Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-02-05
The Distillery Question.

ihIo "uLSAey, anu the Gail naS ocCUniS ~
general and loud upon the Convention for
protection against the alarming evil, that it
has at last reached even the ears of some of
that body who have hitherto resisted all at
temPts at interference in the matter. Some
time in last November or December, when
an ordinance was before the Convention for
taxing the distilleriss, the venerable Judge
Ruffin opposed it most yehemently and de-
nounced it as an un~warrantable interference
with the rights Of the people of his county, a
large portion ofwhom Chimselfamoug the num-
ber) were engaged in distilling whiskey. In
vain were pleaded the suferings of the poor
people, on account of the high price of bread
stuffs caused by the large consumption of
grain at these distilleries. He and others
turned q deaf ear-the distilleries must not
be interfered with, though the people might
suffer.
But the mind Of this venerable and infu-
entail member of the Convention has, we are
glad to see, undergone even a slight modif-
cation since that time, and he has himself in
PRODUCED the following resolution, which was
adopted by the Convention, and referred to
the committee on finance:
"Resolced, That in aid of the revenue, q
reasonable tax ought to be laid on the dis
hllation of spirituous liquors, or on the grain
used for distillation, and that the committee
on finance eaquire as to the proper mode and
amount of such tax, and report an ordinance
for that purpose"
The author of the resolution does not re-
cognize any necessity for such a measure
growing out of the wants, necessities and
sufferings of the people, but by way of aid
ing the revenue of the State, he is willing
that these pet and indispensable institutions
should pay a reasonable tax, &c. Now, as
to what amount will be considered a "rea-
sonable" tax, it viii be hard to define
What the wants, demands and ~necessi-
ties of the country require to prevent
breadstufs being placed at famine prices,
will be esteemed by the distiller as very
unreasonable taxes, and the attempt to
please both sides by this temhorising policy,
will be found futile and fail to accomplish
the end designed
The plain and simple truth is, in view O
the absolute restitution and suffering which
will inevitably follow the perversion of 81
much breadstuffs of the country into whis
key by the hundreds, if not thousands, o
distilleries in operation in the State, tn,
Convention ought to inderdict-prohi6i1
the making Of whiskey out of corn an,
wheat. 1t is emphatically "a military ne
cessity," because unless some relief of tn,
kind is afforded, our soldiers, and those VIII
are dearer to them than life i~tself--their fami
lies at home--must suffer for the necessarie
of life. And it is a duty the Convention
owes to these brave men and their families
and also to the community generally, tina
they should interpose to prevent the distiller
from giving aid and comfort to the enemy
by superinduciDg a famine in the land
calamity ten thousand times more to b
dreaded than Lincoln and all the wanda
hordes he may be able to bring against u
Within two weeks past, the price of cor
has advanced 90 to % per cent, and if tt
distilleries are permitted to go on in their nef
rious business, before October next, the pri
of corn will be $1,75 to 90 per bushel.
But with these alarming facts staring Il
Convention in the face, we nave no hope tn
they will interfere to preoent entirely t
consumption of corn and wheat by the d
; ~tilleries. We therefore think Mr.. Mitchell
: ordinance comes nearer to meeting the I
7 e~essities of the case than any other propo:
ton that has been made in the Cenventie
We understand that it requires all distillt
, to procure a license from the County Court
I which the distilery is located-that
: County Courts shall have full discretion
the premises, to grant or reject such appli
: tions-and that such distillers as shall pl
cure the license required, shall pay a tax O
/ much 1--WE have not learned the amount)
= each gallon ~ofliquor distilled. This, it stri
IL US, is something like a move in the right
~rection. 1t will throw the respons ibi
% upon the Magistrates of each County t
will be apt to know the effect on the pric
he bread these distilleries will occasion, if
o. censed, and as the conservators of the d.
~ and welfare of community, it is believed
ID will refuse to issue the license asked
he and thus the people be protected
eoval EHo,o Az or;I1 -.
threatened fer surely, no County has a
jority of Magistrates who would grant
tillers license to make Mhiskev> ont of