The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-15
Tho whisky

From Ge Times
We are glad to see that the exposures we
have made Of the extent and character OF the
gigantic frauds practised upon the revenue OF
the country by whisky distillers and others,
in collusion with the revenue officers of the
Government are attracting the attention of
the authorities at Washington. The Secretary
of the Treasury and the Commissioner Of In
ternal Revenue have directed that no distillers
or agents of distilers be appointed store
keepers in the bonded warehouses, and have
applied for full information concerning the
derelict parties in the cases of fraud of which
we have made specific mention. All this is
well. 1t has importance, because 1t indicates
disposition on the part of these officials to
do what may lie in their power by way of re-
medying the crimes and abuses which are
rapidly bringing the Revenue Department to
the brink of ruin. But these evils are not to
be cured by the issuing of orders, or the re-
moval of one set of knaves and the substitu-
tlon OF another set in their places. The disease
is deep-seated, and demands a radical remedy.
1t demands the attention, the earnest, vigilant
and determined efforts of the Treasury De-
partment, seconded and sustained by the Pre-
sident of the United States. Without his
cooperation, all efforts at reform will prove
utter and disastrous failure.
The general impression seems to be that
the evils we have exposed can be remeded by
reducing the tax. Something might possibly
be accomplished in that way; and we are
inclined to think that on general grounds of
justice and good policy it ought to be re-
duced. But it is higher in England than
here, and is nevertheless collected without
fraud or loss to any great extent. Many
people suppose that most of the fraudulent
whisky offered in the market is the result of
Illicit distillation, carried on in secret places
unknown to the Government officials. This
we are satisfied, is a mistake. Such secret
stills are to be found mainly in large cities
Beyond doubt, New York and Brooklyn have
more stills in the cellars of dwelling houses
and in stables than all the rest of the country.
And yet all who are well informed on this
subject agree that the quantity of spirits
produced in places unknown to the Off
GERS is absolutely insignificant. The reason
is obvious. 1t is impossible to carry on a
distillery for any length of time. Hogs
heads of molasses must be carted to
the place, and barrels of whisky must
be taken away. Besides, it is impossible
to ferment molasses so as to make whisky
without producing an odor that can be detected
! for some distance, and which makes the place
nuisance to all those who reside in its imme-
diate vicinity. 1t was in this manner that
both Friel and Mulrany, recently convicted in
Brooklyn, and sentenced to the State Prison
for illicit distillation, were discovered. Let
the Government offer a reward of $3.50 for
every illicit distillery that is broken up, and
$3.50 for the conviction of the person carrying
1t on, and the information against all these
small places will be forthcoming. We ven-
ture the assertion that there is not to-day, and
cannot be in the future, a distillery carried on
in the city of New York or Brooklyn for ten
days, without being known to at least twenty
/ 0iffpFpnt OtfpndinU at
least half that number. All that is necessary,
therefore, is for the Government to make it a
greater object for the persons having this in
formation to divulge it than it is for them to
keep silent. The illicit distillation of whisky
is comparatively of but little moment, and
can be entirely suppressed. 1t is not in this
direction we are to seek for a cure. The evil
is to be found in distilleries that are now under
the immediate supervision of Government Off
cials, in places visited daily by Government
officers, who suppress the facts that come to
their knowledge, and for a bribe accept returns
they must know to be utterly false.
But it is said the temptation is too great to
be resisted; that the hope of sudden riches
will induce both the citizen and the official to
violate the law, and that the corruption fund
furnished by the 81 tax is so large that it is
impossible to get officials who will enforce the
law. This we do not believe. If the Govern
ment were to rely entirely upon the moral
sense OF the citizen not to violate the law, and
of the official not to permit its violation, doubt.
less this would be so. But no Government OF
people have ever thought of doing this. We
have penal codes enacted expressly for the
purpose of enforcing obedience to the laws OF
the part of those who, but for the risks o
imprisonment, might be tempted to violate
them.
All experience has proved that the certainty
of Imprisonment will restrain the commission
of crime. Crime fourishes just in proportion
as the criminal calculates upon the chances o
escape. There was a time when counterfeit
ing had become so general as to threaten tho
absolute destruction of the national currency
1t was long time before the Government got
to work, and the risk incurred seemed as
nothing compared with the gains to be realized
from dealing in counterfeit money. But the
time came when cOunterfeiters were watched
detected, arrested, convicted, and imprisoned
And the result is that there never was a time
when the country was so free of counterfeit
money as it is at present. Let the manufac
turer of fraudulent whisky be pursued anC
punished ia the same manner, and let few
{ of the officials who connive with and aid then
: in the commission of their crimes be com
} PEELED to exchange their "palatial homes" fol
. a felon's cell at Sing Sing, and the frauds OF
' the revenue will rapidly diminish. Making
: whisky is not as profitable as the manufacture
$ and vending of counterfeit money Nor can /
l. be carried ON with the same secrecy. A maj
d cannot carry hogshead of mOlasses arounC
!: IN his trunk, as he can counterfeit plate
u y nor can he carry barrel of whisky to marke
70 IN his pocket. Grant the same immunit,
from arrest and nunishnenf in the one cas-