The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-11-04
Magnifdaht Ecounateliam /


Of villany might he so stupeRdous as to
awaken in the community feeling akin
TO admiration. How else are we to ac-
count fol the indifference, if not com
placency, exhibited towards the makers
and venders Of intoxicating drinks. The
people know that the most outrageous
frauds are committed, and the most ex-
lensiVe and ruinous counterleiting prac-
tieed by those who stand highain the
community as men Of integrity and
honor. Some who are most familiar
with the "tricks Of the trade" and who
are afraid to go so far as to ask for law
Of annihilNtion, propose that some means
should be adopted to prevent the sale Of
drTggsd liquors, and that all spurious and
counterfeit articles should be condemned
and destroyed. We apprehend that a
proposition of this kind, submitted to a
legislative body, would be just as sternly
resisted by liquor sellers and the friends
Of civI and religious liberty, as the Maine
Law itself. Pass law against selling
impure wines and brandies, and insti-
tute an inquisatorial court, with power
to pour into the gutter all the counter
feits they could find, and there would be
little or nothing left for the Maine Law
to do. Nine hundred and ninety.nine
gallons out of every thousand in the city
of Cincinnati and State of Ohio, would
find its way to the sewers speedily. Ii
is by system of counterfeiting that the
shrewd liquor merchant makes his
money. Take single fact, which is
vouched for by unquestionable authority;
IA chemist of high standing, who has
communicated the fact, was recently
called upon by brandy counterfeiter to
analyze two specimens Of French
liquid which he had imported, and with
which and whisky he had manufactured
and sold 800 hogsheads of the mixture
as Pure French Brandy, at So, so per
gallon, having made over 100000 by
the operation, the liquor costing thirty
cents gallon. The chemist was soIi-
cited to manufacture more of the mix
lures (if he could discover the secret),
for the counterfeiter, who could not wait
the receipt of the article from France.
The chemist found one of the mixtures
deadly poison, and declined having any
thing to do with the nefarious business.
Another individual, counterfeiter, having
obtained mixture OF the like character,
is now on his way TO California, and
made no secret Of his belief that he
should make 100000 by the operation.
Whisky, the groundwork, is drugged
with arsenic, in small quantities, to bring
up the bead, SO as to make it, when di-
luted with water, to appear Of full
strength"
This is but one specimen of the way
in which honorable gentlemen and good
citizens take to accumulate wealth. If /
the Congress Of the United States, who
have "sole power to regulate commerce"
with foreign nations, would pass law
that all the liquors imported should be
genuine or be thrown over the dock at
the port of entry, what a terrible fuss
would be kicked up by the importing
merchants in Boston and New York.
We should hear Congress assaiIed as
having struck fatal blow at civil liberty; /
and the act would take its place with
tthe alien and sedition laws" If the
article imported was -four instead Of
brandy, and it was ascertained that it \
was corrupted by plaster of paris, or
other foreign substance, we should find
Wy