The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-15
A CARD.
OFFICE COLLECTOR INTERNAL REVENUE, Z
RICHMOND, VA, August IA, ISL

SIR,-I noticed in your local of Yesterday
morning an article headed "Our Great Govern
ment Goes Into a Small Business. . in which Won
state that l. with my assistants, as the accredited
agent of the government, have been for weeks
past darting into the establishments of Richmond
druggists and searching with the keen scent of
hungry wolves for each little dime bottle that
perchance failed to be properly stamped. In this
Way YOU saw we have accumulated n few dol
lars worth OF unstamped trifIes from as MANY
as twenty druggists and in the name of the yio-
lated revenue, we demand that each of the of
tenders shall pay the United States one hundred
dollars making two thousand in the aggregate
of which Messrs Burgess Wells & Co get n
half as informers. You farther state that you
do not believe that President Grant or Mr.. Bout
well ever designed that merchants anywhere
should be ANNOYED in this way Knowing you as
well as do, / cannot for a moment think that
you would do any one an injustice; and as Your
article does great injustice TO the United States
District Attorney my assistants and myself L
feel that it is but right that should reply as fol-
lows
lst. Twill acknowledge that "our great and good
government, does sometimes through its Off
GERS go into small business, because it SO happens
that the TAXPAYER sometimes defrauds the gov
ernment out Of It's dues in a very small way for
instance i'm selling twenty-five cent vial of per-
fnnery without putting a one cent stamp on it,
1t is lust as small a matter for an individual to
take cent that does not belong to him as for the
government to enforce the law so as collect 800
that is Justly due TO itself when the law has been
violated made most of the searches in the
drug stores of this city: found some who were
not Violating the law. of such | made no seizures
and they will have no fines TO paw / found
twelve who were violating the law and in the
twelve stores 1 seized 3sl Walls and lars
of extracts sc Each of those who did not
comply with the law, 1 have reported to the
United States District Attorney REQUESTING him
to bring suit for the penalty IMPOSED under sec
ton 1877 act of March Sd, 1855 United States in
ternal revenue law. In all, the penalties will
amount to 81 900 If collected / could have re-
ported tho same cases under section l65 act JULY
18th 1866 if 1 had chosen and the penalties
would have amounted to sl9,O5O did not con-
:.
meut, therefore chose the lighter On some of
the cases / do not think that the 800 penalty
should be imposed; in others believe it should
The iayy req hires me- as an executive officer to re-
mort to my superiors the Commissioner of inter
nal revenue at Washington and the Supervisor
ali violations of internal revenue law coming to
my knowledge, as well as to the District Attor-
new So far have done my duty, and will try
and continue SO to do, if it does look aooLfsh As
for the penalties that are imposed under the law
heina divided would state that the District At
torney gets none. The law provides, however,
that informcrs in some cases are to have a.ceran
amount of the fines collected by the government,
tbe same as the fines collected of sample mer-
chants and other violaters of the Virginia State
laws and city ordinances are If the fines are
collacted of the druggists 10 which Won refer /
sbaI he unable to receive any norton of them
do not hesitate 10 say that am willing to re-
ceiye inst what the law allows, and want no
mora presume Won are aware that instances
have been heard of where people took what the
law did not allow When I do So am willing
to he published as MitC if it is Il small sum us
n def.iuiter If n large one
I 10 not as Won say, demqnd that those gentle
men whom / have reported shall pay 500 each
| T leave that for the Judge and iury to decide
parsonallv I reoret that found any cases of the
tind 10 re,,ort for snit but can saw This thai
| n is not NV fonlt that did 20 find them and L
shall have less regrets if those gentlemen should
hay We fines to nav. than I would if they belonged
| TO n poce and ignorant class of society," / look
,,,on Pthan, all as in good circumstanc,s we'll
edncated. and belonging to the best class
oI soclety. ~ n'ts pee'i . s. ~ % =; "a - i1 80 @ ~