The Breckenridge news., 1906-07-11
Frymire, Ky.

VI e'AAs DDh CNAAoCh hBCA bhO DAODCcA'
tion to tax rectifiers OF whiskey, and
also critIci sing the News for support
ing Mr.. johnson, we have but to say
that Mr. Dodscn seems not to know
tnst the question was not "To tax or
not to tax the rectitiers, but was
solely question as how to most Ger
tainly tax them. There was not a
member of either branch Legislature
who ever showed the hghtest disposi-
tion not to tax them. The question
was never, a nd can not be, one of In.
terest to the temperance cause, was
so regarded py all, and the vote shows
that democrats republicans, whisKey
men and temperance men mixed up
and voted as they thought best.
One plan was 10 compel the rectifers
to pay a gIa ded license, annual tax,
ranging between $3.50 year for the
small houses and S35OO year for the
larger ones. The other plan was TO
compel them to pay tax of one and
a quarter cents upon each gallon recti-
fed. The only question was which
plan would bring the larger amount of
revenue. During the preceding year,
as shown by the books OF the Federal
Government, there were ten millions
of gallons rectihed in Kentucky.
UnoeI the tax of cent and a quarter
d gallon, the revenue would be S125,
900. In KentucEy there were then
seventy-one rectifiers under rne graded
license tax ranging between $3.50. 90
and $3500 90 the revenue would a.
mount to $75, OOO. 90 and the reotifiers,
big and little, slgnihed tneii willing
ness to pay it. Whereas, they, es-
pecially the larger ones, saId they
could not, as business proposition
afford to pay it, prefering to leave the
State. OF the sveenty one Iectitiers
in, the State, sixty-nIne had their
plants located within a quarter of
mile OF the State line. OF the remain
ing two, one IS located at Frankfort
and the other at Lexington. A rectifi-
er's plant is nothing whatever ike
distillery. IL consists only of tank
into which wniskles OF different ages,
spirits, coloring matters and such
other ingredients as they Use are empt-
led and mixed. Then this d ixtuIe is
drawn OFT, put into barrels and bottles
and sold. 1t would be expensive to
move distiIleIy, but it Is not expen-
sive TO move rectltier's plant. Or
the ten millions gallons rectlfi-d In
Kentucky, last year, mole than half
was made by five OF six men. If few
OF these larger ones leave the State,
leaving only the smaller ones, tbs gal
Ion tax Will not amount to as much a.
the graded license tax. Already Walsh
IL Co, OF Covlngton, have gone to
Lawrenceourg. Ind. 1t is stated that
the tax of this one concern under the
gallon tax would amount to over
thirty thousand dollars year in Ken
lucky ana to less than $500 q Year In
Indiana. Thus tae diffeInece in ten
y ears to this one concern alone would
amount to great fortune of more
than q quarter of million dollars. or
coure, he moved and now pays Ken
tue ky no taxes at all, while his
whiskey is coming back across the
State line and scattered over our State
Just as unrestricted as if rectified and
taxed In this State If only two or
three Others of the larger ones move,
the revenue derived under the gallon
tax will be less than that which would
have been gathered if the graded
license tax had beer adopted
The editor OF the News had made
up his mind to support Mr.. johnson
without inquiry. He is pretectly salts
factory to the Anti-Saloon League of
Kentucky, and letter to DR.. q. W.
Young, Supt. OF the Kentukcy Legaue
will verify this statement. DR..
Young's address IS Louisville, KY.
Rev. Charles Anderson, pastor OF the
Baptist Church at Bar dstown, who In
augurated the local option fight in