The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-12-21
G1EaIEty Inspector.

Messrs. Eii;ors Spirit Of Democracy:
VIII you allow Inc in your valuable
paper to take the whisky ball by his
other horn: We have in our midst gen
tlemcn who are striving their utmost to
break down tie sale Of whisky, or at
least tic Illegal sale Of It, which is about
the same thing All hail to them. Now
in case Of their ultimate failure. and 1t is
Certainly possible that they may not
succeed, [ an anxious to make an effort
in the direction OF improving the quality
Of the liquor sold. l will venture the
assertion right here, and whereof | speak
| am positive about, that there is not to-
day in Monroe County one hundred GAL
Tons Of whisky that will bear Intelligent
inspection. Is it not Of vital import
ance that if people ,rW drink intoXica
ting liquor, that it should at least ap-
proXimate purity? We have il Ohio
inspection laws, and | believe in Monroe
County an Inspector of liquors: but
does either fact initiate in the least
against the impurity Of the liquors sold :
think not lst-Becausc the inspector
is not allowed to examine one-tenth part
Of the liquor sold; and, 2d-Because
his method Of examination is totally in
adequate to determine lis strength and
purity.
Even if the Inspector is called upon
to inspect whisky he sees only small
portion of it. Anybody with even q
limited amount of knowledge regarding
the quantity sold, who will look at the In.
spector's reports, will 5e amazed at the
astonishingly small amount of liquors
returned by him as having been inspect
ed and, too, almost all Of the whisky
sold in this county has been bought il
another State. Now l think l can lei
your readers into the secret of the small
amount of whisky imported into this
county.
Mr.. A goes Or sends to Wheeling
or Pittsburgh and buys barrel o
whisky that, perhaps, contains 10 pei
cent Of spirit-the reduction being re
placed by the addition Of coculus indi
Gus, tobacco and strychnine, not forget
ting the suIphuric acid to make it hold ;
bead, and with it q keg containing five
or ten gallons Of tolcrably good whisky
he then sends for the Inspector, who
comes, is shown the keg-that is al
that is visible, the barrel being hid away
from which he draws sample IN bot
tie. The Inspector shakes it up, time!
the bead, brands the keg pure" charge:
81 for his professional services, and thC
Ikeg which he has inspected and the bar
rel which he has not inspected are solo
for pure spirits. When the keg with th'
brand on Is exhausted it is replenishe(
from the barrel, and so on, until it is al
sold. We know this latter to be fact
and further, that there are several liquo
dealers in the county who are violating
the inspection laws innoceutly, not being
aware that there are any State inspectio;
laws Now the remedy: The prope
officer should appoint a competent In
spector, and surely there are men in tn
county who are competent. The lnspec
tor should notify every dealer in liquor
in the county Of his appointment, an'
instruct them in the law touching tn
sale of liquors, and when he does inspec
their liquors if they are not found to b
pure, so brand them. Inquiry at the olfic
Of the T. 5. Assessor for this count
will put the names Of all dealers i
liquors, in whom he is interested, in hi
possession. Eternal vigilance is" sal
, to be "the price of liberty" and in thi
case very much smaller amount.of tha
!commodity, exercised by a competen
Inspector, will result if not in DIM
mutton Of the sale of whisky most Gel
tainly in the traffic in poison.
ANTIToXlCUM.