The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1906-01-19

sugar beets and other crops possessing
quantities Of starch and sugar, and at
the same time strike the Standard Oil
company a terrific body blow.
REPEAL INTERNAL TAX
The legislation alluded to looks to
the repeal of that section of law which
levies an internal revenue tax of s2.O7
a gallon on alcohol for use in the arts,
etc. Europe has already discovered
the wisdom of legislation Of this char
acter, and, in France and Germany
especially, the manufacture of dena-
turized alcohol has been carried on for
several years with astonishing success.
The result is that it is impossible for
American manufacturers of certain
lines of goods, such as drugs, drug
gists' sundries, ETC., to compete in this
country with the foreign trade. In
Europe the alcohol used nthese goods
is free of tax, while here the $2.O7 per
gallon is levied.
BY the ~denaturizing process, the al
cohol is mixed with a certain per cent
age of wood alcohol, or some similar
product, thus rendering it poisonous
and therefore unfit for use as a bever-
age. This denaturizing will, Of course,
be done under the immediate direction
OF the revenue officers of the govern
ment, and will be rigidly safeguarded
SO as to prevent any improper use of
the product. There is now no provi-
sion in the revenue laws by which al
cohol may be used in the arts and in
manufacture without the payment of
the regular revenue above referred to.
The legislation required will provide
that alcohol, after distillation, shall
be poisoned, and then that the revenue
shall be removed.
MARsHALL's EFFORTS
Representative Marshall has been
giving this question careful attention
for q number of months. He had sew
eral conferences in this city before the
holidays, and during the present week,
at which there were present, in addi-
tion to himself, Representatives Hill
of Connecticut, and Murdoch of Kan
sas, and certain capitalists of the New
England states, the latter being anx-
ious to furnish all the money that will
be needed to equip as many large al.
cohol distilleries in the northwest as
will be needed to take care of any
crops the farmers may raise with a
view to %furthering this new industry.
1t is the plan of the gentlemen to take
up the work Of an active campaign at
ono Petitions will be circulated
over the country. for general sigma
ture, asking congress to enact the de-
sired legislation, and other petitions
will be put into circulation with a
view to having them sent to certain
members Of the two houses from vot-
ers along by about Feb. 20, to justify
a meeting on that day of the ways and
mean committee to consider the pro-
pO6eQ legislation.
STANDARD OIL OPPOSITION
The chief opposition to the legisla-
ton will probably come from the
Standard Oil company, which always
has friends in congress. The manu.
facture On a large scale of denaturized
alcohol in the United States, free of
revenue duty, for commercial purpos-
es, would cut tremendously into gaso.
lene and kerosene consumption, just
as it has done in Great Britain.
France, Germany, Belgium, Holland
and Austria. In the countries named
this alcohol is rapidly taking the place
Of gasolene for fuel, power and light,
and the place Of kerosene for light. It
is much safer than either Of these
older products. is cheaper, and not Of
fsnsive to the smell.