Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-12
WHY THAT RAID?
A Novel Explanation Of the whisky
in the COcOanut.

IL AAC OS-CNN1uNa
Milwaukee News Matt Carpenters Orean).
While Congress at its late session
was perfecting the tax law, raising the
tax on whisky from 20 to 80 cents
gallon-stOcks on hand to be exempt
from the additional tax-speculators
were active and busy securing vast
stocks of whisky In expectation of
the profit to be derived from the ad-
vance. Production was greatly slim
ulated, and whisky pools" were
formed in all the money centers, in
nearly all Of which Radical members
Of Congress were interested. To this
fact it is owing not only that the stocks
on hand were exempted from the tax,
but the delays and fuctua ions in the
legislation on that subject occurred by
which time and Opportuny were given
the spectators to perfect their pur-
chases and establish their margins.
Singularly enough, after the law
had passed raising the tax nearly
so per cent, there was no pereeptible
advance IN the selling price of WHISKY.
The markets did not respond as was
expected. The reproduction had
more than supplied the market, and
the additional tax had been discounted
in advance. The expected profits of
the pools, including speculative men,
bers of Congress, were not realized,
and could not be realized unless the
market should be forced up. What
was to be done? We viii tell you:
Certain persons high in authority made
a hasty visit to New York. Certain
interviews were there had. Shortly
afterwards the country was startled by
the most astounding acts of confsca-
ton and seizure. Without process Of
law S500O0,000 worth of property was
taken from the rightful owners and
placed in the hands of irresponsible
men. Spies, Informers and regular Oft
GERS swarmed over the country with in
definite instructions and unlimited
powers. As a result, on the 10th of
May there was not, with a few
exceptions, a distillery in opera
ton in the Northwest. The
parties whose property was seized
appealed in most instances to the
courts, asking under the law the privi-
lege of giving bonds with sureties In
open court for the umptiOn of their
business. Instructions came from
Washington not to allow bonds to be
given. The local district attorneys,
aided by imported counsel and gangs
of detectives, were instructed to fight
off the bonding to the bitter end, and
even distinguished lawyers were called
in to thus keep the Federal courts
from allowing a release Of the prop
erty. OF course the production of
spirits was thus delayed, and the mar
ket to that extent was affected. After
the courts had under the law released
the distilleries, orders came immedi-
ately from Washington not to let distll-
leries resume. Under the law 1t is
necessary that a stOrekeeper as
signed by the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue should be
In attendance at the distilleries
lille running. When the courts had
relinquished the property, In order
to make more delay orders came
from Washington that store keepers
should be withdrawn and new bonds
given. Thus further delay of several
days was obtained in spite of tle courts,
and somebody's desires were gratifed.
The production Of spirits having been
thus prevented, what was the result?
Spirits went up in themarket. A large
advance took place at once, and thus
the heavily laden had an opportunity
to unload, and their hearts were made
light. In all the past history of reVe
nue., it has always been the policy Of
the Government to allow a distillery to
resume as soon as the Government was
made secure. Why should these seiz-
ures be made an exception to the rule?
What interest has the Government in
cutting off the source Of its revenues?