New-York tribune., 1879-01-03
lBr -r,TcrArr ~ THr TRIBrNrI

QUENCI.
iBr TELEGRAPH 10 THT TRIBUNEI
WAsHrNGToN, Jan. "A change in the method Of
conducting Illicit whiskty wars by the Internal
Revenue Bureau has been made within the last
eighteen months, and the results are beginning to
he manifest in largely increased revenues from
some OF the d.tricts IN which operations have
been carried on, and IN other WAYS which are
gratifying to the revenue authorities.
Generally in the past the aggressive tactics Of the
Bureau have been very much like guerilla war
fare. Raids have been ordered III particular local
ties from time TO time, usually year or more IN
teryeuins, and on such occasions attempts have
been made with varying success 10 surprise the
" moonshncrs' at their unlawful work. destroy
their property and either drive them away INTO
their mountain Businesses OF capture and bring
them in for trial by the courts. Under this
plan OF operations 10 became easily apparent
that the evil was not being corrected; and on the
contrary Illicit distilling was in many localities be-
coming fixed and recognized branch Of local IN
dus,ry winch received the approval of neighboriuG
communities and the covert encouragement Of
those high IN authority.
General Raum's present plan of operations par
takes OF the nature Of legitimate
warfare. Movements arc organized 10 cover
whole territories, and with view to hold
lnG lnt EIOuNu dlltT IL Has Dttu tdptHI'u '''H
was the campaign last Summer in South Caro-
Ina and Georgia, and later in the season il Arkan-
sas. The recent movement, some Of the results Of
which have been published within the last week or
two,was perhaps the most comprehensive campaign
that has ever been undertaken by the Bureau. hree
parties were organized of about fifteen men each
under the command respectively OF Collectors
Cooper, WOodcock and Landrum, and were ordered
10 proceed TO three nclghborng townships, one each
in scott and Fentress Counties, Tennessee. and one
n WAYNE County. Kentucky. There according 10
orders they established communication with each
other and began their march eastward The de-
tails of their operations have already been pub
H>hed. Organized resistance was attempted. but
the show Of force too great and the enemy dis
pe1sed and fed. By preserving communl-
cation with each ether vide sweep OF
country, comprising one of the most difficult
and inaccessibly mountainous regions OF the
South, is believed 20 have been thorouEhly cleaned
out. The parties sN ept along. following the state
line between kentucky and Tennessee, until they
reached Lee County Va, where the campaign
ended.
To illustrate the success Of previous operations of
the Bureau IN some of the worst districts i'll which
vigorous operations have been undertaken. the fol-
lowing are mentioned:
In the With Tennessee District, in FIVE months Of
last year, a revenue amounting TO %25s,5iG was
collected and this year, for the same five months, Il
amounts 10 S3O7.7SO. In the WITH, Nth and With
North Carolina Districts last year the amounts col
Iected respectively were S375.334. S339.GGl and
500. .q~4 and for the same months OF the present
wear, S445 921 SJj21S5 and S139.SO9, making
an aggregate increase OF about quarter OF mil
hon of dollars for the five months.
The efforts Of revenue officers have also been d.
rected 10 encourage the establishment OF regular
d-fI rries a. substitute for the establishments ot
tne 9" Iuoou>hluers. ana m some localities notably
an, NIlh tennessee, these efforts have met win
marked success. IN that district last l"di oh me
FIRST of December there were only twenty regular
dist II-rirs Now tae number i seventy -ouc, win
an average monthly increase IN ra~cnuc OF Sl0,oOo
from the district.