Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-05-15
Sixty-Day Thieves.

Wnether Mr.. y 0hnSon remains, or be
succeeded by Wade, there is an impera-
tive necessity for reform in various de-
partments of the revenue collection. As
at present conducted, the revenue system
is but little more than sort of asylum,
or eleemosynary affair, for the benefit of
starving ofice-seekers. More especially
is this the case in that department which
has charge of the collection of the whis-
ky tax.
This portion of the revenue service is
full of swindles and evils; and, among
them, one of the most prominent, and
not least uncommon, is to be found in the
appointment ofsixty-day revenue agents.
These gentlemen are, in reality, licensed
by the authorities at Washington to
plunder whisky men, wherever found,
for the period of sixty days. They
are, to very great extent, nothing
more or less than commissioned foot
pads,
5 In commissioning this class of thieves,
the government not only Injuries itself,
but the whisky manufacturers and tax
payers. No party can stand the obloquy
of regularly licensing robbery. The
rwhisky-men can but poorly submit to
the drains which these peripatetic thieves
make upon their profits; and the tax
payers have to make up what these
agents blackmail from the manufac-
turer. CT
A man who applies for 60 days
commission as special revenue agent de-
velops about the same zrinsa tacie evil
dence of rascally intent that would
man who should be discovered prying off
the back shutter of bank-vault at night.
To obtain this commission, man pays
his expenses to and from Washington,
with the addition of the cost of fort
nights stay at the capital. A man who
goes from Illinois, or Missouri, or Iowa,
will have to pay about $50 for fare, and
800 more for expenses. He gets 60
day commission, whose total value, at
the full federal rate, would be only a
triAs over 5000, Now, no man who has
an honest intent, or who is capable of
earning decent livelihood in any re-
spectacle calling, would take any such
position. He would understand, from
the first, that, to make the position pay
he must resort to blackmailing.
S Distillers argue, with a good deal of
plausibility, that every dollar which
they are forced to pay to these rowing
bandits is precisly so much deducted from
what they would otherwise pay in taxes.
By the time that everybody has been
ss'seen" who demands share in the prof
its, there is but little left for the distiller
and less for the Government.
Let this system of licensing piracy for
a period of so days be abolished. The.
Treasury Department, if the present
regime be continued, cannot afford to
purchase, at the price of a 60-day com
mission, the support of class of men
whose adhesion would, or ought to, damn
any political party. If the present
regime be displaced, there is but little
hope of remedy. The country swarms
with starving Radicals; and this iniquit-
ous and demoralizing 60-day system will
be continued in order to provide means
for their disposition.
But whether johnson stay, or Wade
succeed him, it may be well enough to
state that Chicago is getting to be un-
remunerative and dangerous ground for
these predatory excursions. The last
go day leader Of raid is in Jail; and
the same sort of reward awaits those
who may attempt other movements in
the same direction.-C Chicago Times.