, 1876-03-21
COLLECTING TIE WHIBKY-TAX,


Senator GonpoN, Of Georgia, mode
speech in the Sonate Inst week in support Of
soma resolutions which ho introduced to So
cure radical change in the present system
Of collecting the whisky-tar. Hls speeoh
drow out reply from Senator MoRros, Of
1ndiana, and the imperfect Associated Press
report OF the debate lod TaE TRIBUNE ut tho
time to criticise both gentlemen for partisan
consideration Of subject which ought
to be disposed OF on its merits,
without any regard to party bear
inga. A later perusal Of tho verbatim
report Of Senator GonpoN'a speech has con.
better than tint which We attributed to him;
and, though there wore somo Of his ro,narks
which were we'll calculated to stir up Senator
MonToN'a hot blood, the speech for the most
part looked to tho improvement Of tho ravc~
nue system without undertaking to make
purity capital out Of the occasion. Indeed,
tho Senator disclainod in advance any rctloc-
tion OIL tho Administration, and attaekcd tho
system itself rs SO defeetive and falso that no
party could hope to escape tho corruption
incident TO it; and he also appealed very
eloquently to the Senate to bury party con-
siderationa In common effort to bring about
permanent roform In the excise. In this
sonse, Senator GoRDoNs resolutions aro
worthy Of serious consideration, and ought
| 10 command the cooperation Of nil tile honest
mon in Congress-. The following is their
! toxt:
| WuxRg4s, Tbs frequent enormous frauds commit
ted by dlstl'lers and Government officials have Do
prved tho Government Of largo proportion Of s lc"
gittm1te revenue and brought dtsrepute upon an m-
porsant branch Of tlo publlo service; aud
WHEREAS, The interests ct Tho peopfs and the good
| uano Of tho 0ovosntnent demand that CougreaA shs
tako Immediate steps to 80 amend tho laws "a to secure
economy sxd honesty In the collection Of tho internal
| rsyenua: Therefore,
| f.eso,red, TIN. tho COMMITTEES on Finance bs in
atr,cod to aRcctAtn. possible, What the defects
In tho preacn aystesn, aud what legislation IL
sary to remedy thesa dofeets; and especially to In
| qu!re:
tira.-whethsr It be advisab1e to 10 amend tho lava
10 cyy tho whaky ta1 directly upon tho capacity
Of the fcrsnua luba and require II to be colsctsd
iu advance; and,
!stcotj-To creats 4 corpn Of exciss 10 hold onaca
inaeHn!tely remersbls only for luc&pacsy or msl-
fesAanee IN olhca.
Tho loss III reYenuo from tho failure to
collect tho tar on whisky was estimated by
S1r. GoapoN from ono of A1r. FEssrSDEH'a re-
ports when the lnttor WAS Secretary Of tho
Treasury. Mr.. FEssENDEN, in 1864, declared
tho yield Of the distilleries To hayo boen abou!
loo.0o0,o0o gallons for that year. and he disc
stated (which no ono will be inclined to deny,
that "tho demand il as steady as the appo
tito ia fixed and exacting." 1t Ia probable
TINT tho average yield has very largely ia
creased since that time. but we think thu
secresary'a estimate too high, but At oil event.
it Is safe to ASSUME Tint the consumption ha
never since been less than In 1864, who.he
Tie tax WAS S2 or 20 cents gallon. Ia,
should Lavo pnil, on this basis, On 1900,
! 00o. 1000 gallons Of whisky during thirteel
years, anl this would have yielded $1,2C0,
10000 from tho varying ratea OF excise tha
have been levied. But Sfr. rRlrT, Commsa
sloner Of Internal Revenue, reports that onl,
$500, ,000,0 900. In round numbers. have bee1
collected from this source during tho tiirteo
! years, OF loss to tho Government Of uor
: than half certainly for that time. Thi
> showing proves sufficiently that soms chang
8 Is imperative, and the resolution requirin
Q the Finance Committee to canvass the chang
Recommended by Mr. GoRDoa was timely an
= proper.
. Though that portion u Tho resolution ioo1
4 Ing to tha oraAuoa o& IN axeaaa eosph &a ha