, 1866-11-30
The Fruiu d Heayv RIc,,e,.


Eneises, like tarihs must not be excessive II
they areso, the sruuggier and all sorts of llieli
aeVlces may, be expected to spring up, thwart
ing ne expectations Of revenue aud working
injusece to honest dealers. The excise imposed
by oui Internal revenue law may be taken as an
e1amHec Exposures of its workings show how
enorm,us are the frAuds perp.trated. Oue rev
enue afent, after thorough Investigation, de-
| chred HI consider il a hnresque to try to stop
tae whliky frauds under the present law" The
Wluness-s before the revenue commission reveal
n state Of facts which wpTld have made theis
proper inn nyeessioal on s5ylegislRfors not stepped
to the lips "-d i'~.,ttea by partiztn preja alicei
Ike ihe radical m1jority in Compress. A little
Ingenuity Can construct out Of very cheap e
terIas a distiilng apparatus which may be used
with sntire secreSy. A farmer, let US say, has
grain worth. il tue shape Of grain, not twenty
cents bushel. Ten bushels Of this grain be
c'n Turn into forty gallons of whisky, worth
ninety ajliars-an increase from two dollars to
near one hludfed dollars. The temptation is a
very str,ng one.
Anoth'r revenue agent says "These (cheap
Stills) my, in New York. be used in gtrret or
anywheri, because Croton water runs up throu sh
the building. The quantity produced may be
twenty Il fifty gallons; ten to twelve bushels Of
grain viii make forty gallons, and this is sold to
small delers in demJohns. Some stills are
liceused, and will report fouI gallons out Of a
run of fJrty gallons. Others have II vinegar
factory. With a small still they mlke the whis
KY from sour beer, molasses, etc, aud then sell
the vinegirinto which tue whisky has been con-
yerted. At the west not one. fifth Of the whisky
pays taxes. Inspectors should be appointed
for each distilery, and paid bigh salary. 1t
is utterly impossible to prevent private distilla-
ton. wouldpropose that every person found
iu possession If a small still should be impris
oned. 1t should also be penal ofsnse for any
smith to make ! small still"
In the Testimony of the revenue officer we see
some of the michief that is done and in his
recommendations we see other mischefs that
are intended tocouuteract the existing ones.
In the one case We see the revenue defrauded by
Illicit practices, while the honest Manufactured
and dealer, who airly pays the whole excise, is
nndersold by hi less scrupulous rival 10 the
same business. low, to cure this evil we have
proposed to US remedy about as bad as the
disease "Inspetors should be appointed for
each dlstillerv, AID every one Of them paid a
high salary" Moody should be allowed to
make any spirit orbeer for household use. Any
smith Who makes asm ali still should be fued or
imprisoned. And his is what our radical poll
ticians would fastei upon our people. But all
such penal regulations, which in the usual
course OF such restraints are likely to end in the
death penalty for any mechanic who makes
N'SNiiANig VI HIGhluR hppAlhtuSi VI ehg
householder who brews drink for family use,
will be found as Intellectual as have been all the
severe and bloody legislation to put down Snug.
Cling and other svasions f excessive trriffs and
excessive excises. One witness states that ''it
is not unfrequenty the case that inspectors are
workmen or partners in the distiery inspected.
Well, woud it mend the case to give higher SAL
aries TO these inspectors? We imagine not.
What rate of salaries is proposed we have no
means of moving but fthey are not about as
large as The amount an inspector could make by
going into partnership with distller, the evil
would still temain.
ID the particular case Of whisky, were the tax
reduced a dollar per gallon, the temptations
to fraud would be much lesseued, while the
revenue fom the whisky manufactured would
not probably be impaired If we ever get again
a reformd Congress we expect legislation will
in this cHe, as in many others, be directed into
healthy ci6nuels.-RPu6IieaH.