The weekly standard., 1869-10-20

L
mocracy, is only trick of the enemy ,tc
hide their own deformity. This is our ar.
gument against them, and it is SO true that
any Democrat, no matter how ignorant, can,
not fail to see the point
The Daily Bulletin, by E. II. Brtton, has
again made its appearance, after sleep not
quite so long as "Trip Van Wrinkles" We
like the old man, and wish him every pecu-
MARY success
Our friends of the Observer have underta-
ken to "shine for all" They have difficult
task before them, but may succeed. They
are as deserving set of Democrats as we
ever saw. s1o. ]. S., Jr.
| Ii ..-,g For the Standard.
The Tax on Distillers of Fruit-How i,
| Affects the People of Caldwell
| County, &C., &c.
Mr. EDITOR: In recent number of your
valuable paper, 1 read with much pleasure
| your articles on the unjust and oppressive
| operation of the internal revenue laws of the
national government, and calling the atten-
| tion of Congress to the importance of a re-
vision of the tariff of taxation, especially in
regard to the distillation of spirits out of
| fruit, as applied to the Southern States and
| North Carolina in particular, not that the
| States denominated Southern" are entitled
to any exclusive privileges over other
States by any means, but on tine ground that
the distillation of fruit is chiefly confined to
| the South. The Eastern and Northern
States owing to their denser population and
numerous large cities, consume all the fruit
raised there, while the Western States,
| owing to the recent settlement of many of
| them, are behind in their orchards and
fruit raising. The middle and Southern
States, bordering along the Allegheny and
Blue mountains, from the Potomac river to
the Alabama, comprise the finest fruit re-
| gion of the United States, perhaps of the
whole world, while North Carolina may
justly claim prominence for the quality,
quantity and variety of fruit raised within
her borders
There is no finer fruit region to be found
anywhere than in the middle and western
portions of the State. The apples that
grow upon her mountains, including the
valley of the Yadkin, Catawba, French
Broad, and innumerable other streams that
thread this magnificent empire of the old
North State, are known and appreciated by
all who have seen and tasted them.
But Mr. Editor, let US come more directly
to the point of this letter: Your correspon-
dent believes that the Internal Revenue law
imposed by Congress, and now in operation,
on distilleries of fruit, is wholly wrong in
principle, and unjust, and oppressive in a
high degree upon very numerous class of
worthy citizens throughout the length and
bredth of North Carolina and other States
and people similarly situated, and that the
law, as it now stands, tends directly to de-
feat the object had in view by its authors,
viz To raise and increase the revenues of
the government.
Let it be borne in mind that vast major
ity of orchardists and fruit raisers, and es-
pecially those who distill fruit into brandy,
are men of small means, and live in our
most inaccessible regions hardy mountain
ers, forced to adopt the raising oil fruit to
supply the place of more fertile land and
superior commercial advantages.
Living far from railroads and steamboats,,
it is easier for them to transport on wagons
the product of their orchard in brandy than
to ship their apples in bulk-nine -tenths of
the distilleries heretofore, now there are
none of brandy,) make from one hundred
to five hundred gallons of brandy annually.
This is done with one, sometimes, in the
two copper stills of the capacity of fifty to
seventy five gallons. Now the idea of hay
ing commission or corps Of engineers or sur-
peyers prowling through the mountains
hunting up old copper stills, that have de-
scended from father TO son since the days of
the revolution to the present writing, which,
if sold for ready money, would not pay the
officer for his days ride. is so supremely
ridiculous that it is hard to believe sensi-
BILE Congress would be guilty of such absurd
ity. If it is necessary to continue the pres
ent tariff of internal revenue upon whisky,
with all the parapharnalia of mitres, police
guards, &C., I have nothing to say, as it does
not SO much interfere with the large class of
distillers of fruit that this article refers to-
I assent with confidence that full three
fourths of all brandy makers do not engage
in distilling grain, for the reason that they
and their neighbors generally have no sur
plus of grain to use in that way.
They more frequently make Brandy to buy
corn for bread for their families than other
wise.
Would it not be wise and better policy in
Congress to abolish the present system of
privilege tax upon distillers of Brandy, or
at least reduce the amount say to ten dollars
annual tax, do away with the per diem tax
| and levy an advalorem tax of twenty-five
cents upon every gallon of brandy made,
appoint some discreet person resident
| and acquainted with all portions of each
county who could assess every distiller at
| the end of each quarter, or oftenor if advi-
| sable, and deliver solemn oath 2 1 verify
| believe the revenue derived under this
| plan would double that now received
| all over the Southern States what is the
| result under the present law Does
it not amount to total prohibition ?
1t most assuredly does, so far as my acquain-
tance extends. I have not heard of a single
| application for permission to still brandy or
grain in the county of Caldwell (where your
correspondent live) the present year, nor is 1t
my opinion that there will be so long as the
Lincoln Iron London Circumlocution Office
prevails. Why, sir, think for moment OF
the feelings of plain countryman, respecta-
BILE and honest, though not versed in legal
lore, when told that he must employ sur
veyor, have his ground laid off by plot, exc
cute two or three mortgage deeds, pay fifty
dollars in money down, two dollars every
night after running his still during the day,
and fifty cents for every gallon he makes
| Ifyou do not smile it will be on account OF
the regret, disappointment and sorrow ex.
pressed in that simple yeoman's face, as he
turns slowly away from the revenue officer
without another word, to return home and
tell his wife and daug ghters that he can't
still any, that they must wait for or do with
| out their dresses and store shoes, they must
make some other shift to buy their sugar
and coffee, salt and leather. This is moi
fancy-it is sad reality in many cases.
| believe if the tax on stills was five OF
ten dollars only, and twenty-five cents PEI
gallon, there would have been from eight tt
ten thousand gallons of brandy made ant
paid for in the county of Caldwell thi
year.
As it is, there will not be single privi
lege granted and not enough revenue col
lected for the government to pay the off
GERS to come to this county.
| 1t is conceded that the party in powe
is responsible for all laws, good, bad
and Indifferent, and it is the duty, and ough
to be one Of the highest privileges of an,
party having control Of the government, t
see to it that the laws be of that character
and have the effect to strengthen, and not t
ALLEVIATE, the affections of a large class G
the people for the government and thos
who make and administer the laws.
In conclusion, 1 desire to say that you
correspondent is not interested in the liquc
business; neither himself, nor any one wit
whom he is connected in business or othel
wise, have anything to do with stilling.
never made drop Of liquor in my life, an
although drink a ''wee Bit" l hope l al
not o'er fond of the crather 1 have bee
induced to write this for your further COZ
sideration of the subject.
CALDWELL.