The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1891-02-26
NATIONAL SOURCE OF TIE Ii.
QUOR EVIL.

orces have been raiding portions,
of that county committing tres
passes upon private property
and invading the homes OF peace
full unoffending people.
1t seems utterly impossible for
the government to suppress illicit
distillation and traffic in liquor,
Or to keep in the employ of its
service men of such capacity and
character as will not bring re-
proach upon thecountry; outrage
! and insult the common citizens
of our State.
| The internal revenue laws have
set foul stain upon the escutch-
con of the nation. The whole
record Of the past twenty-five
years is one of most dammable
disgrace. Why the infamy should
have been perpetuated a moment
longer than the neccessity-existed
for collecting the revenue tax, is
a matter the most surprising and
unaccountable.
This system of setting up and
maintaining an armed force OF
United States officials and agents,
over the people, amenable to no
local authority or restraint, but
commissioned to ride rough shod
over the populace; arrest with
out warrant, take without pre-
cess, cut, slash, slay, kill and. de-
stroy, at will, is fatal, to the
growth of the principles Of hui
man liberty, and destructive of
all respect for constituted au-
thority under the forms of law
prescribed for the maintenance
and preservation of American in
stitutions.
We are surprised that the NOR
al forces of the country have not
risen up and put down this dam
gerous and demoralizing internal
revenue system long ago. Every
man knows that it is the prolific
parent of crime in our State, and
in all communities. 1t encCura-
ges the liquor traffic, protects
those lawfully engaged in it, ard
fosters those who illicitly follow
it. 1t puts the premium on
crime high, by Offering a large
bounty to those who will com
nit it. 1t specially appeals to
the vicious, and demoralizes all
who fall under the shadow of its
baleful temptations.
The>very act of licensing one
distillery, watching and compel
ing it to pay the high tax for
manufacturing liquor, offers the
inducements for a dozen to en-
gage illicitiy in it for the money
that the margin between tax and
no tax appears to show SO easily
made. Men who never would
have thought OF going into the
manufacture of whiskey have
been impelled to doso because, to
escape the tax, secured ninety
cents a gallon, made clear at the
start.
We have the declarations of
prohibition protest filing the
air. The voice of the preacher
crying in the wilderness of sin
against theevil of the liquor traf-
fic ceasely echoes through the
land. But not one of them ever
stops to demonstrates against the
United States putting the seal OF
itsapproyal, a premium forerilne,
and the badge of its protection
upon the rum mills. They must
know that every liquor sellercar-
ries in his pocket his commission
from congress and the president
to make drunkards OF the youth,
widows Of the wives, orphans Of
the children, wretches and fiends
of the husbands and fathers of the
land. Is ts1 s.
Thet do not attack the evil in
the stronghold OF its national
source, demanding of thegovern-
ment that it discontinue its, ne
farious business Of hawking and
peddlingS liquor license. On the
contrary, whenever it is sugges-
ted that the internal revenue
system be stamped out OF exfs-
tence, up go their appealing
hands in holy horror atssuchsa
proppsitipn to turn loose ] free
|1iquolls - 100 s. - - 80