The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-20
"MOOnShlninp" ("

Mr.. Reeds remarks in the. House the 9TH
er day in relation to ''moonshining" call at
tention anew to the increasing opposition in
the South to the execution of the internal
revenue laws-an opposition aided in many
cases by the State authorities of that sec
ton. During the last three years twenty
five revenue officers have been killed and
forty-nine wounded while attempting to col
lect the taxes on whiskey and tobacco; and
against 165 officers prosecutions, upon
the most frivolous pretexts, have been insti-
tuted in the Southern State courts. For the
murders and assaults but one man has been
convicted. That conviction was secured in
the eastern judicial district of Tennessee. In
four counties OF northern Georgia the
Illicit dlstllers have banded to resist the
collection of the tax, have burned the
houses OF a deputy collector, and of
well-disposed citizens suspected of aiding
him in the enforcement of the law, and have
shot another citizen who was called as wit
ness against them. In another case the
Federal officers were arrested under State
law for carrying concealed weapons, and the
man ihto whose hands the writ was put was
a ''moonshiner" whose still had just been
seized. These are but few of many in
stances of violation of law In all cases the
sympathy of the local authorities is openly
given to the offenders, and all possible i'm
pediments thrown in the way of collection
of the tax. Commissioner Raum says that
good citizen endangers his life and property
by assisting the officers, and that many men
had their stock killed, their barns and
houses burned, and have been bushwhacked
when suspected of giving information to
the revenue officers.
1t is not only the local authorities that de-
fend the law-breakers. The Southern Con-
gressmen apologize on the foorof the House
for them and boldly demand that the appro-
priations for the suppression of illicit stills
be cut down, and suggest other measures
tending to impede and discourage the officers
in the discharge Of their duty. 1t was this
attitude of the Southern Congressman that
provoked Mr.. Reeds remarks the other day.
in the course of which he gave succinct
statement of the outrages committed, and
commented with severity upon the outspok-
en- sympathy for law-breakers and murderers
manifested by the Southern Democratic
leaders.
1t cannot be truthf fully said that the Gov
ernment has harshly enforced the internal
revenue laws. In Georgia alone 702 illicit
distillers have been amnestied The Presi-
dent has gone so far as to appoint Demo-
cratic United States Marshals in the hope
that they would not prove as Objectionable
as Republicans. These measures have in
creased instead of diminishing the evil, the
offenders regarding them as signs of weak
ness on the part of the Government.
They persevere in their evil ways,
defrauding the Treasury of millions
of dollars annually, and thus putting addi-
tional burdens upon the industries of the
country. The whiskey and tobacco taxes go
far toward defraying the expenses of the
National Government, and any reduction in
them must be made up by an increase else
where. 1t remains to be seen if the peo-
pie will consent that the burden shall
be taken off these two articles of luxury and
put on articles of necessity. If the South
ern Congressman, backed by the Democratic
party North, have their way, it will certainly
be taken off. 1t is wise to take care they
shall not have their way.