The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-12-08

The State Journal, In discussing Judge
JAcKsoN's late charge to the grand Jury
of his court, at Parkersburg, wherein Nc
pointed out the large amount OF lawless-
ness in this State, takes sensible vie"
of the matter. 1t says;
at is true, as the Judge remarked,
that mucn OF this defiance OF authority
the result of the spirit of iawlessness
growing out of our civil war. But there
Are other causes beside for 1t, WHICH
should be sought out and removed II we
wish to escape the odium attaching 20
community of law breakers. Nlne-tenths
of the offenses consist IN eVasiono
or open and frequently defiant VOL alionS
| of the U. 5. revenue laws relating 10
tsbscco and whisky. 1t is an exLenu'
st;ng circumstance in favor OF the growers
of tobacco; and, to some extent, LOT
| people living in out OF the way places
for handling small amounts OF manu-
featured tobacco, to say that their VIOLA
lions of law are the result OF ignorance.
II has been so long since the custom
OF permitting farmer to sell Whatever
he raised TO whomsoever he pleased, tha'
it has become q tradition, e,pecisily III
the interior OF the State, and 1t Is Jn't
about as easy tc persuade the grower OF OF
tobacco that he has not right to retail
his crop to his nelghbors as 1t Is TO con-
vert q follower OF Mohsmmed to the
Christian religion. In many cases, ne
cannot realize thai he is an offender until
the hand of the revenue othcer Is actuaill
laid upon him. 1t will be well lor tniS
class to realize the situation hereafter
for the next offense will doubtless be
visited with the utmost penalty OF the
law. Ii is not the province OF the Court
CT jury, as was remarked Ill the chsree'
to INQUIRE into the wisdom OF the law,
but to enforce it. Il, as come claim, the
law. especially in regard to Leaf tobacco
is oppressive, then, Us President uraht
said, the way 10 get rid OF 1t Is TO nave II
rightly enforced. We are not sure 'ha'
there Is either propriety or profit IN pro-
ducinp tobacco, but US long IS IL is an
article of commerce and consumption, the
government regulation In regard 10 II
must be obeyed.
In regard TO the distiiling of intoXicat-
ing LIQUORS 1t differs greatly from the cui'
tivatlon of tobacco, though IN one par
ticular there is resemblance between
them. The point Of resemble Is IN
tbe matter of custom. The grower OF
grain, apples. &c. having no convenient
access to market, has long been accus-
toned to dump his grain, apples, peaches
and the like Ut the Learest dIstllleIY 10 De
converted into whisky, apple jack ana
other villainous compounds. Bat what
is known MS 'illicit distilling" Is not
carried on in ignorance, but, IN great
msioriLy OF cases, in defiance OF the law
Dis:illing ia q questionable business even
when conducted within the limits OF the
| law, rarely failing to turn out Iult
crop OF topers in the neignborhood OF
every distillery, but when conducted In
violation of the legal restriction thrown
around it, the nuisance is simply lnto!-
cradle, and the people who encourage II
must eventually find themselves on q
level with those VINO years ago ehgaSeu
in the whisky Instruction"
The startling facts brought to light by
these legal Investigations Will, We nope,
put careless people upon their guard, en-
tighten such as are Ignorant OF the law,
and lead to the punishment OF those VINO
have resolved to trample the laws under
their feet even in the presence OF the TIL
| bunals constituted to enforce them.
We have the reputation abroad OF g
law-aulding people. Let us continue to
! deserve it.