berths. They
fill all positions, from the humblest to
almost the highest. There is a wide
spread impression that the greater part
of the blackmailing and swindling per-
petrated by these petty tyrants will new.
or coRe to light. They are expert at COW
ering their tracks, and the citizens who
have been their victims or accOmplices
have the strongest motives for never ap-
pearing against them. The many cases
that are accidentally brought to public
notice are probably but a few compared
to the vast mass OF others buried in the
deepest recesses of human breasts. In
perusng these reports one cannot help
smiling as he thinks of the airs Of vir.
Cuous superiority that these men put on
in dealing with the unfortunate tax
payer. He is catechised, Cross-examin-
ed, bullied, and treated as if he was a
swindler. The attitude of the revenue
officer towards him is that of some up
right, inpeccable, but stern and harsh
Judge, towards sons habitual and no.
torious criminal; whereas the chances
are ten to one that the only rascal OF
the two is the revenue officer himself,
and that the citizen is totally innocent
of any design to defraud the Treasury.
After all these exposures of revenue
swindlipg by revenue officers, little
more modesty would be highly becoming
in their department towards the citizens
whom they are legally authorized to
worry aud annoy. The income tax and
other burdens are bad enough, and only
endured because they are imposed by
the laws under which we live but it is
too much for human patience to put up
with the offensive impertinence aud
bullying of ssme Of the men who are
appointed to execute them, and we
think that many n taxpayer will in
dulge in a consolatory Chuckle as he
reads how one by one the fellows that
have been insulting and tormenting
him are brought up with round turn
before the courts and have their crimes
exposed or are obliged to make swift
removals to foreign parts to avoid ar
rest.-Netc York Journal Of Commerce.