Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-07-29


dated back to May ~; and that being done,
Brown took Erch into the u. s.. Commits
sioner's Office (B. White), where the papers
were handed to the Commissioners and laid
on the table. We had then the privilege to
read and examine the same. In doing SO
we found that the ink was not yet dry, and
that Brown in making out his return had
footed up bill OF costs of upwards of sew
enty dollars, being pretty liberal towards
himself allowing Med. upwards OF nine
teen dollars for his swearing and expense,
and charging an equal amount for the sup
port and transportation of the defendant,
Notwithstanding Mr.. E. paid every cent out
of his own pocket. How this corresponds
with Browns assertion that he had war
rant in his pocket, every one may judge for
himself; and be it enough for me to say that
Judge. Ranney, the, defendants attorney,
who evidently bad no confidence In pre-
liminary examination before the Commits
sioner, moved that the defendant be bound
over to the next court, he waving examin-.
alton, which was overruled, the defendant
put under bonds of $4,000, the case contin-
ued, and the case set for hearing on the 9TH
of June, but again continued by the prose-
cutiOn until the 22dot June, when the de-
fendant was bound over to appear before the
next U. S. Court, held in Cleveland. And
thus ended one of the most disgraceful
transactions in its execution by petty
officials. ever witnessed, and which would
raise blush on the cheeks of an Austrian
spy.
l don't justify any violation of the law,
and the proper officers should use all due
diligence in preventing and Furnishing
fraud, and compelling every one to bear his
share of the public burdens according to
his ability and duty, but the complaint is
that the law is harshly and illegally enforc.
ed by strangers, by secret, irresponsible de-
tectives who may be in league with reck-
less informers who get one-half the prop
erty seized and penalty inflicted, an induce
ment and bribe, which in this day of cor
ruption must make every honest business
man tremble, as it would be folly to expect
mercy or fair dealing from that class OF
men. And who can say that he under
stands the new and complicated Revenue
law sufficiently to avoid every contlict--a
law upon which, it is said, over three
hundred decisions or interpretations have
already been issued by the Commissioner,
and still new ones are daily coming? There
is great deal said about the immense
whisky frauds, but have little faith in the
newspaper reports, which in my opinion,
are made up Tor the special benefit Of the
heavy liquor dealers in the East, and by the
detectives, to Influence and intiame public
opinion. According to these reports, there
is as much whisky distilled and used at this
time as there was before the passage Of the
Excise law, while upon inquiry at the
whisky rectifiers and wholesale liquor deal
ers, you are invariably informed that they
hardly sell one-tenth of what they sold
heretofore, and, with the exception of some
drunken sots, we find that farmers, mechan-
les and laborers, and indeed all classes, have
largely abandoned the use of whisky. Take
Government detective, like Mcdonnell,
who is at the same time hired and paid by
whisky association in New York, as stated
by himself, and you will hear of whisky
frauds which would astonish the nation.
But these are doubtless mostly creations of
imagination. In Erch's case as i am in
formed, he has charged him with all the
liquor shipped from DelphOs since 1863, no
matters If highwines, rectified or old whisky,
or by whom it was shipped; and to make it
complete and full, the whisky counted in
DelphOs is again counted in New York, and
by adding it altogether, he brings out alarg-
er amount of whisky than was ever manu-
featured in Mr.. Erch's distillery. But this
ingenuity can be corrected by the courts;
and it was not to advocate Mr.. Erch's case
L have written this article. If he has vio-
lated the Revenue laws, it is proper the
laws in his case should be fully yindicated.
But these inquisitorial proceedings, this
ill-treatment of man, and dragging him,
as a felon and worse, out of his own house,
and in the presence of his family, without
authority, or at least without any means of
knowing what he was charged with, is an
abuse Of the process and authority Of the
United States Courts, not calculated to aid
the peaceable execution of the laws, and
invites resistance by making the laws obi
Gus, and in my judgment is proper sub
ject of exposure and complaint. The
conduct OF Mr.. Brown and of Mr.. Gillaspee
l cannot fully state on paper. 1t would
have been harsh if each had been
charged with the highest crime known to
our laws, and was wholly unjustifiable
when the object was simply the enforcement
ofpenal Revenue statutes. | therefore make
it public, that it may be judged of and that
others may be protected against like insult
and oppression.
Let this course of action cease. Let the
Revenue laws be explained and enforced by
the proper officers in the respective districts,
and the Government will get its just dues,
and our business men will find protection
in their business. ii. u. BoEHMER.