The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-03-25
From the Nsp York Tribune, Republican
Senator Gordon on Excise Reform.


The speech of Senator Gordon last week
on the necessity for reform in the internal
revenue service provoked great display Of
that partisan rancor which breaks out in
Congress nowadays upon the most trivial
proyocation. He drew a startling picture
Of the prevalence of fraud in the collec-
ton Of the excise taxes, and pointed his
remarks with some strong illusions to the
ruling party. II was hardly to be expec-
ted that Democratic Senator should
speak upon such subject at all without
holding the Administration responsible for
the corruption which it has fostered; but
we must do Mr.. Gordon the justice to
admit that he made no unfair attacks.
He said nothing that was not in the main
true; his speech was not partisan ha-
rangue it was plain statement of motor
ious evils and suggestion Of practical
remedies and it closed with an appeal to
Senators to forget for time that they
were members Of political parties with a
great political contest before them, and
remember only that they were Americans
with a republic to save, a reputation to
redeem. This however was not to the
taste of the Republican majority. Mr..
Morton's reply was both partisan and
insolent, and Mr.. Sherman's was little
better. They both resented an attack
upon dishonest gaugers as an attempt to
pull down the Republican party, and de-
nounced the demand for honesty as a rebel
outrage. How can we expect the party to
reform itself from within when its leaders
are allowed to speak for it in such tones !?
The country viii receive Mr.. Gordon's
complaints in better spirit than the
Senate. He presents an array Of figures
to show that since 1864 the Treasury has
been defrauded out Of the stupendous sum
Of eight hundred millions Of dollars by
corruption and delinquency in the collec-
ton Of the tax on distilled spirits. It Is
not necessary to test the correctness of his
statistics, for there is no dispute that the
internal revenue service Is now and has
been for years scandal to the nation.
What We find every distiller without ex-
ception in the great centers Of the whisky
manufacture engaged in cheating the
Government, and q vast organization Of
rascality embracing nearly all the revenue
officers In the West and extending through
the departments at Washington, we do
not need figures TO convince us Of the
magnitude Of the swindle. And yet in
Great Britain tax Of $3.50 per gallon is
collected on distilled liquors without diff
Guilty, and, as Mr.. Gordon says, not a
shadow Of suspicion rests upon the British
revenue officers. We shall hardly be told
that EDglishmen are more honest than
Americans. The cause Of the startling
difference must lie then in the system Of
collection. Mr.. Gordon explains il in a
terse sentence when he ys:--'The rea-
son Is this: England appoints her officers
solely to collect her taxes, while here they
are appointed to collect the taxes and "a
aid the party which happens for the time
70 have the appointing power And he
adds:
So fully does Great Britain appreciate
the necessity Of removing her revenue Of
ficers from the temptations and corruptions
Of party that they are forbidden to belong
70 any political organization, and vote
by one Of them for a member Of Parlia-
ment would send him in disgrace from
the service. Here not only may he belong
to party, but he must belong TO party,
and TO the party from whom he holds his
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