National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-01
ALLEGED WHISKY RING.
Said 10 bs Located at Allegheny City,
Pennsylvania
IL Is Discovered by "Journa1ists" Who
Seek News During the Holiday Recess.

Or the twelfth Of December last Collector
Case, OF Pittsburg, tolegraphed the internal
revenue office here that IL was claimed by dis
tillers in his district that, while he was de-
manding the tax upon whisky in bond upon
which the three years had expired, in other
districts an extension Of ten days was being
granted. He was promptly advised by the
commissioner that his course in demanding
the tax was proper, and that col
lectors adopting different course
did so without. authority of
law and at their own risk. 1t being inferred
that the district alluded to by Collector Case
was that Of Collector S. N. Jackson, at Alle-
ghony, Pa, telegram WAS addressed to him
on the thirteenth instant by. the commits.
sioner directing him to issue notices of assess
mont and to collect taxes promptly. In the
meantime statement appeared in the New
York Sun of the twonty-sevonth instant in
which the removal of Collector Jackson was
demanded as an evidence that the revenue
bureau was not under the control of
an alleged whisky ring, and later, in
the Washington dispatches CT the Phila-
delphia Times, 10 was intitnated that
whisky had been withdrawn from bonded
warehouses without the payment of tax, and
that the commissioner Of internal revenue
had closed his eyes TO this direct violation Of
law. In letter in which he explicitly de-
nies that any extension has b0en given to the
distillcrs of his district. Collector jackson
called the attention of the commissioner to
the publication in the New York Sun, and
declared the statements 1t contained were
without foundation in fact. Commissioner
Evans replied to Collector Jackson yesterday
as follows:
which you transmit II clipping of u dispatch from
its Washington correspondent to tile New lork
Sun, has been received
have 10 doubt your statement Is entirely cor
rect and that the charges of the Sun are false, so
far as you are concerned, as know as they are
untrue SO far as am concerned. little bicotry,
Of assertion, especially where whisky matters
are concerned, may be the basis Of oil
such statements. Without naming any one Col
lector Case telCgraphed this office on the twelfth
instant that it was "claimed" that in another "
district little time was given, viz, ten days, thus
giving the taxpayers of that district AN advantage
over those of his own. l telcgraphed him tnut
such course was unwarranted, and supposing,
from your close proximity. TO him Though not
knowing II to be fact, that he alluded to you |
telegraphed you to ISSUE notices, form seventeen,
upon receipt of assessment list 80 as to make the
mode of inlrcing thu payment of taxes III arrears
uniform. This Is ali there is Of a matter about
which some noise has been made in the newspa-
ners. attached no importance TO the news.
paper statements because l knew that until
1t was definitely ascertained that time
was actually and unwarrantably given to the do
linquient taxpayers, there could be no ground for
whom 1t was claimed" that the grace OF ten
days was allowed, nor has the fact been shown to
this Office that such grnCo has ever been allowed
by any collector, nor has the direct charge been
made that any illegal Indulgence has been ex-
tended to taxpayers by any collector.
should have written to you upon the subject,
If J. had had any reason to suppose you,were
really violating any law, or had failed to dis.
charge your duty. was not charged that you
had done anything of the kind. and your name
was never mentioned though, as before stated, u
was suppo'ed from your proximity TO Collector
Case, yIn might be the person alluded to in his
dispatch, aud therefore the cautionary telegram
Of Dec. 10, 1855. was sent you. n
The newspaper article did not attract my atten-
tion, though II II had, knowing II to be entirely
Incorrect, should have given 1t no considera-
uon.
Copies of Collector Cases telegram to me, my
telegram to him, and my telegram TO you were
furnished TO one correspondent of the New York
Sun, and If he had published them, which he did
not, It would have been at once seen, somebody
drew q mountain OF conclusion from nolehill OF
premises. He did not publish any part of them
drawn the very unjust and erroneous inference
reached in some other dispatches TO the Sun,
The duty of this office is clear and di9tinct
Congress alone has the power to change the law
and extend or reduce the time in which taxes due
the government are TO be paid. and we have moth
ing whatever to do with This question. We mus
| execute the law in q becoming spirit, regardles:
alike OF the clamor or the abuse OF one side or the
other.
/ need hardly add that as q matter of course any
person who understands the first letter in the al
phabet of the internal revenue laws Will perceiye
the manifest absurdity OF the statement OF the cor
| respondent that whisky was taken out Of bond
without the payment Of the lax.
| Any person of the smallest information upon the
subject would know the statement to be ridcu
lously absurd
| Whisky cannot be so removed, except by force
or larceny and the few cases especially provided
| by law.