The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-29

guess is that some one or more of
the jury may die, in which event,
there would have to be mis-trial or
dered.
If the trial ever is concluded, and
the defendants should be convicted on
the evidence adduced and \oe law laid
down by Judge Boyd and his rulings
for the prosecution during the taking
of evidence as to the competency and
admissbility of testimony, a natural
question follows, which is vexing every
whiskey dealer in the United States,
who knows of this trial.
The distiller, rectifyer or distributor
wants to know: IF Old Nick" man
ufactured and sold from farm in
Yadkin county, where labor is cheap,
taxes small, rents nothing, and much
of the material obtained at lower
prices from the producer of it on ad-
jacent farms cannot be honestly dlS-
tributed at a higher price than my
product manufactured in a city where
heavy rents and taxes are paid, labor
high, material all bought and other
expenses proportionally higher. with
out mourning the avenging Nemesis of
the law what will become of us?'
Are All i'm the Mud?
1t stands to reason, in the light of
every witness introduced by the gov
eminent in this case, that "Old Nick
whiskey cost more than that of any
other distillers product in the mark
ct; that if it is "cOntraband all
others must be. Which means that
by the same process of evidence re-
sorted to in the case now in progress,
all that the district attorney has TO
do, is to get the name of every WINS
key distiller, rectifyer or dealer in the
United States, and convict them OF
defrauding the government on math-
ematical calculation. This Of course
means that unless the cold Nick is
singled out as a special shining mark
of prosecution or persecution, destruc-
ton or punishment, all other North
Carolina independent whiskey manu-
facturies will eventually have to go to
the penitentiary or to Jail, in addition
to n forfeiture of about all their
worldly possessions, and of course that
would mean clear and unchallenged
monopoly to the consolidated factories
of the West. known as the "Whiskey
Trust" which makes whiskey out Of
so called cheap grain by the millions
of gallons, and is so powerful no de-
termined, honest district attorney, like
Holton, could live for a cay in office,
after he had begun such an impertin-
ent inOuiSition into their most
private business and political affairs
and connections. Such an inquisition
as this into the affairs of the imree-
date friends and constituents of the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
himself would raise howl that would
be heard the oceans round.
Neither the district attorney nor the
Judge will hold up on this case and
give a square deal unless every Other
distiller, at least in this district is In
dicted and brought to bOok-to rail-
road agents and retail dealers book
at that The present defendants may
be guilty, may be SO adjudged fairly
legally, justly, which would mean that
they ought to be. But in the light of
what is being shown, it means that a.
should be fed out of the same spoon
and the business of whiskey manutac-
turing and distributing run out of the
State. and of course with that would
necessarily go the Revenue depart
ment and all it's we'll paid officials, in
Guiding almost the occupation of the
judicial department. That possibility
is TOO awful a one for ordinary subor-
dinate revenue officials in North Car
DINA Republicanism to contemplate.
And out of it all, the present trial
may be pregnant of big results In
more ways than one.