The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-05-19
Washington News.

T1T ~ AStlNGT0N, May z,
The following interesting and im-
portant letterwas sent out to day.
~. TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
"OTrlcE OF INTERNAL REvENuE,
,ss - Washington, May 6.
"G ENERAL-,I have received your
letter of theN2Sth ult., ,inclosing, for
approval of this Office, the centre pant
Ola strip, and beiuga portion Of
what seems to have been intended to
boar Resemblance to an important
stamp required by law to be affixed
toall cigars inn ortcd from foreign
countries, referring 10 tho custom
house, and desiring to be informed
what you can tat upon domestic
cigars. In reply, [ hava to say that
1ouarc unaware that the law, (see
section 1897 ),etiscd statutes for bids
that uuy pcisun shall atlix to any box
eoptaini1g .o'ears u stamp in the
&>imilitulc ori iIikepe>s Of any stamp
reaui' cd toaBe used. The laws Of the
Uui,cd Sts'es, whether the law be a
sssIv% sseisrne or e ,s rsTs1sn ss,y s''m1 "1
imposing due ofh9t less THAI QUE
hunurcd dohprs nor mnre ihan,1.on
thousand d6hd,s andl imprisonm cit
for not les than six:.lnnnths nor orc
than three .ears!7lGa q case ipvo'v.
1ng the ri slt of cigar manufactures
to use ur,n cigar b. xcs stamps in
the si'hi.itudc Of the stamps put upon
imported cigars al tho custom house
recently tried before his hi, honor
Judge Benedict, of the United States
circuit court, of New York city, the
Judge is reported to havo Instructed
the lu'y that such stri ps to Ue in the
s'nllii:udc or likcuess, did not require
t"at the re> e>pcctlve stamps should be
all alike, but that there should be
some resemblance between them.
This view Of the ease is precisely in
accord with that which this Office
always has and does still entertain in
RELATION to this matter. Af,cr having
oil rcd proper internal revenue
, stamp for the tops Of ci gar boxes, and
and the c,utivn notice with such
other narks, brands, ETC., as the 'aw
requires, tile m.nufa tur, rs of doucs,
tlcgciga,s may atlix such other labels
or his own, containing these or such
prlItsd matter as he ees tit, provided
quo h8Ssabels are not 60 fixed as to con
EcealSor 0tiliterate the matter printed,
or~other%ise, which the law requires
10 appear,on the box. The ma,,ufac.
. turer's private labels canuot legally
. be SO n'ade inforn, ,leSign 'und style
of such subject matter as to give them
the similitude or lik ness Of IA gov
ernment cigar stamp, either of Gus.
toms or internal revenuc. Various
samples of imitation stamps have,
, from time to time, been presented to
this office for approval, or, their use
by different persons complained of.
There can be but one tbjeot in view
in afixing 60 boxes Of domestic cigars
labels so they can be made up in the
form and style, aud bearing in all
cases g resem blapce-someth hing to
/, imported cigar stamps. They are
iutondcd unquestionably to convey to
the minds Of the inexperienced that
the cigars, having such stamps or
labels affixed are really in ported
cigars s. otherwise, why arc mauufac.
turers 80 persistent in urging their
uso.C Why the various Experiments
to see how closely in. form, design,
style and matter these strip stamps or
Labels may be made and used without
~, violation ,oftbe Law This, idea Of
, an imitationeataWp, however slight
the imitation, or a stamp bearing
,.s:militudc Or likeness, or, in tho Ian.
Z gnage of Judge Benedict, some re-
scmbiance, to. the imported cigar
d stamp must 10 given up to this office.
= We~iil neithot approve nor acquicscc
in tie use Of tho stamp label or strip
bearing oven the same Resemblance to
the government stamp, though such
resemblance may be too remote to
prove an advantageous description.