The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-19
THE WHISKY TAX.
senator fardan's Propositions IL ncg0rd
sa In tts Regulation aad Collection. p
New York Herald


ss In tts Regulation aaa Collection.
New York Herald.l ~
The apeech delivered I'm the Senate n
few davs since by Gen. Gordon. OF Geor-
gia, was Immediately replied to by Mr..
Morton and Mr. Sherman In so invec-
tive a spirit. and with such bitter parti-
san yehemence, that readers OF the tel
eprapbic summary were led to infer
that Senator aorllon had overstepped
the proprieties of discussion and made
% violent party harangue. AS there was
nothing in the brief summary of his
speech that seemed calculated to pro
woke the fierce philippics OF his assali,
ants, we were curious to read the full
debate Ms officially reported In the Con-
gressiondt Record. After a careful pc
rusal we find nothing to justify that re-
markable outburst. of party virulence
We are less surprised Chat Mr.. Morton
should begin such an assault than that
Mr.. Sherman should support it, for the
last named Senator has reputation for
moderation and candor.
General Gordon's speech was really
marked by singular elevation of tone
and forbearance to turn the subject to
party advantage. Instead OF making
the recent frauds topic Of party crimi-
nation he only attempted to erect bar
riers against their repetition. The rene
dies he proposed would, il adopted. re-
u,,ire the remuneration Of the Democmt-
ic party of the maxim that 'to the vic
tors belong the spoils.' General Cor
don's propositions were-first, to regu-
late the whisky tax by the capacity Of
the fermenting tubs, and collect It
monthly or weekly in advance; and,
second, to make the internal rev
enue officers irremovable except
for dishonesty or incapacity The first
OF these charges is no doubt open to
some of tho practical objections raised
against 1t by Mr.. Sherman, but 1t has
no apparent connection with party
politics. Mr.. Sherman virtually con
coded that it was based on a sound idea
by his statement that the capacity OF
the fermentipg tubs Is now carefully
measured and recorded, and that it Is
one of the chief tests of the honesty of
the reports made by distjllers. But
Cen Gordon laid the stress OF his
speech on the other part OF his pro
posal. thinking that separation OF the
revenue from party politics is the essen
tial and Indispensable reform.
There Is no reason why Republican
Senators should have worked themselves
into rage of party hostility against
General Gordon for Offering such a
proposition. Its plain effect would be to
debar the Democratic party from filling
the internal revenue service with its
own creatures and tools II it should
come into power next year. Such u
proposition from prominent Demo
cratic Senator should have been received
with grateful satisfaction by honest Re
publicans Most certainly 1t should not
have been made the occasion OF n furious
partisan attack on Senator Gordon and OF
dragging in such irrevelant topics as his
former connection with the rebel army
and the local politics OF Georgia. What
have these to do with the propriety OF
disconnecting the revenue service IRON
party politics? Why should General
Gordon be brow-beaten and aspersed
aud his military record raked up against
him for a speech favoring in one branch
Of administration the same civil
service reform which President
Grant was at one time understood
to favor and the Republicans in
Congress made a pretence OF supporting
in all branches? The scorn poured on
General Gordon's proposal OF non
partisan revenue service by MeSsrs.
Morton and Sherman demonstrates the
hypocritical insincerity of the Republi-
cans in Congress when they protested
to support the same KIND of reform and
to favor its application to all depart
ments of the civil service. il of any
value ut all it would have the most salu-
tary effect in its application to revenue
officers, as proposed by General Gordon,
| for this Is the department where it is
most necessary TO guard against abuses.