Randolph journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1865-186?, 1867-01-10

The WHISKY Frauds.--Astonishi
Developments.
The following extraordinary state
ment- demanding the serious and
prompt attention of Congress AMI the
country, are made by the Washington
correspondent of tho Rochester Demo-
crat:
The committee having in charge the
investigation Of frauds in the internal
revenue have uuearthed system of
corrupt sale and traffic in Executive
pa ronage beyond the history OF repre-
sentative government. The immense
frauds by means OF Illicit distillation Of
whisky have eliminated III New
York City ia a.. almost open contempt
Of the law. Whisky bearing the in
spector's branl en- be p1gchasel a.
from 81 2jtosl 75pey gallon while the
tax alone - The principal revenue
officers appointed by Mr.. Johnson are
shown 10 have acquired colnpe;encics
during the short time OF their Office
holdIny. Their places Were bought fos
them. The National Union Johnson
clubs viii be shown to have had reg
ular tarif Of prices FOR appointments.
The names Of Senator Paterson, Bob
Johnson, son and son-in-law Of his ac-
cidency, Of Randall Browning, ami
others are mentioned In connection
with these transactions, ga also with
similar ones In relation to the Custom
House. The amount Of money paid
for revenue appointments, already
traced out, is not less than $4,000,
while the same amount IS reported to
have been paid over from the Custom
House for division at the White House.
This latter amount has something to
do with tho disposal of the bonded
warehouses. Great frauds in under
valuation Of Imports are reported in
the Custom House also ii therernoval
of whisky from under bonl. For pur-
pesos Of extra d.s-llation, whisky j.
allowed To be rem wed. In place OF
returning It the barrels are said 10
have been discovered 70 be filed with
water. In all these things the Execu-
tive and heads of depa,tm are said
TO be implicated.
\ Chicago paper, commenting on
the enormity of the whisky frauds,
says:
The quantity OF distilled spirits pro-
dlced in the Ulitei States III 1850, a
returned to the Census Bureau, was
91,4l2,551 gallons, and it is believed
this wa. rather under than over the
actual production OF the year. This
was three gallon per inhabitant of the
whole population. During the past
fiscal year n tax was paid on l4,0)o0J0
Of gallons. Does any one believe that
with five millions greater population
in lS16 than in 1869, there was de-
crease OF consumption OF 740JJ,0)0 of
gallons Who asserts that but one
seventh as much whisky is drunk now
n six years aye? Making full allow
ance for the decreased nso of alcohol in
burning fluids, medical preparations
and in tho arts in consequence Of the
high tax, il is quite certain that the
present consumption exceeds seventy
millions Of gallons per annun, which
is two gallon per iuhahitant, against
three gallons in 1850. II the tax had
been honesty collected on this guam
t'ty, the revenue therofrom would be
slDp)),O), whereas the sum actually
collected was only S2S,09l,0)l; showing
that thc fraud, on this single article
amounted 20 the astonishing sum OF
Sll2,0)) 0)J dlfiay the paHyelr. The
vast sum. nearly large enough - pay
The iniere,t on tho national debt, was
frtulalently pocke,cd by whisky
makcrsanl revenue deputies, acting
Ia coliu-ion with them.