The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-02-13
"LESFANT TERRIBLE.o
brfssow's Methods or Terrifying and
weakening Rival Asptrants-
sfrate9etie Designs Upon
the Presidential Chair.

SohE sElhEIS OF THE WHISKY WAR-AN Al
LANCE, OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE
WITH POSTMASTER GENERAL JEWELL
+ THE REFORM SCOURGE JUDrCIoUsr,y ap
/ PLIED-GRANT, MORTON AND BI.ATN
| FEEL THE LASH.
CINCINNATI, February Sin view o
the great public interest which centre
upon the prosecution Of the Whisk,
Ring, it may interest the readers of tn,
Her0td to gain an insight into the hidde1
facts connected with the singularIy sue
| cessful raid which has been made upor
tne ROBBERS OF the country's revenue
Of course the raid was primarily made
| from interested motives, on the part O
those who set the ball In motion. It il
the purpose Of the writer to disclose
many things in connection with the his
tory OF the prosecution that will show
the real anirnus Of those who have beer
the controlling power from the inception
OF the onslaught. It will not be denied
however, that a sense Of public duty was
one OF the elements that precipitated
the conflict, but that it was the principal
one will be herein conobated by an array
OF facts and logic that we think cannot
fail to convince the most scepticaI.
THE MORAL TORPEDO.
Early in 1873 Jesse b. Woodward, an
attorney OF standing in st. Louis, Mo-,
wrote the then Commissioner of Inter
nal Revenue, J. W. Douglass, giving in
detail the main facts in regard to the
whisky ring in St. Louis, that have since
been developed, and which proved the
torpedo that has exploded the ring in
other Western cities. Not only did Mr..
woodward give the main facts, but he
gave also the minutise, and his letter
disclosed the names of all the principal
members OF the ring. This letter re-
celved no attention, nor did several com
rnunications upon the same subject. all
OF which have been seen by the writer.
gain for him any recognition at Wash
ington. Ii is also asserted that he re-
peatediy brought the matter to the at
tention Of Secretary Bristow in 1874 and
1875, but the latter was also deaf to his
representations. Some Of these letters
appeared in the st. Louis Reptbljcan Of
November and 8, 1875.
WAR DECLARED.
1t was not until Mr.. Fishback, early
In 1875, went in person to Washington
and held o consultation with Secretary
Bristow, and reiterated all that Mr..
woodward had written to the depart
ment, that action was taken.
1t IS quite probable that what Mr..
4
nous interview may have had it's weight
with the Secretary, for the spring of 1875
was certainly much nearer to the date
of the meeting Of the Republican Ma
blonal Convention than the summer of
1874. At all events, war was declared,
and, mounted On the high horse Of re-
porm, the Secretary made charge on
The abattis Of mash tubs and stills, keep
ng MS weather eye meantime on the
Presidential chair, which dinly ap-
oeared in the background. Before the |
onslaught actually began, however, the |
Willy. Secretary put host OF his retain
rs in office in the Southern States. a 1
iotable change being made in the case |
II the supervisors Of the States Of Ken !
ueky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
md louisiana.
AN EPISODE AT NEW ORLEANS.
Kenneth X. Cobb, the then Super
isor, was promptly removed it is sur
1ised because Of his third term pro
liylties), and a faithful henclirnan, r.
!. Hunt, personal friend of Secretary
;ristow, and q Kentuckian, was duly Il
laced in the office. It has been said
nat COBB was removed because Of his
olluslon with the whisky ring in New
'rleans. II this be true what ia to be
aid OF Hunts action in March. 1875? On
ne 10th of that month he sent his special
lerk, Bell, to New Orleans on q secret ,
iissicn to see ''if the only dlstfllery
INNING there was run at night" He
lrther ordered Bell not to make him
Eli known to any OF the revenue officers,
ut to go to some quiet place and pass !
nder an assumed name; to be particu- :
Irly careful to keep away from the
office" Bell followed his In :
.ructions, and ON the 18th Of March. at !
p. n1., met Hunt at the st. Charles :
otei, and, taking him across the Missis- J
ppi river to a point about five miles from 7
le hotel, and near Gretna, showed him !
large distillery in full blast, running at I
ght, when only registered to run by :
~. was the distillery promptly seized? 4
OF at all, but few days afterward it ;
;celved notice to stop running. 1t ia a II
0ticeable fact that few IL any seizures
ave ever been made in Supervisor J
units district. The reason, it might 9
: surmised, is because Kentucky and =
are strong for Bristow, and In :
Ie case OF the former it would be ian y
bird that fouls its own nest"
PATRONAGE To THE KENTUcKIANs. /
Further, the Secretary has filed the n
&C asury with Kentuckians, and in the 8
sc Of the defaulting collector, Buck &
r, at Louisville (Bristow's foster b
Their, the accommodating Secretary n
IS appointed the whole family, six ia h
imber TO positions In the revenue ser a
&c. Now, what claim Kentucky. AL Il
sys Democratic, has upon the Repub- n
an party to entitle her to not only all h
the revenue appointments within her d
yn borders, but also to such large D
Imber in the departments at the ma
NAL capital, ~ one Of those conun- r,
uns no man can solve. Il
LTTICAL EXCEPTIONS FROM THE sCoURGE >
OF REFORM O
It Is we'll known fact that Louisville. N
ashville and many other cities Ia Ken n
cky and Tennessee were large pur- 1t
asers of Indiana, Illinois and Mis-
url hishWine8 during the days Of the u
yet no Investigation haa p
en- made as to completely in the whis- el
: frauds in those States. Indeed. p
rge dealer To liquors In Louisville told n
6 writer Of this, as late as December >
u. that the whisky men had an eariy tt
ut Of danger, and We're ready for the e.
.cical examination that came some S
eks later o1
There is q grave charge, openly made is
roughout the West, that the 6onOra- ir
. Secretary did not wish to push "
ngs in his own section, lest it should e
ure his chances for a full delegation y
BrlstoW men TO the National Repub- 10
IN Convention The talk on whisky
tiers finally became 80 strong-so h'
70 Supervisor Hunt-that Mr.. Bristow X
October last placed him Hunt in the a