Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-28
INTERNAL REVENUE.
The whfskey Ring Getting It's Wori
Ina Queer St0ry.

The whfskey Ring Getting It's Work
INA Queer story.
There seems to be an inextricable tan
gle in the Republican party in this Slate
in relation to the appointment of the
Collector Of Internal Revenus. The
vignerons OF this saetion have organized
and are determined to take q hand in
the fight, go far at least as to prevent, if
possible, the nomination Of any man
who is inimical to the wine interest ard
willing to act as the tool Of the great
whiskey combine.
The story gees that some time ago,
when Mike De Young came out fat
footed against the appointment of VIM.
II. Sears, whom the California delega-
ton had favored, aud declared that it
would afiix an indelibls stigma on the
Republican party to nominate man
who had been forced 70 resign from the
Collectorship Of San Francisco for cause,
the leading lights Of the 9. o. p. got
their fat wits together in San Fran cisco
and tried to find an easy way out Of the
difficulty. Nike De Young waa no un-
important factor In the controversy. He
lp9t only controlled the columns
lot newspaper that was not
noted for its scrupulosity, bat he
was the member of the National
Republican COMMITTEES for this State, and
had signalized his admittsnce into the
highest circle of the Republican church
by special and gracious personal recep'
ton at the home Of the heir of his Grand
fathers Hat. 1t would not do to incur
the hostility of one who had been recog-
nized by Harrison, in the words of Ford
to Falstaff, as "a gentleman of excellent
breeding, admirable discourse, of great
admittance, authentic in place and per-
son wide, the statistics aEent Harrison'R
| course on the Chinese question that Mike
pulled on him in the Chicago Ccnven-
tiopl, and generally allowed for bis
learned preparations"
When the difficulty was in Its most
threatening shape, Dad" Briefly called
upon Senator Stamford, and with others
had an audience with that gentleman.
The Senator frankly confessed that the
situation was perplexing one, and that
he did not see how the Congressional
delegation would get out of it in good
form. 1t Is said that Father Briefly
always fertile in resources, came to HE
assistance by suggesting that the north
ern part of the State had controlled the
Internal Revenue Office right along, and
that it would only be fair to let Southern
California have a whack at it. whats
the matter" said the willy Briefly, In
a tentative way, with General Mans
field as flt person to fill that office ?"
The Senator's vieage frightened up
for he had evidently received hint tha
bore fruit, though not exactly of the kline
Briefly expected. With smile that Wal
child-like and bland, he beamed upor
the portly Assemblyman from LOS An
geles. and asked in his sweetest tones:
"What's the matter with Genera
Briefly for the position ?''
II That settled it. 'fDad" was touchet
in his softest point. He went forth from
that interview taller man by severa
inches than he ever measured before
The fatal cordial lad been instiIled into
him. "Vaulting ambition" Wat
dreaming the otiice Of Interna
him. From that hour he was candi
date and steersd his course in all things
to reach the dizzy goal. the magic
name of Mansfield" that had opened te
him the glorious vista that now over
shadowed all other sublunary things
was no more heard from his lips. VIVA
was Mansfield to him or he to Manefelt
that he should allow him to step in be
tween him and the giddy heights t
which his aspiring soul scared? All tn,
affectuosities Of his mighty brain wer,
now engaged in winding in and out o
the labyrinthisn intricacies of intriaui
and possibility that might lead to tn,
potentialities of the exalted position b,
so dearly coveted.
1t is, of course, not easy to follow ou
all the moves of so resourcefu. poll
tician as our esteemed friend in pavint
the way to accomplish his design. Bu
it is of record that when the vignerons o
Los Angeles met to organize with specia
reference to exercise their influence in
the reformation of this office, which
had heretofore been administered hos
tilely to the interests of the vineyardistt
and wine makers OF this State, Genera
Briefly was present and apologizsd fol
his inability to act with the organization
on the ground that it would be indecorou
in candidate for the office of Collecto,
to be one of its members. But in hi
most honeyeG accents he assured the
meeting that his sympathies were witt
Them, and that if he succeeded to tn,
office the sweet wine men could rely upoy
it that they would always have frient
in him.
i The strange part Of the affair is tina
"Dad" did not retire from the meetin,
after making his speech, for it was realls
q private trade meeting. He sat it out
however, and it seems that some of tn,
indiscreet members, in their Gallo ex
citation, let loose good many thing
that had better been left unsaid.
, II now appears that the whiskey rim,
have by some means got "pointers" or
the vignerons and are using them t.
their own advantage. That powerful
combine possesses strength at Washing
ton that has heretofore enabled it, if no
to dictate the nomination of Collector. a
least to control the Office in this State /,
its dealings with the wine men. Thi
has been seen in the espionage and har
rassments that the latter have been sub
jected to by the agents of the Interna
Revenue Bureau, and in many. way
which have only been too apparent t
the vignerons. III
There is shrewd euspicion out tina
the appointment of General Briefly viii
suit the whiskey ring. This is evidentl,
the attitude taken by the wine men, for
iduring the last few days their leader
: have haen vary huev II, Iood;re, th-, ,,,;-o