The Washington herald., 1911-01-15
UNCLE SANS WHISKY BILL ANNUALLY INCREASING
DESPITE THE PROHIBITION LAWS IN MANY STATES

| mentation Of fruits. The farmer, it was
said. pressed cider from apples and paid
no tax. Logically. he should be permit
ted to press wine from grapes. Conse-
quently beverages made from apples,
grapes. peaches, pears, cherries, prunes.
figs. and berries are not taxable. but
| when alcohol is added the beverage be-
| comes brandy and as such is taxable.
but not at the rate of $1.IO a gallon, as is
| the law with respect to whisky.
'The first tax on intoxicating liquors
was laid in the eighteenth century. Doc
| trinaliy, the Democratic party was op-
posed to internal taxation, but such
| taxes were regularly authorized as war
measures. In 1853, during the war be-
tween the North and South. spirits, fer
mented liquors. and Wher things were
taxed that money might be obtained for
the support OF the national government
The tax on spirits. beer, and tobac eco has
been collected ever since. There is also
tax on oleomargarine, and last year
Congress voted a tax on certain kinds of
corporations. For the year 1911 we esti-
mate that our collections will amount to
SOS 100000 - $2S3. 100000 from spirits. fer
mented liquors, tobacco, and oleomarga-
rine and $25.OOO,Oo0 from corporations"
You have asserted" said. that
there has been an increase of Illicit dis
tlling. especially where Statewide pro-
hibition laws have been enacted"
Liquors have been outlawed in Geor-
gia. They can neither be made nor sold
In that State. However. there is more
moonshine' whisky produced in Georgia
than anywhere else. Indeed, throughout
all the great region extending from
Western Pennsylvania to the southern
rim nj Illicit HictiI1pov ic
ried on constantly. The Allegheny. Blue
Ridge. and Cumberland mountains con-
tain many stills hidden away in almost
inaccessible places. George Washington
had to call out several thousand militia
men to put down the whisky rebellion
that occurred in Western Pennsylvania
during the year 1874. Gov. Lee. of my
State. commanded the troops and
marched against the men who openly re-
fused to pay the excise tax on stills and
distilled spirits.
Were Hardy and PiOus Men.
THE insurrectionists. as they were
called. We're hardy and pious men. They
were of Scotch-Irish blood lived in log
furs over the mountains on horses to
Philadelphia and Baltimore. and rode
twenty miles to hear the gospel preached
III tIc "otNS VII rye
became the principal crop of their
stumpy little fields in the forests 1t
could not be sold al home because there
were no stores or warehouses. 4 horse
could carry but four bushels TO market
The distance was very long and the way
up hill and difficult.
when the rye was converted into
whisky a horse could carry the equiva-
lent of twenty-four bushels to Baltimore
OF Philadelphia. Moreover. there was a
manufacturer's profit for the farmer.
Old Monongahela. as the whisky was
known. became the one important prod
uct Of Western Pennsylvania and was
traded for sugar, salt, and iron. Nat
urally the excise tax was resisted. An
honorable and necessary business, in the
view of the pioneers, was threatened
with destruction.
THE descendants Of the rebels Of 1894
are living to-day in the mountains of
Virginia. and some Of the
States OF the South. They contentiously
hold to the principles of their ancestors
Intelligent men will say: John Brown
takes his corn to the mill and has it
ground into meal. He carries his meal
home and makes it into bread. The gov
in Washington does not tax his
bread. II has no right TO tax his whisky |
also made of the corn of his fields and |
lntenOeO only LOT MS own use, or 10 be |
sold at his pleasure, as might be the |
case with his bread |
THE agents of the Federal government |
have incessantly battled against customs. |
and Unborn convictions, but |
Illicit distilling continues. We raded and |
1911 outlawed stills last year. !
They were small. of course. but in the |
aggregate could distill about 5000 gall |
Ions Of 'moonshine' whisky "A day. After !
the building of railways through their |
valleys the 'blockers.' meaning blockad- |
ers or .moonshiners.' withdrew to the |
hidden recesses Of their familiar noun |
tains. They locate necessarily on or near |
streams of water. Our agents follow the !
streams and find the stills. The hunt is |