The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-09-19
THE NEW WHISKY LAW.
The Criminal Absurdities Of the Last
Whisky and Tobacco Tax Bill.
From the Journal of Commsres.1

From the Journal OF Conmsroe.1
Any one who viii carefully and impair
tally study the last whisky and tobacco tax
bill must come to the conclusion that it Is
full Of crudities Of the most absurd kind
bad in their moral feet, and bad as giving
precedent for the most tyrannical and in
quisit0rial legislation which it is possible to
conceive. This bill legislates into crimes
things which are not and cannot be made
crimes, and attaches thereto penalties
which are absurd AID all because the Gov
ernments own officials, whose duty it is to
collect these taxes either where the goods
are produced or where they are bonded, are !
corrupt, and cannot be depended upon
Therefore an entire class of merchants. who |
have heretofore stood as high as any in the |
community, are to be treated like set of |
thieves, and placed sous Surveillance, and if |
they refuse or neglect to keep d certain kind |
Of book for the convenience Of Messieurs |
the tax collectors they are legislated into |
criminals, and are to be fined and impris-
Oned as such further, if they consent to
keep the book, and make any mistake or
omission, the most innocent in the world !
they are criminally liable therefor, and they
are also liable, if they correct the error $50
| the law reads), and this applies to men who
are dealing in articles which have paid all
/ the taxes due on them, and who have no
more to do with the payment of such taxes
! than the man in the moon. Men, high
/ minded and honorable, who have refused to
| have anything to do with any illicit goods
| are treated the same as men of whom the
collector might justly be suspicious, or If
! any difference Is made, the former class of
men are watched closer and annoyed more,
because nothing can be made out Of them in
the shape Of black mail" A great show
of official efficiency can be made to the hon
| est mans annoyance and detriment, and re-
bounding entirely TO the benefit of the Off
cial and the scOundrel in league with him to
delraud the government
To the dishonest dealer the book will
make no difference, for he will Keep it to
suit himself, and no one will ever be the
wiser
Again, although a merchant does his bust
ness perfectly open and above bosrd, pays
his license regularly, and has his place
covered with signs showing plainly what his
business Is, still if he does not Lut up one
particular sign three inches long to suit the
gentleman who framed this beautiful piece
Of constitutional legality, he is to go to
prison.
To Congress was delegated the power to
lay and collect duties taxes and excuses;
but pray what has this legislation to do with
such collection in regard to men who deal in
taxpaid articles, and who, consequently
have no business with the collector but to
pay their license? Having done this, are
| they to be treated as criminals if they re-
fuse to submit to tyrannical, inquisitorial
and insulting legislation, which Is wholly
outside the Constitution No power was
ever delegated to Congress to authorize spies
to interfere in a mans private business ex-
cept upon W Trant issued upon two afida-
Wits. Any search under this or any other
law without u warrant is unconstitutional.
; As well might the State of New York pass
a law that every merchant should keep stock
books, showing from whom they received
l their goods, and to whom they delivered
them, for the benefit Of the police, so that
they might catch the receivers of stolen
goods
Again, the Constitution says that all taxes
excuses shall be uniform throughout the
, United States This law imposes a tax of
, one per cent on the sales of one class of
merchants and not on others the tax of so
much gallon or barrel or pound is added 10
the price of the article taxed. and is finally
r paid by the consumer, and is thus a Uniform
tax. But this tax on sales cannot well be
9 added to the price, and it was so intended it
l should not be; and it taxes one class OF
2 merchants more than another it is eminently
9 class legislation, not uniform, and cOnse-
quenny unconstitutional
Again, this law says that no one can buy
over twenty gallons of spirits from any one
: not regularly established IN the liquor bust
: ness. We understand perfectly the object Of
q this; for if the dealer cannot buy the holder
r cannot sell. But suppose that the holder
? was an innocent dry goods merchant who tC
. secure a debt out West had received thou
/ sand barrels of whisky (Which many did q
. few years ago, and would do again now,
q and that he could get two dollars a gallon foI
Q the same at private sale, if such were legal
but could only get an offer of one dollar and
a half at auction (where this law says be
must sell it or go to PRISON., less the
charges, then the difference would be from
about $25 600 Has Congress the right t
q legislate away the rights and money of oul
q citizens thus. No The right TO dispose o
ones property as best one can Is inaliena
Bile, all the legislation of Congress to the
contrary notwithstanding
T Most ridiculous of all, our grave and wise
d legislators try to give by law the meaning tt
r words. This they had better leave to tn,
. academicians, as they have scarcely shown
themselves competent to the task.
l. They have defined such words as deal
L ers, rectifers, cOmpOunders, proof spirits,
$ etc, IN a sense utterly opposed to the uni
versally received meaning, as well as to thei
technical significance. They make war no
e only on our rights and property, but on oui
-, very language.
The only sensible project for law wa
$ prescribed by the late Thaddeus Stevens
# which, in a few sections. imposed the collec
q ton Of the tax on spirits at the distillery
7 leaving trade free embarrassment, and fixing
pains and penalties in a clear and simple
{ manner, while the existing law is so compli
e Gated and confused that it offers ever induce
t inert to corruption, while it hampers every
effort for its own enforcement
f,T