Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-01-10
THE wHIsKEY RAIDS.

Seeing, among other news items, de-
tailed accounts of how federal officials,
in Arkansas, cheat the government
and Cypress the people, we are remind
ed of our experience. of FIVE weeks,
as a federal grand juror. We do not
insinuate that there is the same de-
gree of boldness on the part of our
officers, or that there is ring organ
lied for the purpose of swindling and
oppression; but the enormous cost of
each term of the federal Circuit Court |
is presumptive evidence that the diff
ference between the federal revenue
collectors of this State and those of
Arkansas, is one of opportunity rather
than of principle. Nor can it we'll be
otherwise, under system of revenue
collection which studiously ignores
those individual rights inherent in the
social compact and guaranteed by,
what was once, a glorious and revered
constitution. In addition to the wrongs,
inseparable from system SO despotic,
we must consider the many grievances
growing out of the fact, that the Ad-
ministration, in making its selections
of officers, erects no other standard
than blind devotion to Radicalism,
and such men, in the South, are rarely
otherwise than grossly ignorant, or
corrupt. With such laws, and such
men to execute them, it requires no
genius to fill the financial and politi-
cal picture of the people of the South,
and the blacker the background, the
truer the picture.
The cases presented to the consid-
Grafton of the Grand Jury, at the fall
term, in Nashville, were of three
kinds: Illicit distilling, peddling whls-
key and tobacco without icence, with
an occasional case of official embezzle-
ment. The bulk of the cases under
each division, came from the noun
tain districts, and from the examina-
ton of witnesses we obtained par
tial knowledge Of the alarming demon
alization that results from the attempt
ed enforcement of laws which have
not the respect and sanction Of public
opinion. If it required more than
century of vigilant power, even to
abate illicit distilling in Great Britain
"a territory immeasurably smaller
than that of the United States, how
prepostrous the idea that the feat can
be accomplished here, through agen-
cies that treble the evil-if evil it be.
The laws being oppressive and odious,
they cannot be enforced because en-
tire communities, though not partici-
pating in their violation, are prompted
by sympathy, to withhold testimony
and make every effort to shield the
accused whom they look upon as perse-
cuted for exercising an inherent right
which only tyranny denies them
And when to this view of the sub
ject, the people add the recognized
fact, that the mountain still is destroy
ed that corrupt whiskey rings may have
the exclusive privilege of connecting
villainous compounds that destroy
health and morals, whilst they fill, to
repletion, the Golfers of the already
rich and corrupt pets of the dominant
party, is it any wonder that the people
despise the lawmakers and evade the
laws? Is it any wonder that the spirit
of resistance to unjust laws, thus fos-
tered and stimulated by the govern
ment and its minions, is strengthened
by daily acts of oppression?
But there is graver cause of dis
content, in the manner of executing
the laws. We learned from the testi-
mony of some of the self-conceited and
arrogant sub-officials, that the axiom of
the English law, that mans house is
his castle, is in their practice, an OBJ
solete heresy, and that the recognized
principle of our laws, that a man shall
not be punished until he is tried and
convicted, has been Overruled by CEN
tralized power. Upon suspicion that
there may be illicit whiskey, or tobae-
co in a certain house, the hungry de-
tective applies for no search warrant,
but proceeds, with axe, or crowbar, to
demolish locks and bars and, as vic
tor. to make the search. In the case
of stills. the process is equally sum-
mary and lawless. When found, the
stills and tubs and beer are all destroy
ed, and wagons, mules, horses, cattle
and hogs are confscated and removed,
and, the next step, after severe punish
ment before conviction, is to present
the real or reputed owner to the Grand
Jury that trial may be inaugurated,
for an offense already punished. 1t is
such tyranny as this, which makes
lawbreakers and demoralizes whole
communities and adds such large sums
to be raised by taxation.
We have said that there was an Oc-
easional case of embezzlement. These
are family quarrels and are raised by
some outside Radical who wants to get
into the circle of officials. The char
ges in such cases are, doubtless, true,
but the motives of the accuser weaken
his cause and induce the belief that
he. too, would embezzle if he had a
chance. Take our experience alto
gether, it leaves the impression that
the entire system of revenue collection
in the South, is a systematic swindle
which the courts can do little to break
UP. From the District Attorney Gen
eral, down to the meanest little sub,
the effort is TO multiply jobs upon
which hang the fees-the cost to the
government is a consideration too triv-
ial to be worthy of their attention. 1t
would be interesting to the public to
know what proportion of the fines and
considerations goes into the Treasury,
aud what portion into official pockets.