The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-08-10
ILLICIT DtSTlLLlNG.
VIGOROUS WAR ON TIE MOONsRHN-
RHs INV TEEE GOVERNMENT.

The Business Aisnest Entirely Suppressed
The ssm,h Carolina Revenue Officers
Surrendered te the United States Mar
shaR.
WASHINGTON, Aug 9.-The vigorous meas
urns adopted by CommissionerRaum, in deal
ing with illicit distillation and other frauds on
the revenue. has often been referred to in these
dispatches and prediction made that 1t
would result In complete victory Tor the
government. This result seems near at hand,
rhe great pressure brought to bear upon Illicit
dstillatiOn in North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia and other States Of the South where
the business has been carried on with much
success, has had the effect to completely de-
moralize the distillers, who, finding that the
revenue officers were in earnest, abandoned
their homes and fled to the mountains.
In North Carolina the new policy was
first triumphant; then followed Georgia,
Alabama and Tennessee, where good and sub
stantial results were obtained. but in South
Carolina the distillers were SO protected by
their position In the mountains that they CON
sdered themselves beyond the reach Of the
law, and banded themselves together and de-
fled the officers, and utterly refused to give
up their fraudulent business.
Collector Brayton Is fully alive to the neces-
sty nf suppressing any frauds In bis district,
and being authorized to employ the necessary
force for the purpose, so reinforced his regu-
lar deputies with special posse that he was
enabled to wage vigorous war on the distll-
lers. who found that Illicit distiIing was too
dangerous business to be pursued, and many
were constantly lying out on the mountains
to avoid arrest.
Upon the publication of Commissioners
Raum letter Of July ST. 138 distiEers came
into court and openly confessed their guilt.
They were released upon recogniZance and
their sentences suspended Immediately. This
policy was attacked by the NepHs md
Courier to fermeut furthur trouble between
the distillers and the government, and this
attempt would have been successful but for
| the promptuess with which the charge was
made.
Commissioner Ra,m, who In the letter to
| Collector Brayton, referred to above, said :;
| "If the facts are as stated In the Nelrs and
| Courier, that a number of Illicit distilers
have surrendered themselves. you are author
| lied, in the most public manner. to announce
| that the government will act in the utmost
good faith towards them. and II they abstain
| from violations of law and contribute to a
public sentiment favorable to the enforce
| melt Of the law, they will place themselves
in q position to eptitle themselves to the
doubt will reoeiveTA
Agent Chapman of similar tenor. was pub
| lished throughout the State and so influenced
public sentiment that the revenue officers
| held by the State courts for the killing Of q
man named Ladd have been turned over to
| the United States Marshal and over 900 Illicit
| dstiLlers have come in and confessed theiI
guilt in order to avail themselves Of the
terms of the policy, and more are expected
to-day.
Collector Brayton, in letter to Commits.
sioner Haum. just received, says "The vigo1
| with which the revenue laws have been Ell
forced. as well as the publicity given to rev
enue affairs in this district, have accomplished
good. It is to be hoped that q better public
sentiment will be awakened. 1t is generally
admitted that there never was q time whet
illicit distilng was so nearly suppressed ii
this State. This has resulted FROM the active
and persistent enforcement OF the laws