Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-09
THE WHISKY INVESTIGATION.
SENATOR wInDoMs REPoRT-No MONEY IL
LEGALLY APPLIED.

SENATOR wIEDoM's REPoET-No MONEY IL
LEGALLY APPLED.
WASHINGTON, August S.-The report pre-
sented to the Senate by Senator Window,
chairman of the select committee to investi-
gate the alleged improper use OF money to
promote or defeat the "bonded spirits" bill,
states that the committee obtained much
valuable informs alton from parties employed
to obtain relief from over-production, but
they did not find that any money had been
corruptly employed 10 promote the passage
of said bill. The report quotes from the ad-
dress delivered by the National Distillers
and Spirit Dealers Association at Chicago,
October, 1881, and comments that it was not
an unfair inference, from this express decla-
ration that the mission" of the association
was, among other things, 'to promote the
enactment of friendly national laws
in connection with the appeal
for more money. The convention
report was in full sympathy with the pur-
poses and recommendations OF its president.
In the next month, November, very heavy
assessments began to be made. upon many
large dfssifierfes, which were cont1nued until
April last, when they had reached the ag-
gregate of over 100000, some houses being
assessed as high as $15, 900. This large sum
was proven to have been used early TO pro-
mote the expectation OF spirits and thereby
prevent a ruinous fall OF prices in the home
market, and the committee were convinced
tn at the proceeds of the assessments were not
used to influence legislation. The commit
tee have no doubt, however, that those
large assessments, coming 80 soon after
the declaration of the Chicsgo convention
Of its purpose 10 raise money TO promote
friendly Legislation, and while the bill so
regarded was pending in Congress, created
the impression upon the minds of many per-
sons (not advised as TO the use which was to
be made of the money! that there was some
connection between the assessments and The
proposed legislation. The report then re-
cited the fact that $4,000 was raised in Louis
vile by the liquor dealers and distiilers to
influence legislation in their interest, which
declaration that Louisville should raise $4,000
seemed TO warrant the inference that a very
large sum was contemplated from the
dealers and distillers of the entire
country, but that the evidence taken by the
committee showed that other localities did
not respond SO literally as Louisville had
done, while by the evidence of Shufeldt,
president of the National Distillers and
Liquor Dealers Association, to whom this
S4300 was remitted, it was shown that this
sum still remained in his possession TO aid
in securing reduction of the tax on whisky
to fifty cents gallon. By the same witness
ii was also shown that $500 was raised
elsewhere for any purpose witnesslsaw bit, to
secure the passage OF anti-prohlbItory laws,
or anything in that line. The report, in
conclusion, says: at was also proven that
the Kentucky Distillers' Association had
agreed to pay Colonel G. c. Wharton,
an attorney at Louisville, $1,000 for his
services in connection with the passage of
the bonded extension bill, and that $4,000
had been paid him on account. The evil
dence showed that Colonel Wharton prepared
a bill and made arguments before the COM
mittee of the House of Representatives, but
does not show that anything was done by
him inconsistent with the character OF an
honorable attorney. Other small con-
tributions were proven, amounting to
several hundred dollars, to pay the ex-
penses of persons who visited Wash
ington to promote the passage of the bill,
making the tstal over $4,000, which the
committee found to have been raised to PRO-
mote national friendly legislation in various
ways; but it was not proven that any part OF
the money was corruptly used for that pur-
pose. In the process of the investigation
imputatiops were cast upon certain veE
journalists by A. G. Buell., which
your committee take pleasure in saying were
wholly unsustained by evidence"