Evening star., 1925-05-24
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

= = ID
raids 30 years ago. as now. but OF
yrrL; different character He
WHISKY was going after the So
Ring. ca led whisky ring
which. formed in St
Louis in 1872 and grew two wears
later into national proportions. wa
defra uding the Government of the in
ternai revenue tax on distilled liquors
by coalition of dishonest revenue
ofncers and distillers. Investigations
which resulted in the Indictment Of
23S persons. showed that the Govern
ment had been defrauded of s1.65o.-
600 in 10 months. The Star Of Ma,
II, 1875, says of the current news re
gardinS the investigation
secretary BriStoW tSecretarv of
the Treasury and those operating
with him are quite reticent in regard
TO their respective movements. h,11
there is unmistakable evidence that
another blow is to be struck within ths
ensuing IS hours, the force of which
Will be felt in the East and in Ken
lucky. Today Secretary BristoIv
called on the ATTORNEY General and
afterwards on the President.
Within the past few days Mr.. Bris-
tow has received communications from
Eastern cities indicating to him that
he has hardly as yet broken the crust
of the formidable ring which he is
trying to put down. Offers have been
made him, contingent upon his CO.
operation with those making the
oners, to supply evidence which will
involve number of heretofore re
spectacle houses in PhiIadelphia New
ork, baltimore. Pittsburgh and else
where.
With commendahle forethousbt
| the Secretary has relieved the secret
service from any further active par.
tlclpation in the crusade. and has in
trusted to Mr.. Pratt. the new revenue
commissioner. the duty of arra Drinc
loT further seizures. Mr.. Wilson. the
sollcltor OF the department. was not
CHOSEN for the work that he Der.
formed in the recent raids. owing 10
remarkable aptitude he possessed
personally for conducting the same
put because he was the only availa BILE
man AT the time who could be used
ana owing TO the further fact that
lne secretary was at the time afrai
10 trust the revenue department. The
recent raids have developed who the
eIrclent and honest revenue agents
are, ana Mr.. Bristow has concluded
mat IT is even safer TO confide TO the
revenue department his further plans
tnan to trust the other force. who
nave too often, in the light of past ex-
perlence, been engaged in operations
not wholly creditable TO themselves
or the department employing them.
rivalry between the Baltimore and
ONO and Baltimore and Potomac Rail.
p,;Ir.al roads for Washington
AAoiiioeu traffic was keen so years
Rivalry, ago, and rate cutting
was started to the great
delight of patrons. of the lines. The
Star of May %, 1875, has the follow
ing on the subject:
There is no doubt that the reduc-
ton of rates between Washington and
Baltimore by the Baltimore and Po-
tomac road is diverting a large pro
portion of the travel to that line, and
it would seem that this harassing
mode of warfare upon the Baltimore
and Ohio road by its rival is entered
upon at a time when. by the recent
decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States upon the capitalization
tax question. ii is least able to com
pete for patronage by cutting under
the reduced rates. BY that decision
it has been definitely determined that
under existing laws the State of
Maryland is entitled to one fifth of all
the money received from passengers
from the Washington branch of the
Baltimore and Ohio road. and the COM
pany has been required TO pay over 10
the State the sum of $424.229 on ac-
count of receipts from passengers on
the Washington branch up to jan
uary l., 1870. The American is i'm
formed that Mr.. Garrett has always
been ready to pay the amount found
to be due on January l, 1870, on con
dition that the charter of the coRIs
pany should be so amended as to eX,
empt it from further demands on this
account. 1t certainly seems to be fair
and just that the Baltimore and Ohio
road should be relieved from this cap
itation tax. as the Baltimore and Po-
tomac road Is not burdened by a like
tax. Let the two roads be put upon
the same footing, and then we shall
have chance to see which is dis,
posed to do the most for the accom-
mediation of the public"