The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-17
Hon. N. F. Acers.

Ever since the appointment Of Hon
Acers to the Office of Internal Revenue
Collector, the republican press has been
bowling and growing, all for the rea-
son that he is making good and faith
full officer and will not be led to betray
Che trusts of the Office by the whims
and curiosity of few meddlesome peO-
pie. And upon this subject we take
pleasure in commencing the following
sensible remarks of the Leayenworth
Standard to the careful attention of all
such fault finders and ask them to be
fair in their criticism:
1.-THE Republican press OF the state
has of late been Indulging in much Sc
we're censure and criticism OF the way
Collector Acers conducts the collector, S
shice. The idea conveyed by their edl-
torials are Outrageously unfair and I'M
Just and are calculated to prejudice Mr..
Acers with all who read them, II they
have no other knowledge Of the subject
than that conveyed in the articles reIeT-
red to.
These Republican editors labor to
convince their readers that Nh. AceIS
has wantonly violated the law and all
regulations of his department, II de-
slining to allow persons to examine the
records of his office, and in refusing to
furnish information concerning parties
who hold tax stamps as dealers III H.
toxicating liquors in this state.
The collector is a subordinate OF the
treasury department and is governed
by regulations of his department, which
with any decision or instruction OF the
commissioner Of internal revenue In
any special case, are to him imperative
orders which he can in no way change
or modify.
Since Collector Acres took charge of
his Office in June, numerous persons
have been impOrtuning and eXactlng
from him information he was not au-
thoriZed to give, as to the names and
locations of persons selling liquor.
These demands became SO numerous,
intolerable and annoying that he finally
felt called upon to present the matter
to Commissioner Miller, which he did.
LII OClODCl ldOG llC CluSOO lllC 4OblN4 VI
the commissioner to be published, that
all parties might be advised fully as to
what information could or could not be
obtained at his Office. The cOmmissl-
oner's letter contained among other
statements the following:
"You are hereby directed not to furnish certi-
hed copies or any copies of returns on form IL,
nled In your office, or any list OF persons holding
special tax stamps as retail liquor dealers, ETC.,
In your district, and in answer to a subpoena
duces tecum you will decline to produce these
papers or other records"
1t would seem then that any fair
minded person would not expect Mr..
Acers to do otherwise than as ordered,
but still the editors of some of the Re
publican papers either from ignorance
of the facts or from malice continue 20
falsely represent the matter to their
readers.
Under the law the alphabetical list"
which contains the names, locations,
ETC., of all persons holding special tax
stamps as retail liquor dealers, &c, is
subject to public inspection, and while
Collector AcerS by explicit order Of the
commissioner cannot furnish list Of
such retail liquor dealers, and has de-
clined to do SO, there is nothing to pre-
vent over prohibition friends from go
ing to his Office and gaining such infOr-
nation by constructing and copying
from the alphabetical list exactly
what Mr.. Troutman, secretary of the
Kansas State Temperance Union has
already arranged to do.
The collectors Office now is conducted
under precisely the same regulations
and in the same manner so iar 80 The
matter about Which 50 much ado is be-
ing made as ii was under Col. CarpoH-
ter during his seven years management
of the office, then why is it our RepUb-
lican prohibition friends are making so
much fuss? Can it be because Col.
Acers is a Democrat? Or are these
Republican editors making these
charges without having informed them
selves in regard to the facts in the
case?r