The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1884-04-24

the dealer, with tein-s IN his eyes, To
! give him his money back. The most
/ ocular feature of the whole bust
ness is that you had fair warning OF
what would happen.
While the act of 1880 was under
consideration, the diStillers of Pckin
and Peoria, Illinois, who manu-
tactured high wines, which do not
improve with age, and arc not inter
estel in the extension of the bonded
period, filed protest, in which the
following language was used:
"'The comparativel y tritling cost
of carrA ing whiskics in bond under
the proposed law would indcce over
production, resulting in default OF
payment of the tax at maturity,
rulnous prices, disaster and bank
ruplcv. when Congress will he asked
To extend the time from three to five
years
Their words were prophetic. For
precisely. what they predicted woald
happen las happened.
This is the fourth time that eX-
tension is asked for. Suppose it is
granel. The production of whisky
far exceeds the demand. How are
you ever going to find i market for
it? The lessons of history do not
seem to teach the diStiller any thing.
In five years they will be worse off
than ever Tie Onl y remedy is to
cease production, and that will never
be done AS long as it is manifest that
the period for the payment Of the
tax will be indefinitely extended.
There's another view Of the sub
ject that merits attention. This con
Iinuou5 extension of time invites and
encourages rings and combinations
that are dangerous to the purity of
legislation. There is hundred mil
lions involved in this bill now. In
five years the amount may swell to
fabulous proportions. What an in
riting field for corruption and bri.
berry! Can any lover of Ills country
contemplate the situation with com
pesure? | for one am alarmed at it.
The air is full now of rVmOrs of a
powerful, organized lobby to push
this bill through. The history of
past legislation has demonstrated
that temptations OF this magnitude
are not easily resisted. l have con
fidcncc in the honesty of this House,
and do not believe that it is open to
corrupt influences. That. being con
ccdcd, it bchOOves uS to settle this
question now, and to settle ii fore ver
As long as it remains unsettled IL is
a standing menace to the liberties of
the country. Do not smile, gentle
men. l am not cXaggerating. This
question may assume such proper
tions that the fIle of parties may
hinge on it, Are any of you gentle
men prepared to say that question
involving fifty or one hundred mil
lions may not turn the scale in a
National contest? The liquor inter
est has shown what it could do in
Ohio and New York. Do you care
to have the same clement figure in
Presidential campaign! | for one
do not. The disease of over-produc
tiOn must he cured now. The RENE
dy shOrl be heroic, and applied at
once. For my part, | will Lot vote
for any further extension, and l
withdraw my proposition to vote for
it, in exchange fer vote for the main
tenance of the present tariff system.
Having thus delivered himself, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania rose
and left the cloak-:com. This was
a signal for general breakup of
the party, and the members one by
one left the cloak room, most Of them
in q thou ,htful mood.
~
| shall not vote tor any further cX
tension Of the bonded period, unless
a provision is inserted in the bill in
sisting upon gradual withdrawal
of the whisky at stated periods.