The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-01-04
'ou, the Chicago Tribune, Dec. %.
whisky Frauds.

In August, 1867, there was formed in this
city what is known as Il ring Of which
voluntarily and involuntariiy, nearly every
dlstilicr. rectiiler, wholesale dealer. iobber
and commission man engaged in the whisky
business in Illinois. st. Louis, Iowa, Min.
nesota, and parts of other States. was made
a member. This ring was ofcourse anil.
lated with other rings extending east of this
point embracing all the whisky interests in
The country. This ring included also,
with few exceptions, all the revenue OIL
GERS OF the Government in all the dirtricts,
and OF the attorneys and deputy attorneys
whose Sus!uess it is to prosecute all viola.
tons of the law all those middle men who
buy and sell for Others and also all those
persons who know too much, and require
TO be silenced, were included
The object of this ring was to establish
an alliance offensive and defensive, hy which
all those in it might make the greatest pos.
sible sums Of money. by swndling the reyc.
nue.. 1t was agreed that there should be
small Tax paid upon the whisky manuiac.
tured; that this should be paid, not only
because the Government was entitled 10
somethlng but in order to keep up an ap.
pearance OF paying taxes. This agreement
was carried out for some time. but lately
The payments have fallen of. The cost OF
producing The manufacture which is gener,
ally called whisky is. as it comes from
tho still, thirty to forty cents a gallon, /,
IS sold at one dollar fifty leaving clear
profit OF one Rrtir per gallon 10 he depded
among the members Of the ring that is
to say, the whisky makers aud dealers and
the Federal officers. y few figures will
SHOW the practlca! operation ofthis business
Since the establishment OF these affiliated
rings, and under the security afforded by
them, the manu1actrue OF whisky has been
increased in all parts Of the country beyond
precedent' In Cook county there are some
thirty dlStlllerles, OF which twenty.six are
IN the city OF Chicago. These stills are OF
various capacities, and produce in the az
sregate about tour hundred barrels OF sixiv
gallons each per day, The TAX on his
amount IS $4,000 per day, or ~ LILO UGU
per month, or Sl,,2S0 GEO per suuu,n. o,
lhis sum the books Of the collector Of hi.
district show that not over $50 900 prr
month is paid, being less than tire cents Der
ga!on upon the whisky trade il, Ills county.
hc vast profit between the selling aud
cost price enables the parties to make Il
division winch enrlches both the whisky
men ana the revenue officers. Supuo.iu
the DIVISION between the muuulicttrcr and
the Official 10 be honestly made, we find the
figures IN this county alone TO be, that or
ono mouths manufacturG Of whisky, sold nj
81. % per gallon, there is profit Of ;S12o,
900, or ! per gallons that Of this s3u. ovo
Is paid TO the Government: that some 500.
ooc Is paid for hush money, leaving SGiU.
o0Oto be divide between the whisky makers,
spectators, dealers, and Government Off
GERS. we do not mean by this to be Under
stood Us saying that the general fraud and
o'1iClai ioitenness or this system is any worse
h Ir.,.r Ih.,n ,,ll
that official integrity and efficiency, when
represented by the collection of less Than five
cents per gallon on the whisky made, do
not rank very high; and We cunce.c that if
the degree Of rotenness by established by
the amount which the tax falls below the
t 'X due, Chicago may, by comparison with
other districts Ill this and other States la,
claim to considerable patriotism aud hon.
osty.
This ring affiliated as it is with othc,
in the East, holds and exercise.
the power To make all cyenucappoin.menls !
and removals. its national ORGANIZATION !, /;
carrying membership and official |
ana personal crime through all grades and |
ranks, until the very throne feels sits iniluo,cc,
Every appointment within the jurisdiction |
OF tins Western organization, and every re,
movai OF revenue officer, has been made |
- '"o - cStlpil VI CpHacnL UI THIS whisky |
ring, acting tl'rough its general and specia!
aa'ccomplices ut Washington and elsewhere
Right here in Chicago, where the special
agents havete luNuriatiug for months a,
.he hotels, at public expense the whisky
manufacture is carried on more extensively
han ever before, and the Federal officers
,oi'eci less than five cents per gallon where
hey should collect two dol!ars. The Ecr.
'efa,ry OF the Treasury, willingly or unwil,
!hsly, rs mace, the tool Of these affiliated
'iugs, aud applies the energies of his de.
'artmcnt to enable them to evade the nav.
ncnt of the tax '''
- The head ot the Government being cor.
unt afoatate desperate, his tools and m.
'o,ntees partahc of his lack Of Official rac,i
udc. On the principle of like master like
nan, the stream can hardly rise higher or
'e purer than liz fountain The coilecfion
II the public revenues has fallen into The
lands of Copperheads and Conservatives.
Who are making hay while the sun shines.
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