The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-23
Generalization Of tho Government and Il
Whiskey Tax.


Whiskey Tax.
The Committee of Ways and Means have
hurried up their new bill regulating the whis-
key and tobacco tax, and doubtless the great
est efforts will be made to push it through both
houses Immediately The wbiskey rings have
triumphed thus far in making Mr.. Schenck and
his colleagues on the committee their tools,
either consciously or unconsciously. Under
the pretext that tax Of two dollars gallon
cannst be collected and that tax of sixty
cents can, and therefore, that the revenue
from this source will be greatly increased, the
whiskey rings and distillers have succeeded in
getting bill reported to suit them. Such is
the disgraceful and demoralzed condition to
which the government has been brought. Con-
gress is beginning at the wrong end of the
business, and it shows an utter incapacity to
see what is for the interests of the country or
what legislation is needed.
Why has the government failed to collect the
whiskey tax I? Why has hundred millions of
dollars year, at the lowest estimate, been
lost to the Treasury? Why have these stu
fish government collects nearly two dollars
and half gallon on spirits. Why, then, can
not our government collect two dollars? In
England this tax is one Of the greatest sources
of revenue, and it ought to be here. whiskey
Is not an article of necessity; it is entirely
luxury, and that of an injurious and demoraliz-
ing character. Hpeople will manufacture and
use 1t they ought to pay high tax. No
article is 50 capable Of bearing such tax, and
there is none from which as much revenue
could usefully and legtimately be drawn.
Yet the humilating and disgraceful confession
is made that the tax cannot be collected!
This amounts to an acknowledgment by Con-
gress that we have no government-that the
government is 30 demoralized as to be in
capable of executing the laws. This, unhap-
PLY, is too true. But reducing NE whiskey
tax to sixty cents Q gallon will not make the
government better nor make honest men Of
thieves The amount of plumber may be less,
but the rogues will steal all the same as long
as they have chance. The government will
be robbed il whiskey be sixty cents gallon, or
cNcu iSSo, just 10 ~ 10 INV Wucu suo va 10 WV
dollars, unless there be q thorough change in
the administration Of the laws and II that change
should be made two dollars can be collected
just as well as sixty cents Congress, as we
have said, is beginning at the wrong end.
The whole difficulty lies in the virtual
adjustment Of the Executive by the over
whelming radical majority in Congress, in the
Tenure Of Once law, in the clamorous and I'M
scrupulous demands Of Congressman for un-
suitable appointments in the internal revenue
| service, In the partisan and reckless action OF
the Senate on appointments and In dividing
the powers that constitutionally belong TO the
President among subordinate officers. Have
we not seen the frauds Of one great criminal,
Callicott the friend and protege of Greeley
and Senator Morgan brought To light3 Is not
one Of the Tiltons, Of the Independent,
with others Of the same radical stamp con-
nected with him, now under indictment for
like crimes? Was not the nephew of that
great radical chief in Virginia, John Minor
Bolts, with other rascals, lately sentenced for
similar crimes by Chief Justice Chase These,
however, are but few out of the number
Of internal revenue thieves who have been
forced into Office or kept there bv the radicals.