The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-05-20
The Whisky Ring.

The Whisky Ring.
SECRETARY BRIsTow is after the
"whisky ring" and it is said has un-
earthed stupendous system of frauds
| in the Internal Revenue Department
by which the Government has been
swindled out of over million dollars
taxes annually. Scores Of distilleries
and thousands of barrels of whisky
nave been seized in st. Louis, Chicago,
Milwaukee, Cincinnati and through
out the country by Government Off
ciaIs. 1t is charged that the revenue
officials, such as Deputy Collectors,
bsok-keepers, gaugers, porters, &C.,
all good Republican officials, receiving
their appointments from the admins
tration at Washington, are mixed up
in the grand swindle, and receive 20
per cent. of the plunder. The World,
speaking of these exposure sayss:
"The exposure" of the frauds ofthe
whisky ring-if that can be called an
Exposure" where the truth has long
been known to many people and its
existence suspected by all-has preba-
bly, a two-fold origin. Mr.. Bristow
is, we make no doubt, sincere in his
desire to reform the Treasury Depart
ment, and President Grant is not un-
willing that he should attract atten-
tion to its good deeds aud divert it
from the department of Mr.. Delano.
But the Administration by these Eek
posures" also publishes two things
the widespread corruption that exists
among its servants and the extreme
unwisdom of its revenue policy.
When an attempt was made in Decem-
ber last to raise the duty on whisky
from 70 cents to 81 per gallon, we
charged it direct to the whisky ring.
Secretary Bristow was against the in
crease of the tax. knowing from his
as District Attorney in the
greatest whisky district in the south
west, that a high tax meant fraud. He
preferred duty on tea and coffee, the
most judicious tax that could be de-
vised. But the ring was too strong
for him; Commissionr Douglass, in
his report, recommended the abolition
of stamps, and an advance in the tax
OH whisky and tobacco. If the late |
Commissioner was not manipulated,
the recommendation was, as Mr.. We'll
Ter would say, a remarkable coinci-
dence. The fact is the ring had laid |
the pipes for the swindIe for some |
time, and found an unexpected obsta-
Gle in an honest Secretary whom they |
tried by means fair and foul to get out |
of the Treasury. The scandal, could |
it be laid bare, would be found to in
volve men in Congress as well as in
the Bureau Of internal Revenue. Of
course, as long as such a thoroughly
Chairman as Mr.. Dawes
ruled the Ways and Means Committee
even the most honest Secretary of the
Treasury was powerless to remedy
he evils. The Democrats, who will
,ow take charge of this most import
mt committee, would belle the ante
edents of their party if they did net
econd the honest efforts of an honest :
ficer, although not of their political {
reed. Whether, however, the impo
itisn of the increased tax by the RI.
ublican majority be laid TO ignorance {
r corruption, the Republicans cannot I
void the responsibility for that in a
rease. responsibility rendered
raver by the fact that practical ex- t
erimeht in 1869 had shown what rca- i
,n dictated-t hat a low tax is the |
My preventive of fraud. No less
rave is their account ,bility for the {
Icvitable lowering of the morale of &
le civil service, where the standard Il
honesty was sufficiently low with !
ut the increased temptation afforded
trough placing premium on reve-
ne frauds. -'tS
"We must own, however, that we ,
arcely expect that Mr.. Bristow will h
: permitted to work any extensive q
form IF the ST. Louis whisky ring
broken up, what wiIrbecone of the y
ninent Radical members, one ofI Z,
hom the Republicans recently hon a
ed with nomination, who divide
10000 week among Themselves y
I'd others? Till the Harper trial n
mes of it is not safe TO say that the o
,wer of the ring i'm Central Illinois a
destroyed. AT Chicago it is not 3
kely that trails will be followed fer o
i the discovery is made that not cI
one are local officers interested i'm W
e stamp frauds, but that Illicit stills "
we been running under very distin- n
lished Radical permission from ii
'ashington. In fine, it is the same it
d story. The whole fabric is rot p
n" ..s. y
The Western Plague.