The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-12-19

Nov. II, 1873. Eagineee in charge
a Government that Don't Protect
the Producer.

Below will be found a nice little kettle
of fish dished up by the Somerville FAT
con of last week:
Mr.. Joseph Matherly, citizen of our
county, living near Oakland, was arrest
ed on last Saturday by an officer, ON
warrant from the United States Com
missioner, for having manufactured to-
bacco in his possession not being stamp
ed, and for selling tobacco to other than
a licensed dealer, manufacturer and ex"
porter, he not having license. The facts
in the case are these. Mr.. Matherly is a
farmer and raised some tobacco on his
place, twisted it into what is called hands
and brought about three pounds of it to
town and sold it to Mr.. Johnson, gro.
Gerry keeper in Somerville, for one dozen
candles. Thisis the Offense, and it will
IN all probability cost Mr.. hiatherly
round sum of money to get out of the d.
ficulty. A Mr.. Admas was also arrested
for like offense. When will our people
learn to cease violating the u s. Revenue
Law? Surely they have paid enough TO
learn what it is and it seems they should
be satisfied to keep out of trouble. It is
against the Revenue Law to raise tobbao-
co and sell to anybody but a dealer, man
ufacturer or exporter, who has license,
unless the producer takes out license
himself to sell tobacco. A farmer can
raise tobacco and sell it iD the leaf to
one of these three classes of men. But he
cannot twist it and sell it to any one,
unless he takes out Ecense to manufac>
ture tobacco And he cannot sell IN the
leaf to any one else but a dealer, manu-
! facturer or exporter with license. 4 nd
I Sc IsrE- - -
| license before be sells The punishment
| for violation of this Jaw Is, for twisting
| tobacco, without license, fine of from
5000 20 $1,000 and Imprisonment from
/ to years. For selling In leaf TO other
/ than a dealer, manufacturer OF exporter
without license, fine of from $500 to
$1,000 and to years imprisonment.
We hope our readers will take warning
and. let tobacco trading alone We do
not suppose for an instant that the two
citizens referred to above had any in
tention Of defrauding the government OF
violating It's laws 1t was no doubt q
want of knowledge on their part They
had not taken the trouble, and perhaps
had never had opportunity of investigate
ing and becoming familiar with the com
plicated internal revenue laws, and were
not aware of the existence of the unjust
and inquitous Congressional enactment
which prohibits the poor farmer from
selling the products ofhis farm-the re-
ward Of his toil-tO Whomsoever be NIGH
choose and where he can obtain the best
price They did not know that our greaI
and good government which Is able tC
exempt from taxation blOatsd bondhold
ers and gigantic monopolies, as well az
subsidize unblushing frauds, was so fear
full that the poor farmer might escape
the payment of few dollars tx, tina
Congress had deemed it necessary tt
hamper him with such stringent enact
ment as to render it next to impossible
for him to dispose of his own crop. Bui
such is the fact, and our people mus
learn that unless they can enter largely
into the business of tobacco planting
raise enough to justify them in taking
out license or shipping to q manufac
! tureF, they had best let the weed alone