The Portland daily press., 1870-05-18
EunghOles.

hunSnOless
The bunghoe is proverbially better place
for the display of economy than the spigot.
Fearing that through these little apertures
(which have been found sufficiently large to
permit the passage OF many precious life and
goodly estate run to waste) too large por-
ton OF the revenues needed 10 defray our ma
tional debt and governmental expenses would
slip away uaobserved, Congress, by the sd
Section OF the Internal Revenue Act approx
ed July IL, 1866, expressly provided that no
beer-barrel should be used having more than
one tap-not even aspigot-hole besides should
be tolerated; and this wise precaution has
been carefully retained in every subsequent
enactment upon that subject. Over this SIN
gle localized solution of the barrels continue
ty, is to be affixed the stamp when vouches
to whomsoever it may concern that the man
ufacturer has paid TO the United States the
sum. in return for which he is allowed to pan
der to the depraved appetites of his fellow
citizens, or Teutonic brethren, to the extent
of thirty-one gallons. Whenever the faucet
is to be introduced, the destruction of this
stamp is necessary preliminary (of course)
to the removal of the bung; and SO the rights
of the United States are secured, since only
one stamp is required and that to be placed
over the only vent. If second opening ex-
listed in the barrel, it occurred to the
Syons at Washington that as only one
would be stamped, it might offer
a temptation to some disloyal and
avaricious brewer or purchaser (if any
sich there be) to remove the contents OF the
barrel through the unstamped rather than the
authorized place of deliyery.and then surrep-
titiously to refill the stamped barrel and thus
defraua our necessitous and impecunious I'm
Gle. Salutary and even necessary as this provis-
ion appears We regret TO state that during the
regnancy of the late corrupt and traitorous
administration it was allowed to fall into des-
uitude. But this disregard of law will no
longer be tolerated by our present officials.
Commissioner Delano has issued strict orders
for exact compliance with the letter of the
law, TO the intense disgust of some of those
who were extremely anxious ten years ago for
''the Union, the Constitution, and the enforce
ment of the law" as affecting niggers and
their return into thef normal condition of
servitude, but who think greater liberalily
ought to be shown toward the vendors of O
beverage dear to SO many thirsty souls aud
able bodied voters. The brewers say that in
order for the removal of the beer from the
barrels by meals of the. pumps in. common
use, a second air-hole is necessary, the pipe
attached to the pump being inserted through
the legalized oiifce. But the Commissioner
is as adamant. Deaf to all their entreaties
he will not so much as allow an extra pin hole
though every brewer in the country die at the
bung. He adheres strictly to the letter of the
law which "killcth," refusing permission to
use even the stock of double punctured YES
sells now on hand, including those already fill
ed and put upon the market.
While we commend Mr.. -Del.nos close ad-
herence to the precise terms of that statute
which is equally obligatory upon him as upon
the humblest guzzler of lager-indeed, he has
taken special oath to carry out its provisions,
which the private citizen has Motive can but
think that Congress, which SO carefully guard
ed against the flow OF illicit beer, has wasted
at many another bung-hole. Passing by the
wicked and foolish expenditure of money
needed to pay our debts) for The purchase of
a territory which we woul1 have been ex-
tremely unwise to take the gift of, and the
lavish appropriations for objects not of prime
necessity, and combining ourselves to this same
law relating to internal revenue, we must be-
lieve that means could have been devised for
making that portion Of it which relates to the
tax upon incomes more just, equablc, and
equitable in its operation. II is certain that
many who live only upon the sustenance that
drizzles through the spigot of narrow means
arc compelled to pay more for the support Of
the government that protects the lives of all
and the accumulations of the capitalist, than
many others who riot in the afluent flood that
pours through the wide mounted bung of
prodigious wealth. The evasons of this tax
are notorious; yet no legislation is adopted or
proposed that will bring within its range all
who are rightly subject to it. To diminish
the rate and increase the exemption will les
sen the number of sufferers from this injus-
tice but will not make it operate any more
justly upon those still coming within its
scope. 1t ought to be made to bear more
equally, or else it should be abolished alto
gether; and in view of the obvious difficulties
that lie in the way OF its equitable adjustment
to all the shoulders that should share the bur-
den, we are inclined to think its abolition the
more proper and feasible course to be adopted
ifit be retained, stop up all vents through
which capital evades the government tax.