Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-08
TENNESSEE MOONsHINERs
Commissioner Baum States the Only
Terms Of PardOR-State PrOsecu-
lions Among Revenue Men
Must be Abandoned.

Nashville american: In letter to Hon.
w. w. Goodpasture, OF Overton county,
published in the Sparta ETpOSitOr, United
States Internal Revenue Commissioner Green
b. Baum writes as follows from Washing
ton: Your letter to Hon. g. G. Dibrell,
and that of the fifteenth instant to Hon. ID.
NJ. Key, postmaster-general, have been re-
ferred to this office, and have received my
careful consideration. | note your statement
in your letter to Mr.. Dibrell that, if all who
are guilty of these offenses are taken and
tried in the Federal court, it will almost
break up many neighborhoods, and impover-
lsh many families; and your statement IN
your letter to Judge Key, that y0n suppose
IN the counties named there are at least five
hundred men who have violated the law, and
are now under arrest, have been arrested, or
will be arrested, and | also notice your state
ment that although for several years unlaw-
full dIstilling has been carried on N Jackson,
Overton, Putnam and Clay counties, the rev.
enue officers have succeeded in breaking up
all such stills, and that at this time you are
informed not an Illicit dlstIllery Is operated
in either Of said counties. | also observe
your urgent request that leniency be extended
toward those vlolators of the law, and that
you favor their pardon by the President. The
trssSasas- OF which you maze mention have been
carried on for number of years, and the
government has lost large amounts of reve-
nue., and In many instances when the officers
they have met with armed resis lance at the
hands Of the law-5reakers, among whom
such q community of interest prevails that
upon short notice large force could be raj
he'd with arms in their hands to drive out
the internal revenue officers. Such resistance
made 1t necessary to organize large forces of
officers, at great expense, SO as to overcome
all resistance, and as these operations have
gone on from time to time, serious conflicts
have occurred, resulting sometimes In the
killing and woUnding of the parties engaged.
The primary cause of these troubles was the
violation Of the law by the Illicit distillers,
who do not hesitate to resort to the State
courts for the prosecution of the officers Of
the United States, and at this time some CT
our officers are under Indictment and under
bond to answer the same. Now that the IL
iicit distlllers are IN a fair way to be brought
to deserved punishment, they apply for the
pardon of the President, and not an in
timadon is made that any iorbearance will be
shown the officers of the United States after
such pardops are granted. 1t may be true
that some OF the officers were guilty OF exces-
sive force in their effort to enforce the law,
and will be amenable to punishment, but, as
shown by your letter, whole communities IN
IF the Tifsd Sigfas mel aIe to The Laws
ishment. l have no disposition to see all
these men punished, and Will favor punish
ment only as q means Of reformation and re-
preston. am not, however, to take a step
IN the direction Of leniency to these offenders
until l am fully satisfied that there will be
a better observance of the law IN the future, |
and that our officers will not be met with |
forcible resistance at every turn, and as a |
preliminary to leniency on the part of the |
government of the United States, l must in |
sist upon the abandonment of all prosecu- |
tions against the officers of the United States |
Of whatever character. With a disposition |!
on the part of the whole people to support |
the government in its effort to enforce the |
laws. and these old scores wiped out, l have |
40 doubt that better state of things would |
dawn upon your section Of the State, and no |
one would be better pleased to see it than
mYsalfn