Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-27
DisT ILLEREs.
Their suspension in Tennessee.
Gauging, Seizing, Regulating, Etc.

Daring the past several months there has
been much said in regard to the distilling |
Of liquors in this State, the supervision and
revenue regulations concerning the same.
No subject of its importance has ever caused
perhaps more agitation, been the immedi-
ate source of more vexations, prevarica-
tions and eqniyoeations, and been SO little
understood as the distillery business under
tAe present complicated revenue regula-
tions. 1t is complained that the laws are |
not clear; that they are discriminating in |
their application, partial In their execu-
ton, and oppressive 10 their exactions.
II wouldappear that the Government tax |
imposed by the Government on whisky, |
and the collection Of the same by the |
proper officers, with the simple rules regu- |
lating distilleries would cover. the case. |
But it seems that there is an array of Col
lectors, Supervisors, Assessors, Guagers,
Assistants, Detectives, Gallon T axes, Still |
Taxes, Fermentation Taxes, Guaging
Lord knows what Themanufacturing and
distilling of liquors in this State has been
no uninaportant branch of industry. Ten
nessee has more natural advantages for dis
tilling than perhaps any State in the Union.
|, The climate, the products of the soil, the
cheapness Of labor, the abundance of fuel,
| the water power and all the requisites exist
| in superabundance. Better whisky is made
| in the State, and higher prices have been
| paid for it than in any other, and yet it can
| be made at less expense than elsewhere.
| These are acknowledged facts. Yet this
| branch of industry is paralyzed. The dis
|, tiileries are idle; the manufacturers driven
| to the wall. Why? There is a screw loose
| somewhere, There is a reason for this.
| One year ego this month the manufac-
ture Of distilled liquors in this region
embracing this and adjoining counties
amounted to two millions of dollars. 1t
| gave employment to hundreds of hands,
and the capital so invested proved remun-
erative. To-day it amounts to nothing.
There are In the district three small stills
in operation, turning out all told probably
seven or eight barrels day. In Robert
son county, which has been famous for its
productions in this line, the business may
be said to be at q dead stand still. The
same facts exist throughout the entire
State It is denied by the Supervisors
that any order has been issued closing the
aistilleries. But the revenue exactions are
30 complicated and SO stringent and
SO onaYous that the distillers
and rectifers have quit in disgust Anum-
Der have sustained considerable losses by
improper guaging, the article falling short.
It is complained that in addition TO other
onerous restrictions, the guaging business
is by no means the least of the annoyances.
There are two classes Of guagers, and the
guaging, If we understand it rightly. is
fixed up by local action to suit the parties
In this region the man who puts the label
on the barrel in its original state gets 80
cents; then when redistiIled, another
''guager" sticks another plaster on and
he charges 80 cents. The same service in
Cincinnati, we learn, brings to the guagsr
the sum of FIVE cents.
The Tennessee highwines have hereto
fore commanded higher prices than the
| manufacture Of other States, and Tennes-
see whisky is regarded as superior to any
other brand Its popularity was giving it
precedence over that of other States, and
large shipments were made to the North
ern and Eastern cities, and to Washington.
Millions of dollars are invested in the
business In the State, and thousands of
persons found remunerative employment
in this branch Of manufacture. Many had
Just gotten their distilleries into expansive
and profitable operation, havingI devoted
capital and labor lavishly upon the same
1t was source of profitable revenue to the
Government and yielded a fair profit to the
distillers Suddenly it ceases altogether.
In one year in this Immediate district
it diminishes from business of 81, DOC, 900
to simply nothing at u0 The results are
millions of dollars of capital is as so much
dead weight; thousands Of hands are forced
to other business; German immig1ants who
come here with this specially in.view are
disappointed; large source of revenue is
stopped, and an inferior foreign article of
liquor is forced into tie market 10 the en-
clusi0R Of the home mana dcturededrticJe :
!ssThe Revenue Collector informs US that
there will be falling of in the revenue
upon distilled liquors in the district in the
month of May Of fifty per cent, as compared
with the corresponding month of last year,
and that for the month of June the reduc-
ton viii be still greater. Nor is this fair
criterion, for large proportion of the
revenue from this source at present &C
crues from back rations, as the article
manufactured in the district amounts to
scarcely anything.
Parties who had prepared to 60 ex-
tensively into the ''cQppering' or redis-
tilling of liquors on an extended scale, re-
4
nessee highwines and the raw article, as
sert that they will have to suspend opera
tons or get their highwines and material
from Cincinnati or elsewhere. Any reve-
nue. or supervisory regulations that ex-
cludes q home manufactured sUpe-
rior article to an imported inferior
one, when all the facilities for the
production of the home article already
exist, are certainly unwise, unjust
and oppressive. At least it is so claimed.
The large orders, we might say the i'm
mense orders, for Tennessee whisky that
are received from the States South and
other sections cannot much longer be
| filed. The manufacture of the article has
stopped. What is the result Clearly an
increased demand for liquors manufactured
in Cincinnati and other points north of US.
By this process foreign article not pre-
ferred is forced upon the market to supply
home article that is preferred.
From the best information we can OBJ
tain, there have been over hundred and
thirty distilleries seized in this State by
Supervisor Emory in the discharge of his
official functions during the last eight
months They have been seized for alleged
illicit distilling, frauds, etc, and in many
instances the establishments and fixtures
forfeited or rendered useless. Hundreds Of
others have quit rather than submit to the
exactions and complications imposed and
the annoyances of guagers, labelers, de-
tectivea, and the espionge and bubbles to
which they are subjected. Whether the
same stringency is exercised upon the dis
| tillers and rectifers in States north of us,
who food the country with thar blue
lightning, split skull, benzine and
busthead, is subject worthy
Of Investigation. 1t is claimed by our dis
tillers that while the complicated and eI-
acting regulations and annoyances amount
| to virtual prohibition of distilling profit
ably here, distillers abroad are in continual
full blast without such exactions and COM
| plications,
| We do not arraign any one, but state
| facts as presented to us, by those CONVEX
SAINT with the surroundings and from obser-
| walton, and suggest that the Government
would act wisely in inquiring into the
causes Of business that was one year ago
in this immediate district worth 81, 900, 600,
being now worth nothing at all.
Criminal Court.
The proprietor Of slaughter house was
indicted under the law prohibiting r'lblic
nuisances. The case was yesterday tried
| by jury and the defendant acquitted.
| Most Of the day was devoted to the hear
| ing Of misdemesnor cases, mainly on the
account Of gaming, contrary to the law
| 'smade and provided" Some of the indict-
ments we're nolle pressed, some settled by
| payment of fine and costs, and others dis
posed of by judgments of not guilty. The
names Of the parties are withheld for the
i ~ -