The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-05-19
THE WHISKY CASES.

The jury in the Fchrenbach case last
night Mt O'Clock returned verdict o.
guilty. but one OF the jurymen this
morning publishes statement TO the
effect that he was forced TO concur ~ the
verdict through n systematic course OF
intimidation pursued toward him by the
other jurymen. This statement pre-.
sents another phase 81 the trial, ana
will probably lead to Il new trial 1t the
iuryman sustains his extraordinary
declaration. and probably to the prose
cution Of his belligcrent companions.
We have had little to say In relation to
this trial. for we did not desire
to prejudice the cause OF tho accused or
take part in what might have been re-
gardod a persecution. For Messrs.
Fchrcnbach aud Karstendiek we con
fcss some sympathy. They were the
latest ncccssious to the whisky ring
they had. at the time Of the break VI
made very little money. and they
seem not TO have received. rs dld
some OF the older operators, the note
OF warming. to enable them 10 put
tnclF HOUSES III oldfi' h''N "
little doubt that they are guilty of the
olronse Of which they have been con
victcd. but the circumstances or their
esse entitlo them to much tolerance OF
judgmen'
The older ana more successful inem-
bers of tho ring are entitled to less con
sideration from the community but
even these are not the parties upon
/ whom the scycreat Judgment should be
pronounced. In this generation of
proIligacy il Il not astonishing that
many men WHO would b. honest in their
tranactons under the influences OF an
honest public sentiment, have Won
tured into this Illicit whisky business.
tempted, and III some instances forced
into it by the Government officials. The
criminals against whom the arm ~ the
law should be most vigorously directed !.
the criminals who should be held
by the country TO the most
rigid account. and made 10 suffer to the
full extent Of tho law for their trans
gressions, are the revenue officials who
are implicated The guilt OF these men
ID greater than that or the private parties
TO the transaction, because they have
not only aided in swindliDg the Govern
ment. but they have betrayed the trusts
contjded to their hands. In every
community and in all periods OF time
there are law breakers Of all grades and
descriptions, but when the officers OF
the law are honest and vigilant. the
criminals can be kept under It.
strnlnt. The officers Of the law have
a heavier responsibility resting upon
them than have private citizens, ana
when they break the laws, their cim-
nality is prQportionately greater, The
whole responsibility for the illicit
whisky business rests upon the I'M
plicated officials Judge Woods. in his
charge to the jury, after enumeratlng
and explaining the safeguards the law
has prescribed to secure tho honest col
lection os the tax on distilled spirits,
said,
IL must 10 alparent that IL the GOV
eminent officers charged with duties per
tanning to the collection OF this tax are
faithful to their trust Il fraud on the
Government In the evasion or the tax Is
utterly impossible.
This is a powerful arraignment OF the
revenue officials, but a just one. II
they had been faithful the whisky ring
could not have been organized and the
revenue could not have been defrauded.
For the members of the whisky ring we
have no sympathy. The interests OF
society require that they should be con
yicted and punished if guilty. But the
revenue officials implicated should be
prosecuted with all the rigor OF the law.
They are more responsible for the frauds
upon the Government than any other
parties They were entrusted with the
protection Of the Government interests.
aud they became the greedest and most
shameless plunderers OF the Govern
ment revenues; they rendered honesty
ia the distillery OF spirits impossible
they forced honest men to engage IN
dishonest practices; an honest distiller
was their abomination, and they com
bined and worked to break down the
honest distillers, and force them into the
swindling ring; they used their author
ty to cultivate dishonesty. to tempt
men to be dishonest. to intimidate them
into being dishonest, because they them
selves fattened and grew rich by black
mailing dishonesty. They should be, il
possible, brought to justice.
10! An ARTIST.