The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-02-01
THE LICENSE LAWS.


laws on spirits, which bear so severely
upon the industry of Pennsylvania,
were upon their passage, not voice in
protest was raised in our Congressional
delegation. Little could be expected
from the city members, for many of
their constituents, owning large distil-
leries, and interested in destroying COM
petition by breaking up small manu-
facturers, had the power of Silencing
their immediate representatives; and
a Democratic member of Congress had
only to object to any Radical PROPOSE
ton, no matter how injurious and OPP
pressive, to be charged with making a
rancorous but covert assault upon the
Union. But where were the Republi-
can members from the rural districts?
Is the domination of New England in
Congress so complete, that Pennsyl-
vania member dare not ever SO humbly
protest against any of its tyrannical
measures? 1t is unfortunate for Penn
syIvania, that the leader Of her own
delegation is New England man, who,
though nominally representing the
Lancaster district, has so voted in Con-
gress as to turn the heavy distilleries Of
that county into manufactures of con-
! traband whisky, or to close them up,
except such as could afford to pay an
inspector fifteen hundred dollars year
for doing nothing.
The amendment to the revenue laws
passed July, 1866, requires in addition
to the already heavy taxes and license,
that each distillery shall have an in
spector who shall be paid five dollars
per day for his services, which consist
in returning semi-mOnthly the amount
of whisky manufactured, if he does his
duty, or in signing the blanks that are
furnished by the distiller, if he does not
perform his duty. No one but Cape
Cod Yankee, filled with admiration of
the blue laws of his ancestors, could
have ever conceived the idea of appOin-
| ting an inspector to look at another
| man while at work, and to receive for
his supervision, higher wages than the
distiller himself could hope to realize
for his expense and labor. If the law
was designed to prevent fraudulent re-
turns on the part of the distiller, the
case is not improved by the appoint
ment of an inspector, who might be in
duced to make false statements of the
amount sold. There is, at least, just as
much danger that the inspector could
be persuaded to act fraudulently as the
distiller, and the only effect of the law,
therefore, is to increase the already toe
heavy burthens of the honest manufac-
turer, or to add to the temptations OF
the dishonest one.
This law is another illustration o.
that tyrannical New England spirit
which is forever interfering with the
personal and domestic rights, or the IN
terests of the individual. 1t gives the
Yankees an opportunity to domineel
over Pennsylvania, while at the same
time taking good care of their own in
terests. By their Maine-law legiSla,
ton they had driven out of their bor'
ders all distillers, and it became there,
fore any easy matter for them to tax
other people. For all their wants they
obtain an abundance OF cheap whisky
that is smuggled in from Canada. In
all parts of New England whisky ear
be purchased for less money than th(
revenue tax which government asses
ses upon it. The heavier the taxes ant
other burthens upon whisky, legally
made, the better the Yankee is satisfied
as he consumes none but the contra
band article. This Canada traffic is in
creasing daily, and with the immenst
profits that are made on it by the Van
KEGS, it will be impossible to arrest i
with Gordon of revenue officers pick
eting the entire border.
The manufacturer of whiskyin Penn
sylvania, and the producer of rye, suf
fer, in every way, from this condition o
things. But we confess that there i
little hope of remedy. The owners o
those immense distilleries in our grea
cities, the reeking walls of which
frown upon every hand, and whicl
emit villainous odor of rectified dev
iltries which shock the olfactories Q
the stranger, are deeply interested il
continuing the nresnnt law. IL is eaS,