The Portland daily press., 1876-03-10
Democratic party came into power it would

nue. collectors life officers The sesator IGOR
dom had eulogized the system of England. 1t
appeared from his remarks that he admired
that country more than republic If he
(Gordon) wanted all tax officers to be life ap-
pointees, why had he not urged its adoption in
Georgia? Had it been adopted the state treas
urer would not have defaulted as Was recently
the case TO the extent of $500. 900 or 100000
Mr.. Gordon-Does the Senator state that as
fact?
Mr. Morton said he had seen it stated in the
papers. =
Mr. Gordon said the matter Was low being
adjudcated in the courts and the treasurer
claimed that every dollar could be accounted
for.
Mr. Morton-Well he is a Democratic Off
cal and he will be dealt with tenderly. Re-
sumiug his argument, Mr. Morton said that as
the Democratic party expected to be in power
they would appoint the excise corps for life.
Would some of them be Republicans? He
thought, not; The whole country would under
stand why this proposition was brought for
ward at this time There had been some diff
Guilty in collecting the revenue in the Southern
States owing to the murder of revenue officials,
and then it was said there were family stills
there where they distilled enough for the
neighborhood only. The civil service reform
proposed by the Senator from Georgia was
very sweeping. Why did he not bring bill TO
have it extend to all departments of the gov.
eminent il life tenure was such great thing?
In other words, why not come out in favor OF
monarchy instead of republic. That was
where the whole proposition ended.
What the Senator (GoIdon) knew about the
whskey frauds he knew from an investigation
put on foot by a Republican administration.
He could not point to an instance where any
such investigation had been authorized by a
Democratic administration. The Sanborn
frauds and Credit Mobilier exposure was the
result of an investigation set on foot nv a Re-
publican House of Representatives. That par.
ty was an honest party which Investigated its
own members and punished them. There were
some other forms of corruption quite as dam
gerous as the whiskey frauds.
The Senator (Gordon) had referred to an
event which cast shadow over all the land.
He (Morton) would not discuss that as he
might have to sit as judge on that case, but if
common report was true that appointment
came as near being non-partisan appointment
as could be. 1t had its Democratic surround
ings.
Mr.. Morton then read from the speech of Mr..
Gordon delivered in Atlanta, and said the SEN
ator had paid no attention to the utterances of
Mr.. Toombs few days before at the same
place, to the effect that the Georgia election
had been covered by bribery and intimidation
If that charge was true, it was damning one
against the people of Georgia, and if not true,
it was foul calumny and it was the place of
the Senator to repel it, and he had passed it by
in silence
Mr.. Gordon said that the Legislature took
formal action in regard to these charges, and he
would have the resolutions adopted by that
body read.
Mr. Morton said the Legislature may have
thought it worth while to take some notice of
them, but the report in the newspapers showed
that the utterances of Toombs were cheered to
the echo That was case of corruption far
more reaching than the whiskey frauds. The
Senator iGordon) had charged the Republican
party with being tyrannical. He (Mortou) de-
Ind Thn >orfu bod haap 81
his friend Gordon was living monument of its
maguanimty. The party had dealt magnani-
mously with those who fought against the gov
eminent.
Mr.. Sherman said this was the first time
since the internal revenue law was passed that
made against it. His friend (Gordon) might
disclaim any intention of making a party
speech, but all who heard it would regard it as
SUCH The revenue laws had been framed by
men of both parties, honestly and faithfully.
The resolution presented by the Senator from
Georgia had no business before the Senate. 1t
was unconstitutional for the Senate to frame
matters pertaining to the revenue. If the reso-
lntions should be sent TO the Committee on FL
nance the constitution prevented their consid-
GRAFTON by that committee. He argued that
the law as it now stood required survey of
every distillery in the country and the internal
revenue office to know the producing capacity
of every distillery. If it was discovered that a
distillery was running short of its producing
capacity the law required that it should be
taxed according its producing capacity unless
satisfactory explanation could be given. 1t
was impossible to enforce such law as that
proposed by the Senator from Georgia. 1t
would be taxing business before such business
was carried on 1t would be taxing the whiskey
before it was made. No one ever heard of such
thing. He then referred to the whiskey tax
and said he thought it had been too high here
tofore, therefore he voted against Increasing it
last winter
As to an excise corps the people of the Unit
ed would never tolerate any such band, The
Office of the tax gatherer should be under the
head OF the bureau SO that an officer could be
removed the moment fraud was suspected The
Senator (Gordon) had charged that 81, 600 00O,-
600 had been lost. At least 1892, 900, 900 of the
sum must be charged to the johnson admins
tration.
Gordon asked how many collectors appointed
BY johnson were confirmed by the Senate.
Sherman said it was such hard work to get
honest men in these days that the Senate had
to reject good many.
Sherman resnming said that from the time
Andrew johnson became President the reve.
nues OF the country went down, down, down,
and after Republican administration came
into power they went up Sherman then COM
mented on the English system, and said that
in that country che manufacture of spirits was
a close and absolute monopoly, and if the law
of England should be enforced in this country
not single Southern state could engage in the
manufacture of whiskey. 1t could only be car
ried on In New York, Boston, Cincinnati and
places having superior advantages. The Sem
ator (Gordon) has taken advantage of an occa-
Sion when the whole public mind was under a
cloud to bring this matter forward to excite in
the minds of the people the belief that the Re-
publican party had produced fraud by scbem-
ing legislation. The revenue laws had not
been framed by parties They were the result
Of In f,,1 L. e
Mcdonald and others did defraud the revenue.
That could not be helped All the Republican
party could do was to find them out and punish
them, and that had been done without mercy
The Democratic party had not been so vigilant
in Furnishing the delinquents in that party. In
1860, when Floyd and Thompson stole money
and bonds, guas and ammunition, who pun
lshed them? Who arraigned them? All po-
lltcal parties must sometimes suffer from dis
honest officials, but the Republican party
would not shield those who betrayed it.
He referred TO the speech of the Senator from
lature, and said it indicated disposition on his
part to come to Washington and charge along
the whole Republican liue in order to bring
back to power the Democratic, the party which
in 1860 robbed and plundered aud plunged the
country into civil war and covered the nation
with debt, which made it necessary to impose
the taxes now complained of. The Republican
party had been too lenientin giving its adver-
saries political power, and some of the worst
troubles of the party came from that.
Mr.. Gordon said that when he introduced
this resolution he had no conception of the
scope that was to be taken in debate. He had
no partisan motives in introducing them, and
he was astonished that the Senators should
think that because he stated facts which were
shown by the records of the department that
he was not justified in doing so. Had it come
to this that when southern man spoke of
wrongs perpetrated upon the government he
shoald be insulted by the statement that he
occupied his seat in the Senate by the magma
nimtv of the Republican party, and was not,
therefore, to mention any delnquents of that
party? The Senator f-om Ohio (Sherman)
made an insinuation unworthy CT him when
he SAID that he (Gordon) had taken advantage
OF this occasion to bring forward his resolu-
lions. They had been prepared a month and
he had been ready to speak but other business
occupied the attention of the Senate. All this
bombast about the resolution being anti-Repub-
llcan was only intended to turn the eyes of the
people from the frauds which have been com.
mitted
He referred to his speech at Atlanta and
said he was unable to see what his remarks
there had to do with this subject. He next re-
viewed the cause of the war and said that be-
cause the men of the South were different from
those of the North in the past they were not to
be condemned. Their political teachings from
youth up had been different from that of the
people of the North and they were honestly
entertained. Did such a difference preclude
him from criticising anything which the ad-