Year: 1878




Grand Jury.


The following is an extract of the
presentment OF the Grand Jury of
the United States Court, now at SEES
sion in Greenville: -. IL


"The enforcement of the Revenue
laws is matter OF great and special
importance to the people Of this sec
ton OF country. We are fully salts.
fed that their violation is confined
to narrow strip Of country through
the mountains, aud tho sentiment of
the great body Of the people is strong
ly averse to the violations of these
laws, and that a failure upon their
part to afford active cooperation in
the vigorous enforcement of these
laws is chiefly ascribable to the"mis-
conduct of some of the subordinate
officers, who have been charged with
the delicate duty of making arrests
and seizures. Some of these have
been discharged, and we are inform
ed that others will be; but we desire
to say that the Marshal and the Col
lector cannot be too careful in &C.
lecting lnen for these important. du-
ties, and should watch their conduct
as much as possible; for Of all the
officers these are the ones who come
most directly in contact with the
people, and by them and their con-
duct the course and policy of the
Government towards it's citizens is
Judged. >""H.


"We desire, in this connection, to
express our hearty approval and
commentator of the wise and beni-
fcent policy adopted by the Govern
ment towards this class of the viola-
tors ofeits laws.


ave trust that gratitude and honor
as well as proper regard for their
own interests, and the welfare of
their families, will cause these men
not only to abstain, themselves, in
the future from all participation in
violation of these laws, but to exert
themselves actively to persuade and,
if necessary, to compel all others 70
do so. The sympathies of great
many good citizens, who would not
themselves violate the law, have
been enlisted on behalf of their un.
fortunate neighbors, on account of
the hardships which they have suf-
tered, whether justly or not. But,
in our opinion, the nagnanimous
course OF the government should, and
we believe will have the immediate
effect OF determining all good citi-
zens actively to aid the Gvvernmen ent :
in snppresSing all violations of the
law, and will tend to promote that
spirit of obodiento to law without
which no community or neighbora
hood can be peaceful, prosperous
and happy.


eve have heard with pleasure
that the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue has sent q special and re-
liable agent to 60 through the rev..
enuo section of these upper counties
to explain the law to these people
and encourage them to engage les
gally in the business. The people
in the main who have engaged in
the business illicitly are ignorant ard
poor. They have not the means of
transporting their little surplus CT
crops to market to realize even en-
ough money to pay their taxes. To
distil it, 10 not only profitable and
affords better market, but converts
it into n more portable form, aud
these constituted great temptation
to Illicit business. When it is exS
planned to them that they can dis til
legally without iucurring an expense
beyond their means, we have no,
doubt that legal distilleries enough
will be established to remove this
tom ntat;nn ond fha Goyorn,oapt will