The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-07


therefrom.
The public will watch with earnestness to
see how Grant, in this business, comes up to
the professions of the inaugural in respect to
a purpose TO rigidly enforce all laws.
He has now got what Sumner would call
the "lawless monster" whose naval base is
this country in his grip. Will he let her
loose to depredate, dHjH1as f'UJaRdi, on the
commerce and property of friendly nation?
THE WHISKY LAW-HOW IT rs YET
EVADED.
From the ~ y Times.
1t was hoped that the stringent enactments
of Congress, in the matter of the production
of whisky would have ended the robbery
that for years, had been perpetrated by un-
principled men upon the revenue of tn g
country. But from certain facts within our
knowledge, it seems that this hope has not
been fully realized. That vast improvement
has occurred in the collection of the whisky
tax and in the suppression of enormous
frauds under the present administration, is
not to be doubted Still, it is patent enough
to those who have given the matter attention,
that there are various avenues vet open
through which distilled spirits reach market
without paying a cent of duty.
Some of these whisky vents are so well
concealed that it requires the keenest discern
ment experience, and independence to detect
them; but they are, nevertheless within the
reach and perception of vigilant and compe-
tent officers. Others, again, are so palpable.
that the only wonder is how any officer, how
ever blind or inefficient, fails to see them.
For instance, it is no infrequent thing to see
illicit whisky moving through our streets, at
all hours of the day, without any of the stamps
required by law Here and there, at long in
tervals, load of a few barrels is seized; but
the quantity seized bears small proportion
to that which escapes ''scot free" Another
method has been discovered lately which
would almost seem to have been suggested
by a recent regulation of the department. in
Washington. At all events, the regulation in
question has made vast fraud practicable,
and it has been used to the disadvantage of
the Government. Of course, the intention
of the regulation was to attain greater pre-
cision and security; but those whisky opera
tors are lynx-eyed, and have, nowadays,
almost got to the point of welcoming every
official addition to the rules in force, for they
take it as multiplying their chances of eyad-
ing the law.
The regulation referred to required that. in
addition to the mucilage heretofore used TO
attach stamps to barrels containing distilled
spirits, fine tacEs should be driven, one
through each corner, and one through the
middle of the stamp, into the wood of the
barrel. This seemed a wise precaution
enough, but see how it has worked. Up
sprang genius who perceived an OppOrtu-
nlty. He would use no mucilage in the first
place to attach the stamp to the package; the
tacks would make the stamp as secure as he
desired it, and besides could be drawn and so
leave the stamp, by not adhering to the wood,
in condition to be used over and over again
And this very method of operation has been
III use, with the further ingenious device OF
SntnrntlnO & m wifi oil
so that its frequent transfer from old to new
barrels might injure it as little as possible,
and that it might serve as a cloak to vast
number of revenue transgressions. To what
extent this has been pursued we know not,
and care not, for it is immaterial to the dis
cussion from our side of the question. But
this thing has certainly occurred, and there is
no special reason for believing that it has
been suppressed, if the fraud has become
general, which, following the course of epi
denies, moral as well as physical, it very pro-
badly has.
We dismiss the biect with q simple query.
Since the revenue districts are filed with all
manner Of officials; since every registered
distillery has two or three officers specially
designated to look after it, and particularly
since in all the working distillsries hereabouts
there is whisky meter which is believed to
measure the product of the still with the
dcNuIdCy VI d SOlu DulancG, now happens IL
that the Government is still defrauded out Of
portion of its revenues, business demoral-
lied, and honest men, or those who desire to
be honest set at serious disadvantage in their
trade? 1t is pregnant question and we'll
worth looking into by those charged with
the execution of the law.
GENERAL GRANT AND HIS ACCUSERS.
From the " Y. Herald.
The Wall street rdmors of General Grants
alliance with the bull ring on gold have been
whitfield down into the published statement
of James Fisk, Jr., concerning the various
conferences of said Fisk with Mr. Corbin, the
Presidents brother-in- law conferences which
signify that FisbS has been tempting Corbin
with a golden-winged fly, and that Corbin,
perhaps, has been playing around the glitter
ing bait, and which further signify that Fisk,
in presuming that Corbin might, could, or
would Go so and so, presumed too much. That
Fisk aid fish for Corbin we are satisfied from
the Presidents statement that the Erie
tnancier, en- r0utG to Newport, applied even
to him for little private information in be-
half of Jay Gould as to the financial inten-
tions of the Governmeht--informatio which
Fisk learned at once would not be fair and
could not be given The upshot of this whole
matter involving the President in the bull
ring is this, that the President, on the first
information of their plot, broke it all to pieces
on his order to "sell five millions of gold, 4"
AIn.N I'll q. L. Il. Ill