The New York herald., 1870-02-10
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.

vOlCC OT AhG 604 0lJs
~~~>.e~<~~~s>~>~~~~>~~~~~
An Indignant Citizen-The Whlxkey Tax.
The following indignant criticism OF "Citizen'' on
the action OF Internal revenue officials is worth
perusiug The writer prefaces his outburst Of anger
with the significant question:-"Are the whiskey
dealers swindling the government or the govern.
ment the whiskey dealersS' a question which IS
right for the public benefit to nave well investigated
and fully answered. "CitIzen," then. in the course
oil his communication proceeds TO say
Ever since the tax on distilled spirits has been
levied ana collected IRON disters, rcctiiiers and
dealers, the question whether tho government oi-
Gals the men OF the trade were the greatest de-
frauders Of the public treasury-allowing proper
share in these transactions TO members OF Con-
gress-has justly agltated the public mind; and,
considering the immense revenue derived from dis
tlied sprits second only TO import duties, and the
attention wllicn has been paid TO the question Of
taxing spirits, Is certainly well founded. unorfu-
nately, the history OF the whiskey tax and Its col
lection reveals such an immensely OF ffraad, perjury
peculaton, despotlsm and abuse OF power Oh tue
side OF the gvs-rnmeDt ollicials as well as among
the trade, that hardly backer spot could be found
In the annals OF revenue laws OF any exlsng nation
IL IS noteworthy that public opinion has been more
or less prelndiced against whlskey men, and the
same disposition prevails in the federal courts
but, 1t Is less recognized that the pubic
Oricers have been mostly the co-operators II
not the lnstlgat0rS OF these stupend0us irauds u
is not our mention TO whtewasn the former Glass;
but we might ask With pr0priety II tue frauds c0ia-
mitted by Wall street hnancers, the gold gamblers,
stockholders evadlHg IN various ways the taxes
they ought to pay, or the manner IN which the
income tax is ciphered down to mere bayatee by
q portion OF our wealthy citizens Is morally or
legally better than the evasion OF the whiskey taxr
or are the corrupted practices IN our custom houses
the spoil5 OF vie politicians IN co operation with
as many corrupt contractors less detestaDle2 WHAT
ever may be thought OF the whiskey tax and whs.
key men, 1t Is undeni4ble that the whole system Of
taxation has brought IN It's suit q mass or cor
ruptlon and degradation which penetrates, more
or less, every ..dbc office, every counting room
manufacturing branch and many family circles,
either directly or indirectly. Aside the economical
results OF frauds committed against the puolc Urea
sury we have u most gloomy prospect 10r future
civil liberty and republican institutions grow
tag dcspoiiSfn shown by the revenue OIiicers sub
ordinate branch OF the government which at pre-
sent assumes powers and twists, ignores or inter-
prets the Revenue laws to such degree that no
crowned head In any constitutional monarchy would
dare to do wnat o simple deputy comm ssloner does
tnat arbitrary and oppressive Revenue laws led
to many bloody revolutions In this and otner coun
tries, ana though the good people here have
ABUNDANT patience and IorDearance, there may
come day when these qualities cease to be virtue
There Is good reason Tor saying that the Innumerabe
whisKey taxes now reasonable pald IN 1uil, the
frauds committed being comparatively few; that the
seizures made, except tor past sins are mostly for
violating one OF these c0uptles5 and oitea contra
dlctory rules and orders OF which only few know The
existence; tnat the Revenue Department Is laying
every possible obstacle IN the way OF even honest
Dealers by ordering most complicated ana trouble
some bookkeeping, comprenenslbIe only TO few,
thereby increasing expenses equal to the levy OF yet
another tax; Dy .rdering, as We are informed very
costly Instruments, such as meters ana books, and
when bought by the trade discardiny them Tor the
benent or pateneeS, III utter disregard to COM
mon decency and TO enrich some fayOrite specu-
lators and politicians. We may well ask what we
are driving NJ under sucn rulers ana whether IL
would not be better to give TO the commissioner
what he as ,umes-imperlai p0wers-witnout the re-
stralnt Of laws which now seem to be used more as
d mockeryY
"H whole branch OF industry which pays such
an enormous amount into the pubic treasury and
counts as many respectable men as any otner
branch, be lll-treated by the public officers,
bleeding them at every pore, interfering spying,
their business I0r the violation Of the
most trivial technicates, or without due process OF
law imposing most troublesome aud impracttcabie
rules the trade, instead OF endeavlng TO simplify
the already complicated laws and decisions by inter
preting them literally and reasonably. Tnen the
sooner we know that the commissioner has sucn
unlimited ana unrestricted powers the better for US;
but In that case, for Gods sake, do not make be-
eve that citizens nave any rgnts to be respected,
or that we nave q Tree and republican government"
Rich Disclosures in the Custom House.
In the latter part Of January last sColiector Grin.
nell received letter, signed Vctim,o giving infor-
nation OF system OF fraud in the Auditors depart
ment OF the Custom House which was quite new to
the Collector himself and Will be to the public at
large. "Vicsm" suggests that III vacant niche IN
the Auditors office OF the Custom House statue OF
Justice may appropriately be placed to remind the
persons employed there that the Collector would
exact rigid justice in tnat particular quarter AS
reason ior this suggestion Victim" states the fol-
lowing
In that bureau the employees are neeced Of
their hard earnings at the rate of twenty per
Inspectors suffer most, In the honest discharge Of
their duty they frequently make seizures from winch
an emoiument Of One-lourth OF the net proceeds Is
allowed TO them by law. II they are uniathfu they
realize considerably more. Goods Wnen 50 seized
are forfeited and sod and IN about one year or more
one may, perhaps, receive the quarter alluded TO.
Wnen one calls at the Auditors Oilce to make IN
qulry he IL informed rhat the warrant for the pay
ment OF tae money has not arrived from Washing
ton; but with bland smile, he Is also informed
that II nc needs the funds very 0adly--and / know
only one or Two inspectors who can wait-that his
claim Will be casled ON the spot. New Year is at
hand and, Of course needing the funds, must
cunb TO the cormorant as ne remarks taat IL may
be slA months more tnat the money can be got: but
as soon as the signature is Obtained and the victim
rennqlshes his CLAIM he lthe Auditory goes to a
prlyae drawer soon thereafter and places the
twenty per cent IN lls pocket.n
This statement Of ''Nicilm' is understood TO mean
evidently tnst the inspector is purposeIy made to
walt IOr MS money. aud, needing II, he IS competed
to assign his claim, allowing deduction TO the assig
nee oi twenty per cent on the amount, AT q time
when The money Is already at hand to be paid over