The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-08-16
Wise INSTRUCTIONS FROM COMMISSIONER
RAUM
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WASHINGTON, July 20, 1873.
W. II. Chapman, Esq, Revenue AGENT
Greensboro, N. c.:
Now that you arc about to assume charge
Of your division, deem it proper to place
in writing the verbal statements made to
you before you left this city.
earnestly desire that the internal reve.
nue. laws shall be enforced peacebly and
quietly and without the necessity Of using
an armed force. This can only be done
where the officers are supported by public
sentiment favorable to the observance and
enforcement of the laws.
l wish you to visit the Counties of Pick
ems, Greenville, York, Spartanburg, Ander-
son and 0oonee, in S9alh GaEalpaa sna sask
Mott may think proper to Suggest, and
there confer with leading citizens and en-
deavor to interest their sympathies in be-
half of the observance Of the laws, and
peaceful and orderly enforcement of them.
desire that you shall put yourself in
communication with such persons as wish
to pursue the business Of operating distil-
lcries, aud to impress upon them the fact
that there is a fixed determination on the
part of the government to suppress frauds
against its revenues and it is important
that you should fully explain 10 them that
in the end it is more profitable for them to
operate legal distilleries and pay the taxes
imposed by law upon their products than to
engage in illicit distilling.
The law for the collection of O tax upor
distilled spirits is uniform fRA AoststN8
country, and tbe. government sSesli Ines from
the tax nearly sixty millions Of dollars per
annum. While this law remains upon the
statute books it is the duty of every good
citizen to obseryesit, and Of every officer Of
the United @s6tfH assigned to that duty to
enforce it. Yhe pains and penalties for its
violation are severe. No man can with
safety violate its provisions, and any COM
munity where the violations of laws arc nu.
merous is soon given over to anarchy and
disorder, and many persons are constantly
skulking from their homes to avoid arrest.
This state of things is certainly to be de-
precated, but must necessarily continue un-
til the people of these sections of country
are willing to observe the law.
There is no disposition or intention en-
my part to require or allow a vindictive en-
forcement sof the Inv in community where
those who have been engaged in violating
the aws' have honesty and in good faith
abandoned their practices. A lenient course
has been pursued in many districts where
the circumstances would warrant it, and it
would afford me great pleasure to know
that the yiolators Of the law in The districts
tc which you aye assigned have returned to
n sense of their duty to the general gov
ernment, to observe the law, and to pay the
tax imposed by it upon their products.
1 desire that you shall impress upon cit
szens generally my determination that the
Jaws shall be enforced in an orderly and
lawful manner. avoiding all unnecessary
collisions, aud by officers who are perma-
ncnt citizens Of the districts or divisions TO
which they are appointed, and arc men of
respectabiity, integrity, discretion and
courage. l wish you particularly to inform
the people that this Office is open at all
times to hear the complaint of citizens
against the unlawful acts Of officers.
In this connection you should call attcn-
tion to the stringent provisions of Section
3,169, United States Revised Statutes
which enact that an officer who is found
guilty Of any cXtortion or wilful oppression
under color of law shall be subject TO in
dietmcnt, and, on conviction, shall be fined
not less than one thousand, nor more than
five thousand dollars, and imprisoned moi