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BAlNBRIDGE, GEORGIA, MARCH, 30 1876-
Number 2ft
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1 jjcf Cmpriiimr tM
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The <tstc Democratic Executive Com-T -—
I_ iff haring named the 26th of April, as
I,proper day for district conventions to
e *f. to appoint delegates to the national
I -yaiocnilic Convention, at St. Louis, on
•yjTth of June, you are requested lo,
•S county meetings at such times an|j
. itti a« may seem to you most conveo- ara re *dy toj het f that half the
— for ** - d " 1 iSSSflffESfS&JZ
- i: ----- -•* '
■atUia
I ^ to said District Convention.
kch county will he entitled to double
I (amber of votes of its Representation
jj at House, but may send as many dele
ft as desired.
The Stale Executive Committee also
a resolution requesting the District
I nvention to name four delegates and
or alternates, for the State at large, to
National Presidential Nominating
■jnrrntion. Your county delegates will
I atreforc have this duty to perform, in
I tidiiion to the selection of two delegates
,:d two alternates to represent the Second
3£resaional District.
finding it impracticable to harmonize
Committee on any one place for the
..v-mliling of the Convention, the Cliair-
• ,n follows custom and invites you to
: -vi in Albany on the dijr named.
D. A. Vas*.
Cli. Dem. Ex. Com., 2d Con. Dis.
T'n- following gentlemen compose the
| I' ; .-trict Committee:
judge D. A. Vason, '’halnnan.
M m. Arthur Hood, Randolph.
J! m. it. Simmons, Terrill,
i ,;>i James II. Spence, Mitchell.
Mr A. L. Hawes, Raker.
Mr C. M. Davis, Calhoun.
Col. K. E. Kennan, Clny.
<•..> 15. F. Whittington, Berrien.
Mr John Tucker, Colquitt,
lion. I. A. Rush, Miller.
Ur J. \V. Mercer, Quitman.
Col. i5. II. Robinson, Early.
(ol. W, U. Fleming. Decatur.
f<il. A. P. Wright, Thomas.
Cr»|. p. 15. Whittle, Lowndes.
It ia. It. U. Jenkins, Worth.
Hon. II (J. Turner, Brooks,
trPapers in the District will please
amt.
D. A. Vason, Chairman.
ittAutioAT t:\ccitsroN to apalacmicola.
Th< r« will he a steamboat excursion
tvl.-r the auspices of the Bainbridgc Cor-
i-t ilund fnrm Bainbridgc to Apalachlco-
a or about the 27th of April prox.
T ip steamer will be absent on the trip
stove days. Distance from Bainbridgc to
Apalachicola 250 miles. The excursion
will he most delightful. The rate of pas-
will not be over $6 per ticket for the
round trip, and probably less. Parties
| rho desire to go on this trip are requested
to communicate with the undersigned as
*«n as passible. Newspapers along the
; ulf Road would confer a favor by copy-
this.
Ben E. Russell,
Ed. Democrat.
At the request of Col. Carey W. Styles,
n take great pleasure in publishing the
annexed card:
To Mexican Veterans.
Having been appointed, by Gen. TV. S.
'Talker, President of the Association of
Mexican Veterans for Georgia. Chairman
of the Committee to collect unwritten in
cidents, facts and matters of interest con
nected with the campaigns to the city of
the Aztecs, I respectfully invite contribu
tions from vetraus everywhere, but more
especially from residing in South Caroli-
na and Georgia. Short letters, detailing
incidents, facts, circumstances and inter
esting events, personal and otherwise, will
he thankfully received, and carefully com
piled and printed for the Association.
Georgia and Carolina papers will please
copy.
Caret TV. Styles,
Albany, Ga.
Bainbridqe, Ga., March 30,
AB^NG QUA NEIGHBORS.
The Jacksonville (Fla.) Union says
that tho Georgia Delegation to thft
Florida State Fair was presented by W.
0. Malony of Key West, with a -num
ber of the tropical .products of this sec
tion. which are to he placed on exhibi
tion ia the Agricultural Museum of
Georgia. Among the articles is a cot
ton plant, fully matured, planted in
November last; specimen limits and
fruit fh>m a cotton-tree seven years old;
tpecimens of the eisal and samples of
the hemp produced therefrom ; and co-
'wnst trees in different stages of boar-
and maturing.
speech on the pension bill, have not read
that speech at all, and don't know really
what Mr. Hill said on that occasion.
Brother Fleming, of the Blakely News,
says he is not a preacher, and we have no
reason to doubt his word.
To Harris, Triplett, McIntosh, Pendle
ton, Evans, Brown, Kayton, Hansell,
Davies, Tucker, Sawtell, Fleming, greet
ing. Come up and go with us on the
Boat Excursion. Every one of you bring
your wife and children. Lager on the
boat.
McIntosh says he will support to the
‘•bitter end” a'farmer for the Legislature
next time from Brooks county. Of course
that will settle the matter, and lawyers
and others had just as well shut up and
prepare to take a back seat.
The success of rice culture in Thomas
county has led to the erection of two rice
mills. .Common pine upland which will
not make more than seven or eight bush-
•is of corn, will yield twenty bushels of
rice, and the latter is worth more per
bushel than tlie former.
Poor Cuthbert. She has a hard time of
it. Between smoke house burglars and
hog thieves, she has a mighty slim chance.
The Sumpter Republican, Dawsou
Journal, Lumpkin Independent, Early
County News, Cuthbert Appeal, Fort
Valley Mirror, state that they received no
“ethics” ou the Joe Brown lease.
Cuthbert Messenger: One day last
week a Mr. Coleman from the 5th dis
trict of this oounty, brought a lot of nice
country raised bacon to town for sale,
and was offering it at 121 cents by the lot,
hams, shoulders and sides. When asked
how he could raise meat at that price, re
plied that he didn't buy guano and corn
to make cotton, but raised his own sup
plies, and thus kept independent, out of
debt and happy, lln didn’t care whether
they resumed specie payment or not, or
what laws they passed just so they didn't
cosliscatc what he hail.
Fort Gaines has military oil the bram.
\Ve want to be placed ou the record as
not opposed to the Slate Road Lease. We
think, the lease a good lluug for the State,
but wc object to the manner of obtaining
it.
Some prisoners attempted to break jail
the other night in Quituiun, hut John
Thrasher filed an injunction.
It is the opinion that the cold snap has
murdered the fruit crop of * Southwest
Georgia.
Cuthbert—fire—Sunday night—Mr.
Harris’ kitchen—loss $300—cause un
known.
A firm in Columbus proposes to test
the right of a municipal corporation to
tax persons selling goods by sample. The
decision of this questiou will interest all
the municipalities of the State.
A cyclone passed through Worth coun
ty one day last week.
Albany will have some colored mins
trels in a few days.
Albany News: Mr. Fabein Thomas
who runs the Clanton Place, in tliisooun-
ty, says that Buil-Bms are the best and
most efficient destroyers of caterpillars of
all the insectiverous birds in thiscouutry,
—English Sparrows to the coutriuy not
withstanding. Mr. Thomas says that he
has often sat on his fence and watched
these birds fly up between cotton rows
shake the flies out from the leaves with
their wings and then return and catch and
cat them. The number destroyed by one
Bat iu so short a time he says, is astou-
ishing.
A Famous Bribe.—The Postmas
ter General has received the fol owiug
letter from Chi’.licothe, Ohio ; “I
would like to obtain a situatir n ia the
mail department on the Sciota Valley
Railroad, now in the course of con-
stiuction, and which is nearly comple
ted. I will give $100 fo. the position.
Can also furnish good security as well
as the best of refereuces.
A gentleman from one of our fron
tier towns, where a man who does not
get drank is subjected to social ostra
cism, subscribed to three copies of our
weekly, because we made an item of
his having been fined before the Re
corder. If we had mentioned his hav
ing been indited for bucking at faro,
during bia-brief stay in town, he would
have presented us with a suit of clothes-
Congressman Lamar is very seriously
ill, and will return to his home for the
present. Hit absence will prove a
severe ; loes -to the. Democratic side of
the ftouse.
Bristow is now on the ragged edge,
and no one can ^uess his fate. Be is
no* before the committee.
nue Laws.
SPEECH OF
. B. GORDON
GEORGIA, IN THE
OF THE U. S. STATES-
MARCH 9, 1876.
Hr. Gordon. I ask now that* the reso
lution offered by me a few days ago be
taken up, that I may offer an amendment
and submit-some remarks.
The President pro tempore. The resolu
tion and amendment will be read.
The Chief Clerk. The following is the
resolution submitted by Mr. Gordon on
the 7th instant.
Resolved, That the Committee on Fi
nance be instructed to ascertain, if possi
ble, what amendments to our revenue laws
are necessary to secure economy and cer
tainty in the collection of internal revenue,
and prevent the recurrence of official
frauds in that branch of the public ser
vice.
The amendment now offered is to make
the resolution read:
Whereas the frequent enormous frauds
committed by distillers and Government
officials have deprived the Government of
a large proportion of its legitimate reve
nue and brought disrepute upon an im
portant branch of the public service, and
whereas the interests of the people and
the good name of the Government demand
that Congress shall take immediate steps
to so amend the laws as to secure econo
my and honesty in the collection of the
internal revenue: Therefore,
Resolved, That the committee on Finance
be instructed to ascertain, if possible,
what are the defects in the present sys
tem, and what legislation is necessarry to
remedy these defects; and especially to
inquire—
First. Whether it be advisable to so
amend the laws as to levy the whisky tax
directly upon the capacity of the ferment
ing tubs and require it to be col.ccted in
advance; and,
Second. To create a corps of exercise
to hold office indefinitely, removable only
for incapacity or malfeasance in office.
Mr. Gordon. Mr. President—
The President pro tempore. The Chair
will advise the Senator that he lias about
one miuute before the expiration of the
morning hour.
Mr. Gordon. By consent of the chair
man of the committee reporting the bill
tiiat was made the special order for to-day,
I am permitted to goon with my remarks.
If the Senate will so consent, I will now
proceed.
The President pro tempore. Is there ob
jection? The Chair hears none.
Mr. Gordon. Mr. Presidsnt, the reso
lutions which have been read propose a
radical change in the revenue laws. It is
proper, therefore, that I should briefly
explain the reasons and the necessities, as
I conceive them, for such a change. Let
me, however, disclaim in advance any
purpose to reflect upon the heads of the
Revenue or the Treasury Department.
My purpose is to deal with the system
alone and with its administration, to show
that it is’not only defective, but that it ia,
and must continue to be, unless material
ly altered, a breeder of frauds.
The amendments which the resolution
suggests aro in the interest of honesty, of
economy, of reform. Had they been
adopted three years ago they would have
compelled even Joyce to act like an hon
est man, the distillers to pay the tax, aud
would have made the “whisky ring” an
impossibility; and, had they been incor
porated as a part of our revenue laws
some years previous to that, when the
whisky tax was first imposed, they would
have saved to the Government enough of
fraudulently-withheld or stolen money to
pay the cost of a hundred centennials or
to build a Pacific railroad not only to
California, but almost around the world,
had there been land to sustain it.
These statements may seem extravagant
or be startling, but I shall prove from of
ficial data that they are true. And, sir,
if these statements approximate the truth,
I ask in what department of Government
is there a louder or more iraporativj de
mand upon us for immediate and wise
and energetic legislation. Now, sir, to
the proof. I believe Mr. Fessenden is
universally esteemed as standing in the
very front line of Secretaries of the Treas
ury. In his official report for 1864 he uses
this language:
The annual yield of our distilleries has
been about one hundred millions of gal
lons.
He further says on the same page, 59:
Experience in other countries has prov
ed that the rate of duty, unless far beyond
the highest prescribed by our law, does
not seriously affect consumption.
I wish to sustain Mr. Fessenden on
these points by later official authority.
Commissioner Pratt by his report for 1875
furnishes us the data by which we are
able to ascertain that in the yoar 1870,
notwithstanding the well-known and enor
mous frauds which have always been per
petrated under these laws, fully seventy-
seven and a quarter millions of gallons
of spirits were warehoused upon which
the Government received the revenue.
He also sustains Mr. Fessenden on the
other point:
The amount of spirits actually consum
ed has not varied during these years, not
withstanding the changes in the law fix
ing the amount of tax.
And he adds:
The demand is as steady as the appetite
to be fed is fixed and exacting.
If Mr. Fessenden was right in 1864. that
the annual production of oar distilleries
.utrtrtd wfflldM tff t&mi, bad
if both be and the Commissioner are cor
rect in the statement that the rate of taxa
tion does aotm*teri*lIy change the amount
of production, I think that I can prove
beyond controversy that the statement
with which I set out is not extravagant.
Mr. Fessenden’s statement that nor pro
duction was one hundred million gaBmis
it mast be remembered ia now tot abort
of the truth; for since that repoj. not only
has our population largely inenuned, but
the entire Southern States have barn add
ed to the consumers and prodiWwSr’Tlat
taking even this amount as the basis of
calculation, it demonstrates a fraud of
such Himalayan height and proportions
as absolutely to hare appalled me when I
first fell upon its traiL What is itf If we
have manufactured but the one hundred
million gallons per annum from 1864 to
the present time, we have had due to the
Government the taxes upon one billion
three hundred millioa gallons in the thir
teen years in which this tax has been im
posed, the tax varying from twenty cents
to $3 per gallon. By a simple calculation,
for which any school-boy is competent, it
will be seen that we should have received
into the Treasury up to the termination of
last fiscal year $ 1,3d),09J.000. How much
has t>csn received? Let Commissioner
Pratt state: “Four hundred and eighty
nine millions;” say, in round numbers,
four hundred and ninety millions, less the
cost of collection, or, net, aboilt four
hundred and fifty millions. Deduct this
amount from the twelve Hundred and six
ty millions, and we have at once the co
lossal fraud of $330,000,003. But appall
ing as this sum is, it becomes almost in
significant when we take into considera
tion the fact, which we must, that since
then, as I have before said, not only has
our population increased, but the entire
Southern States have been added to the
producers and consumers, and the addi
tional fact, which all experience proves,
that the consumption of spirits, like the
aggregation of all other sins, multiplies
with the increase of population. If we
take, I say, these facts into consideration,
we shall find that we have had perpetrat
ed a fraud of more than one thousand
millions of money; and I defy successful
refutation of the statement. It has
reached, perhaps. $1,200,000,000 of
money. W tie re is it, sir? Has it gone
into the pockets of the consumers? - Not
at all, for tho price which the consumer
has paid has varied but little whether the
tax was twenty cents or $3 per gallon.—
Where is it? Gone. This gigantic sum
of money, which was due to the Govern
ment, h is gone into the pockets of dis
honest distillers, or, what is infinitely
worse, into the pockets of dishonest Gov
ernment officials, sunk in individual and
official corruption, in political and nation
al demoralization aud disrgace.
Now, Mr. President, it gives me no
pleasure to bring these ugly facts before
the Senate and the couutry. I have but
one object, and that is, if possible, to ar
rest the attention of the country and of
Congress, that we may at once proceed to
ascertain the defects which make such
frauds under our revenue system possible
and apply the remedy.
What are these defects? Let me
point them out so plain that they cannot
be mistaken. In organizing our system
we have plagiarized largely from Great
Britain; we have incorporated into our
system very many of her provisions, but
I am bound to say that we have stolen the
shadow anil left the substance. We have
set up the body of her system, but we
have proceeded to knock the very breath
out of it by refusing to incorporate her
methods far securing honest men to ad
minister it. Great Britain collects $3.50
per gallon on the production of her dis
tillers without the shadow of suspicion
evenjipou her revenue officers. We can
not collect twenty cents in greenbacks,
'and when we attempted $3 in greenbacks,
we lost it all, or at least about nine-tenths
of it. Such is the official record.
Why is this? Why is it that under a
similar syste m England can collect ten
times as much in gold per gallon as we
can ia greenbracks? There is some reason
for it, Mr. President. What is that rea
son? I wish, when I utter this truth, it
could be heard all over this land ; for it
is a great truth. The reason is this-. Eng
land appoinfi her officers solely to collect
her taxes, while here they are appointed
to collect the taxes and to aid thu party
which happens for the time to have the
appointing power. (Applause in tha gal
leries.]
The President pro tempore. Order!
Mr. Gordon. Mr. President, is that
true? Let me repeat: the efficiency of the
English system depends upon the efficien
cy and the honesty of her revenae agents;
while the inefficiency of our system de
pends upon the inefficiency and the dis
honesty of oar officials. What! Are En
glishmen honest and Americans dis
honest? Sir, I resent any such imputa
tion. It is not true. Bat it is true that
the officers ef the English excise do not
steal the English revenue; while, as we
all know—the melancholy fact stands
boldly out before os—the officers of the
American excise do appropriate Ameri
can revenue.
Let me repeat the question again. Why
ia this? It ia, as I said before, because
England has bat one motive in selecting
I her officials, while we % dbqhle QM.
{ do My 8** »*««»** **•«*■»»’*•
necessity of removing her revenue officers
from the temptations and coemptions of
party that they are forbidden to belong to
any political organization, and a vote by
one of them for a member of Parliament
would send him in disgrace from the ser
vice. fibre not only may he belong to a
party, bat ho must belong to a party and
to Ae party front whom he holds his com
mission. Not only may ho vote, but he
must vote, and vote for the party and
work for the party and pay for the party;
and, if he rettfse to vote, and Work and
pay for the party, his official bead falls
into the basket.
Sir, before one of England’s citizens is
considered competent to hold the very
lowest position in her revenue service, he
most be nominated by the treasury, ex
amined by boards of officers, pat out to
tuition, and re-examined as to qualifica
tions and character. This, I say, is re
quired for the applicant for the lowest
office before he can step upon the first
round of the official ladder, with a salary
almost contemptible in amount and with
duties less important than those of an or
dinary clerk. But what is the case here?
A political partisan, without any expe
rience, without any training, without any
examination, often, alas, without any
qualifications save the influence he can
bring to the party, steps at once upon the
topmost round of the ladder; is clothed
with inquisitorial power; sent forth upon
his mission for the party and trusted with
untold millions of the people’s money and
the Government revenue.
But not yet is Great Britain's revenue
officer considered worthy the poet of a
collector. He must servo a satisfactory
period before he is promoted to the
second position. Mot yet can he become
even an examiner nntil he has served his
government as long as Jacob waited for
Rachel aud equally as devotedly. Still
England refuses to regard him as compe
tent to the high duties of a collector.
Three more years must he serve,and even
then can only be promoted upon unchal
lenged merit and upon examination and
re-examination as to his accounts,as to his
capacity, as the character he has borne
throughout all his service, and the smal
lest stain upon his reputation is fatal to
his preferment.
Such, sir, is England’s, method of se
curing bOHeST and competent agents.—
Hence, Mr. President, her revenues are
collected, her agents are proverbially
honest, her politios are free from these
revenue corruptions, and the reputation
of the government from these official
stains. But under our methods of select
ing these officers, our agents are not pro
verbially honest, our politics are debauch
ed by revenue officials, and the reputation
of our Government _ stained by revenue
frauds. I wish it were not necessary to
this argument to draw this damaging con
trast any further. Perhaps it is not; per
haps each for himself will draw it plain
ly and painfully enough. Perhaps it is
not necessary for me to say that undfer
England’s system of selecting nonparti
sans and enforcing her laws her taxes are
collected; that under our system of ap
pointing partisans and not enforcing the
laws our taxes are evaded; that under her
system the taxes go into the coffers of the
government; under ours they go largely
into the pockets of the. vampires of the
Government. Under her system of se
lecting honest men, non-partisans, this
revenue system is a success!, the pride of
her people, and the glory of that island.
Under our system of selecting
partisians to administer it, it is fa
mous only from (failure aad conspicu
ous only from crime. It is the shame of
the people and the disgrace of the country
that so mafay of its officers have become
embezzlers of the revenues.
Perhaps it may not be necessary to say
these things; but it is necessary to my
argument to repeat that as long as parti
sans are selected, by whatever party may
be in power to collect the revenues, we
shall have these officials who hold the
commission of this Government corrupt
ing our politics and bringing disrepute
upon the service. Yon may multiply
your restrictions and your penal enact
ments indefinitely; you may increase your
Tice meters, and your hydrometers, and
your saccharometers; yon may double
your diligence and quadruple y our agents;
bqt as long as it cau be predicated of your
system that your agents are appointed be
cause of tneir political influence, so long
will dishonest distillers bribe dishonest
officials, and party exigencies corrupt
these party agents.
Mr. President, it will not do to say that
Joyce and McDonald are in the peniten
tiary and that yon will no longer appoint
diehoneet men to collect the revenue. My
friend from Ohio said the other day that
if specie payments were never resumed
nntil the republicans appointed honest
men to oolleet the whisky tax, resump
tion waa postponed forever. I will not
taka issue with my friend on that poiat,
for I am afraid it is true; bat I wish to re
peat my profound conviction, that what
ever party shall be caHed upon to admin
ister this Government, and shall proceed
upon a like programme, to appoint men
to office and to collect the taxes because
of the influence they can bring to the par
ty, we shall be forced to blosh for these
revenue crimes. Of coarse I believe that
if it should be the will of the American
people, ns I think It will bt,' to call ton
democrats to power, they would’ being
honesty aad economy to them depart*
meats. I think it would be almost Impost
Ible for party to do wane; but convinced
at I am of the fact that any change of par
ties would be beneficial, yet so fnlly per
suaded am I of the power of these temp
tations to appoint party agents and foe
temptations to party agents to use the
Government money to porjfetuate foe
party ia pswsr aud themaelvse ia plaee,
thatTsbooM fcei very praying,
“Lord, deliver the Democrats also beta
temptation!’'
I am aware that Commissioner Pratt has
proposed certain amendments, I believe ad
ditional restrictions; but these will not do.
This is only to prune the deadly Upas. You
must lay the ax to the very root of the tree
if you would stop the distillation of this
poison in the revenue service. Sir, as I
■aid before, the evil is deeper down. It
oonsists in the mistake of which 1 have
spoken of garbling the English system and
refusing to adopt the English policy of se
lecting non-partisans for collectors of
revenue.
Sir, we must remove these collectors of
money from party temptation and party in
fluences. We must oreate, if we would have
a pure administration, a corps of excise
exalted above tbe exigencies of party su
premacy and removed from the temptations
to party support. These revenue officers
should hold their positions, like the officers
of yonr Army and Navy, during life if need
be, or during good behaviour, placed upon
moderate salaries, and removable by tbe
head of the Treasury only for ineapacity
and disreputable conduct.
Why, sir, what sort of an army would you
have if every officer in it, from the com
manding general down to the lowest corpo
ral were dependent for his position and
promotion upon the amount of influence he
could bring to the party; the number of
votes he could give to the party; upon bis
subservience to the wil) of the party ? Tha 1
Army would speedily descend from its high
position and become a profligate, and in
triguing, a disorganized, dissolute political
mob; and so long as the army of revenue of
ficers shall be the slaves of party, these of
ficers will drag down your service and the
slimy pools of political contests and of party
corruptions.
There are three classes who will object to
this amendment: First, those who honestly
disbelieve that a method so simple would be
practicable; secondly, the office-holders will
object, because if this is adopted their occu
pation is gone; and, thirdly, the dishonest
distillers, who know that such a law could
not be avaded. The first, class is the only
one that merits consideration,and I proceed,
therefore, to answer all the objections that
that can be urged by them.
First, it may be urged that Scotland tried
ouoe a similar plan and abandoned it. My
reply is that Scotland did not try this. Scot
land did levy a tax upon the capacity of
stills, but the oapacity of a still was found
to be one of unknown quantities; it could b«
multiplied and was unlimited thirty-eight
fold above the original capacity. The tubs,
however, are simple wooden vesssels, their
capacity definitely ascertained by measure
ment, and now of record in the Revenue De
partment. When Jongress, therefore, shall
determine the amount of tax to be raised
from this gource, it will be a simple matte r
for the Secretary of the Treasurer and the
Revenue Department to apportion this tax
among the distilleries over the United States,
and, if necessary, collect it in advance.
But another objection has oeen
urged, that if this method is so simple
and effective England would have
tried it. You might just as well
ask why England had used for so long
a time artillery drawn by Dutch horses
and driven by Dutch drivers who aban
doned it at the first approach of danger,
while tbe French republicans were us
ing the rplendid ar.illery perfected by
Gribeaural against them, or why she
refused steam navigation when offered
by Fulton or the great Napolean threat
ened to pat him into the lunatic asylum
or why she scouted the idea of rifled
cannon until their superiority was dem
onstrated by Napulaon III at Solferino.
Mr. President, the answer to the objec
tion is that England is the most con
servative country ou earth, and never
changes her methods unless the neces
sity is present and imperative. There
is no necessity for England changing
her methods, for under her system she
collects her taxes and has honest agents.
Bat with us there is a violent necessity
for change, for we neither collect oar
taxes nor do we secure honesty in oar
revenue agents.
I said there was a violent necessity
for this change with ns. Why, sir,
look at the result of 1865 ; absolutely
nine-tenths of the revenue lost. And
now in this year of oar Lord 1875 the
officials of the Revenue Department are
dm only guilty of frauds themselves,
but are persuading, coaxing, forcing
distillers into complicity with them.
Now, I think I have answered these
objections, and I hope we shall adapt
the resolution and. let these proposed
amendments have a fair consideration.
If they did not compel, when adopted,
all to be honest, they at least will make
fraud most hazard one. detection most
certain, and punishment moat prompt.
I hope it is not necessary for me to
disclaim any partisan purpose in this
movement, for I" believe, as I have
! already Mid, tint tha pesjfle -of 'rtiie
j country have determined upon f ohamre
of rulers, and party'patronage would ba
as potent in the hands of the ttMUfffes
■p it has been if» the hand* .flf
who now administer tho Government,
No, «f, I hope I am moved hjr Kgttr
ooasideratiojns, pod X wonkt fofMtMtl-
ly urge the party >jw in power and foo
party which is to come into pbWer W
rise abqfe party eenwdaratianv.il Wider
that we m^ohfom bMcmy at laaat ia
the ootf«c%k of our Mveoaea/
If we will ineorponMP timed? adteafl
meats into oar system they will simpli
fy the whole machinery of this Depart
ment; they wiN rid it of Re onmbreks
and complicated machinery; they will
make tbe receipts of the Government
from these Bourses certain; and, iboda
all, bettor than all, more important
than all, they will compel honesty
where the present aystem invites frWia,
famishes a refagei of par< y eorrnption-
a hot-bed for all those vices
ists and .a hot- bed tor all those, vices
which political intermeddling in the
revenues of the Government ban ever
oreated under nil governmenta.
If these amendments offer reasonable
prpmjao pX thia.ocjuijr.oLthaaa -xaaulta,
they certainly merit attention at our
hands. The gotM-hsme Cf the Govern
ment demands that action be taken.—
No man ean read the comments of tbe
foreign press upon these revenue frauds
without a blush of the deepest shsmo
as an American citizen. Standing, s;^,
in the presence of that recent and awiul
event which throws a shadow ovef tbe
whole land, and which all must regard
as a great public calamity, I can. hot
repeat that what I have before said, find
wha’v I feel as keenly as I am oapablb
of feeling any truth, that the very repu
tation of our American institutions, and
the cause of freedom, throughout the
earth is imminently imperiled by the
sad and sickening disclosures of tne last
few years. Corruption, official corrup
tion in high places and in low, . official
embezzlement the daily record of the
public gazettes, official integrity and of
ficial honesty in tho estimation of the
people almost banished from offioud
station, Credit Mobilier, Sanborn con
tracts, Washington City government
rings, and lastly the horrid, filthy, dir
ty whisky-ring, gathering in its neb-
work of temptation officers high in the
Re venae Department.
M r. President, jtJ^s. is a good year to
begin reformation, And this a good place
to originate it. Let us not only unite
hero without distinction of party to
rescue this Revenue Department, bat
let as unite the people of all parties and
of aU section8 iu the effoit to restore
honest and pure government, and prac
tical, substantial, universal reform.
Pertinent,—The New York Tri
bune, referring to the late Republican
victory in New Hampshire, where it
has been shown that the party most
able to bay votes is generally the she-
cessful one in ah election, saya : “Iq
a State where one-tenth of the voting
people hold their open palms behind
them for a bribe, there ia not likely to
be such a revolt against the immoralU
ties and corruption recently brought to
light as would overturn a party. Who*
ever supposed the Belknap and Bab*
cock business and all the procession of
iniquities that wait on Grantism would
work upon the ftew Hampshire con
science to the overturning of the party
in power-, very seriously mistook the
temper of (he people, the strength .of
partisanship, and more than all, thn
pervading distrnst of Democracy,”
The Sentinel of course takes pleas
ure, says the TaQatmasee Floridian, in
copying some lying extracts from s tet
ter sent North by one E. C. Wade, a
U. S. Commissioner at Quitman, Ga.
It ought to know better of the fiiete of
the brntal murder of Oapt Hnntsr of
that place a year or so ago, and it ought
to know that whatever negroes -are ex
cluded from the .polls in Georgia ia
simply the result of their fhilnre to pay
their taxes, jnst as white men are re
quired to do. We assert again that
the indoatrions negroes are better ofTin
Georgia than any other State, and it ie
only the idle and vicious who are mi
grating to Where they think they can
live without labor and by stealing. We
wish a few of this sort would be taken
with a leaving from Florida.
Wide Hampton BoRon, of Tennes
see, lately deceased, left the folltnfing^
provision ifi'his #ilf/ “I give snd
bequeath to the widow and children of
Gen. Thornes Jonathan Jackson, known
as Stenowsll Jsekson, whs fell st the
battle Of Cbaaeellortviflo, Virginia, tod
thousand dollars, as history tolls me bit
widow’s furniture %f sold after his
death for debt.
Jake Born,
This gentleman wishes ns to Inform onr
readers that he is seining harness, (addles,
bridles, etc., st a lower rets for Casa than
ltas ever been known in thfe-muto.' Gas.
tomers with the mooeyjcsa bsvf his goods
at their own price. Now is the time, .
■* '*