Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-06

Minor scenes and Incidents. sketched
on the spot

Minor Scenes and Incidents sketched
on the SPOT.
Commissioner Of internal Revenue John
W. Nsrkes recently received a letter from
farmer who wanted 20 know II farmers
would be permitted to make alcohol on
their premises "as they manufacture
cheese" The commissioner replied that
there was no objection 20 a farmer making
alcohol in his backyard, provided he es-
tablished a distIliery there. This once"
said the commissioner, '1Inows OF no
processes by which alcohol can be manu-
featured except by distillation, and as
regular distilleries are the only kind rec.
ogniEed by law, alcohol manufactured un-
der the supervision OF this department
must be manufactured At regular distil-
leries. For your information, however, I
viii state that there IL nothing mysterious
or complicated about a regular distillery,
and that the manufacture Of distilled spir-
It's at q regular distillery r. probably
simpler than the manufacture OF cheese -
Instructions are given for the farmer
who wants TO make alcohol In his back
yard" He will be required to give bond
to prevent him defraudng the government
Of the tax on spirits produced by him.
He will be required to establish a dlstillery
warehouse and TO tax pay or denature, as
he may wish. the alcohol produced by him.
All Of this will be done under governmental
supervision, but the government pays for
supervision. The manufacturer Of alcohol
does not
'If you investigate" writes the commits
sioner. ''you will and that the manufac-
ture of denatured alcohol IL simply busi-
ness proposition, so far as the American
farmer Is concerned. and he will not be
deferred from the business by what you
term ridiculous red tape OF the regulations
and Instruction.. 4"
Representative Nicholas Longworth, son .
in-law Of the president. had some visitors
at his home at Eighteenth and streets.
'TIave a cigar" said Mr.. LOngworth,
wishing to do the honors of his home. He
went to his cigar humidor, a big, hand
some one that stands in his ONCE. ''I
have got some of the best cigars here you
ever smoked. You will enjoy them"
The door of the humidor was locked.
Mr.. Longworth searched through his peck
cts and could not find the key. He looked
on his desk. II was not there Then he
ran for the butler.
open that hum!dor. please" said Mr.
Longworth when the servant came in The
butler stood on one foot and then on the
other
beg pardon, SIR" he said, "but Mrs.
Longworth has the key to that case"
Secretary Bonaparte is Just now the OBJ
Ject Of more attention by that class of big
lawyers of the country who are employed
by the large corporations than is any other
member Of the cabinet, says the Washing
ton Herald. The reason is not far to seek.
In a few weeks he will be attorney general
of the United States and will personally
conduct the prosecution Of the Standard
OIL company and cases against other trusts
Of huge aggregation OF capital that arc
liable to be attacked by the administration.
Through their agents in Washington the
big corporations lawyers In all parts Of the
country are making careful inquiry into
the character. capacity and temporal quail
ties Of Mr. Bonaparte. They want to get
his measure before they have to face him
in court. The first thing they will learn
of him is that he is an artistocrat in feel
ing and department. He is too proud 10
be bossed and too cynical to be fooled.
No Interest" or no person does or can
control him. He does his own thinking
and a very clear article of thought his
mental machinery turns out, too, with
barbs Of wit and sharp edges Of cynicisni
that infiict smarting wounds on the adver-
sary who arouses his ire Mr. Bonaparte
has never had large Law practice, be-
cause he has been too busy with his own
AFFAIRS, but he Is a lawyer of profound
learning. great industry and a genius for
detail. Whether he Is ambitious or not, in
the sense that most men who get into
high office in the United States are, is a
question which even the very few persons
who are his intimates are able to answer.
They give it as their opinion that he would
rather be attorney general than president,
and that with his natural hatred Of vulgar
and greedy rich men he will prove terror
to every trust magnate in the country who
comes under that head.
For a good many years Speaker Cannon
l. 10 hut h.