, 1865-04-03
THE TAX ON WHISKY.
Tb.;e.ale Eyasitn---Non Payment II D7'
,jes.--Ili,rit Stills and Branded Bar1e!s
---Ao Reyeaue from Spirits

Ardent snirits have slsnyy been trouble to leg
!s7ators, whether rs1nc them, or making laws to
teen,ntc their use by others. Rum was the bfne
d New England civilization, and e1tlfpatoz Of
the 1p6isn 1r1bce; whisky was tue 'aEset Of Maine
law Iusi!adesfn then as now was bnarean
vo'er;.it xs4kLFays intrudne into the ballot box
ind H h8ef that II should gain access into our
councils. Daring the progress Of the present war
it.haa been the subject Of mach law making, the
object of tmmt usc speculation, the source Of al
moet fabulous wealth. Butt IL still an enigma
crrat ee ever. 1t dIsdains to come to "pro0t"
70 cons 10 time. OF answer ''grrat c1pectstioos,"
however much It may be "on the rampage Espc-
chilly at present arci its ways paradc1,cal Whisky
he United Smses treaErfy, yet can be bought for
Two dollars and one and half cents per gallon,
iesying only one cent TO pay the cost Of produc-
sr5ice IL wortl icss, Or there very respectfully
t!zed coiesed individual IN the fence somewhere.
Previous to the frat OF JanusrT, 1875, the taI
on wh1eky Was one dollar and a half per gallon;
On that day the ncT Law took eject, raising the
excise TO Two dollars IL Was supposed that after
The lapse OF few months the stock en- hand would
tlIerfes IN the country would he In fnll blast the
stock being known 70 be light Contrary 10 all
expectation, the d1etl'erfcs are not running, yet
to ali iras n, The price Of highw7nes on Saturday
wus <2.01} per gallon-at least half dO,iar less
than 4 can fe made 1or. and pay taxes. Howis1
q
stock on hand, as people nre led 70 suppose, The
1.rlce BIculd be run down half dollar below the
paying rzte-hrst COST
The,e is only one rational answer to the query,
and we have reason to believe 1t Is the true one
The payment Of the duty Is extensively esaded."
There are *ery good grounds foT believing thnt
quantities, and is sold without paying duty pnr-
chast TINS able to procure 1t at prices far be-
low the trutSalne. Stocks are constantly coming
i.to the city, it Is true in lmtrd Quantities, and
nm Il hN U1nFk kPf nj m fnY
profit on legitimate transaction 1t s-beltevcd
that many Of theec importations never pay duty,
and there Is no doubt that the article Is made here
never pcDctrate8.
We are Ill familiar with the stories told Of
searshes ;,h for Thisk seross he Wsts
to ttack cut the tnff1Dgers Of the lsw making i'm
reratlye the pa} mcnt Of ' seven and six" On dis
tiled spirits. In the British Isles, many thou
sands Of barrels Of whisky are annually manutac-
tured which never pay royalty, notwithstanding
the Sharpe ned gaze and Wearsless hunts Of the
revenue officer, and scores Of poor ~fetches each
On the prtcn record yet stlll the prachce goes on
7he most unheard OF places are brought into use
mountatn goEges, abandoned mines, natural cly-
ems. curtous'y wrought tunnels under the HOUSES
Of c.tes spaces above the ceiling, these and m,ny
otber localtes are filed in with still, aid the
worm is set 10 work, distllling ont the potecn
which is so ol1en drunk from tho taypot. fill re.
Gently We have alternately laughed Al and pitied
the actors in these TIM edles, and congratulated
| nutse1yea on freedom from such scenes. Bnt I'M
| mnu pnture u much tte same everywhere Tia
Imposition Of heavy tax Is temptation to fraud
and there n e nIenty Of peopic here VIII
are not proof acalnet # The secret still fs n
Vosiauoug Ms, and the Government OF the UuI1ej
sts,es is being deffauded of untold sums throusi
srcnry
A nromincnt memter of the Board of Trade re-
| ma, kti thc uthet day. in fhe heatin. Of eeyerr
| rcnt1t mcn that he cnu1t throw = sYonr fTon
Thcrc he 1sas t1en stsrdine. and strike buildin.
where they were manufacturing whlskey whicI
| wnnid never nav duty. There are ulepty Of sncl
| aant 1hc Etste lie same pracf1ce Is orcraii,n.
lareeiy. It Is furthermore believed that there i
a copniyauce betwec1 several Of tie uisfilier
and thc rryerpc oncers, il some districts outsid,
Of Chicago, whereby whit h mnprta fured oDcni1
| ls not subjected 10 astessment While we Wouli
not Charge tie officers OF this district With sue.
ccmplicity, Ee arc inclined to believe that the,