Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-05-15
The Whisky Thieves.

ifum utehittu rpiit6 iVi tht hfet thtto
months ofthe present year, which we pub.
lished on Monday shows that this excise
nov exists solely for the benefit Of ring
Of plundercrs. The whole amount col
lected for the three months was $780,
400 OF, which We suppose is less than the
cost Of official service that is provided for
collecting this excise. Yet nearly the
whole amount Of the exciso at 50 gallon
is taken out of the pockets of tho con-.
sumers, all the same as II IL were paid into
the Treasury. And let no man think
that he is not consumer, and therefore
that be is not robbed; for this article en-.
ters into so many mechanical uses that
all are consumers. And they are directly
robbed in another way, for they have to
mako up in other taxes. what the revenue
is robbed of in the whisky frauds.
Somewhere from seventy TO one hun
dred millions Of dollars are thus taken
out Of the pockets Of the people by this
excise aud put into the pockets OF this
gang of thieves. That is the naked re-
suit as itstsnds. This gang includes dis
tillers. dealers, revenue officers, poiti-
clan. managers Of Presidential candidates,
proprietors Of newspapers, and high Of
fcers Of the Governments Citizens see
in every community the members of this
gang, showing the evidences Of great
wealth, aud making great purchases Of
houses aud lands How can they have
this spectacle before their eyes without
acquiring feeling Of disgust for the Gov.
ernment which permits it2 How can they
be content TO pay taxes on their property,
and on their honestly earned income,
when they see the public revenues deliv,
cred into the hands of gang OF thieves?
This cannot exist without demoralizing
the collection Of oil the revenues. Why
should anybody pay honestly, or any rev.
enue officers be honest; when the revenues
are openly plundercd by the officers, and
the Government winks Mt il? The tobac-
co excise is delivered up to thieves in the
same way, but we speak of the collection
Of all other taxes, aud We inquire how
long any honest returns or honest collec-
tions can exist in the face CT the uniyer-
sal knowledge Of this rascality2
Nor can any man give ground for ra-
tional expectation that this system ofrob.
berry cao be broken up while the So excise
is retained. Whatever difference of opin-
ion may heretofore have existed 10 this
regard, II is now so plain that the convic-
tion can not be resisted, that the retention
Of this rate Of excise is playing directly
into the hands of the gang of thieves
This relation of cause and effect is 90 pal.
pabie, that, in the face of the general in :
formation that the managers Of the whis-
ky ring have their agents at the Capital,
to use any amount of money to keep up
this excise, it will be hard to satisfy the
public mind that there is not a relation
between this influence and the fnal per-
severence in this tax.
What shall be done? The present sys-
tenn is reduced to simply license granted
by the Government to gang of thieves
to plunder the people OF from seventy to
one hundred millions year. And, as we
have said, il is getting SO that the Gov
ernment pays the thieves something be
sides. The immediate, unconditional re-
peal Of the excise would be a great relief
from this. The whole country would be
purer for it, The public would every
where rejoice that the reign Of these
kuaves was at an end. And millions Of
dollars that have been in, st., in stills,
in places where the business would not be
attempted but for this excise, would be
made valueless.
The decease is so bad that the most rad
ical remedy, the cutting off of the whole
tax. would be great relief. 1t would
also save revenue. And the whole air
would be purified by the dismissal Of this
horde Of corrupt revenue officers. Thus.
in every respect, morally and pecuniarily,
an absolute repeal Of the excise would be
great reform of the present situation.
We have thought that reduction of the
excise to 25 cents a GALLON would abolish
all the stills that have grown up by illicit
distillation, would restore the distilling
business to the grain growing regions,
would make it Improbable in the Eastern
cities, and 10 the inaccessible parts of the
South, even if they cheated the revenues.
and would so reduce the amount that
could be stolen, that il would be INSULT
cient to keep up the gang, and to corrupt
the revenue officers.
But il is impossible that this is too high
and that 20 cents would be better. and
perhaps lesser figure still. The excise
must be so reduced as to break up the
distlleries that have grown up on illicit
distillation, aud to break up the ring Of
distillers and revenue officers. Any at
tempt to compromise by moderate re
ductiop, say to dollar or fifty cents, will
only trfe with the situation by contin-
uing the punder in reduced dimensions.
The treatment must be radical, and for it
We have this encouragement, that the alb
olition of the excise altogether, will be
pecuniaty profit to the Treasury, and
vast moral profit to the country. Only
low rate of excise can promise any reve-
nue. Gazette.