Read twice, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. Mr. WILSHIRE, on leave, introduced the following bill : A BILL To facilitate the adjustment and settlement of claims of citizens of the United States for stores and supplies taken or furnished during the rebellion for the use of the Army of the United States, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all 3 citizens of the United States having claims against the United States 4 for stores or supplies taken or furnished during the rebellion for the 5 use of the Army of the United States, including the use and loss of 6 vessels or boats while employed in the military service of 7 the United States, may institute suit against the United 8 States for the adjustment and recovery of such claims in taken or 9 the district court of the United States for for the district in 10 which such stores 11 furnished, . or supplies may have been or such vessels or boats may have been used 12 or lost. And the district courts of the United States for 13 the several judicial districts within which such stores or supplies 14 may have been taken, as aforesaid, and vessels or boats 15 may have been used or lost, as aforesaid, shall take and 16 exercise jurisdiction in all cases for claims brought in said 17 courts under the provisions of this act, without regard to the 18 amount claimed. [The subsequent portions of the bill refer to the details in reference to the courts. Suits can be carried into the District Courts in any part of the Union, and the United States Government can be put upon its defense by thousands of claimants from whom no oath or proof of loyalty is required by any provision of the bill!] Read twice, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed. Mr. RIDDLE, on leave, introduced the following bill: A BILL Directing compensation to be allowed for the use and occupation of property by the United States United States Army during the late 1 war. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized 4 to allow reasonable compensation to all citizens of the United 5 States for the use and occupation of their property by the 6 United States Army, or any part thereof, during the late civil 7 war, in the same manner and under the same regulations as 8 compensation is now allowed for quartermaster stores used by 9 said Army; Provided, however, That That the affidavit of the 10 claimant, supported by the competent testimony of any 11 reputable citizen, shall be sufficient proof to establish the 12 fact of the use and occupation of such property by said 13 Army. But it is not the intention of this act to limit the 14 parties to the amount of proof herein specified; but other and 15 additional testimony may be taken to establish the fact of the use, and occupation, and the rental value of the property 17 occupied. 16 CHAPTER IX. The "Solid South" and Internal Revenue. * * * and "We congratulate the country upon the honesty and thrift of a Democratic Congress above all, upon the promise of such a change in the administration of the Government as shall insure us genuine and lasting reform."-Declaration 14, National Democratic Platform, 1880. PART I. expense of the United States, it is evident that the expenses so incurred should be reimbursed Democratic "Reforms "—Legislato the United States. The distillers and their associates were relieved from the payment of tion in 1880–The Carlisle Bill this money into the United States Treasury A Big Whiskey "Steal"-With-merely upon the asking. drawal of Whiskey from Stores and Bonded Warehouses-Tax Collectable on quantity Withdrawn! -The Government Defrauded of Millions of Dollars annually! The last session of the Democratic "Reform" Congress distinguished itself by the small number of insignificant laws enacted. A remarkable exception, however, in the matter of importance presents itself in the Internal Revenue law known as the Carlisle Bill," named after the Democratic member from Kentucky, who introduced and engineered it through. Many features of the bill embody desirable changes in the law, and were recommended by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in whose office they were carefully perfected greatly simplifying the collection of the tax on distilled spirits. The Kentucky Bourbon Democratic members of Congress, taking advantage of the general desire to pass the main features of the bill, tacked on certain nefarious provisions, and secured their passage by a well-known trick of legislation. These obnoxious provisions are as follows: First. That which repeals the charge of ten cents formerly paid by distillers, liquor dealers, and rectifiers of spirits for each stamp other than tax. Paid stamps used under Internal Revenue laws. The back-interest steal-The Government "Gentlemen will remember how great a trouble the whiskey men were in here a year and a half or two years ago about having a large amount of whiskey on hand when the price was down very low, and the time! was coming when they were compelled by law to withdraw it from bond and pay the tax on it. They were here in force representing to us that it would ruin large numbers of the holders and manufacturers if they were compelled, at that time, to withdraw the spirits from bond,and pay the tax as required by the law. Therefore, as a matter of kindness towards them, and to save them from ruin or from trouble, this House passed, and the Senate concurred in, an act that al lowed them to continue the whiskey in bond for a longer period, but on condition, in order to prevent the Government from being a loser, that they should pay an interest on the tax after the time when it was due, and up to the time of its payment. In other words, they were permitted to have the privilege of paying the interest upon the tax due instead of the tax itself. Second. --That which repeals the charge of 5* per cent. per annum interest on the tax on spirits remaining in warehouse more than one year. Third. That which provides for the allowance of loss on account of leakage or evaporation of spirits in warehouses. The Democratic stamp steal-The Govern- * * "That we regarded as a just thing, a fair help to men who were in distress, as well as a remuneration or equivalent to the United States by getting interest on the tax due, on the ground that the Government was itself paying interest, and if it extended the time when the tax was due it should require interest on the money. That argument was fair and right and cogent there, but it is proposed to change it in this section. * I only say on that subject, without any controversy, this House, believing it was doing a generous thing to get the distillers out of trouble, made this arrangement, which they understood was entirely agreeable to the distillers, a little over one year ago. And now, having got from us the concession of benefit, they which accompanied that benefit. All I want is that the ask us quietly to drop out the protection of our own interests House shall understand the two things, side by side; and if we are to take off this part of the benefit reserved to the Treasury, whether we ought not also to take off the consideration on which it was based, and not allow the whiskeys to lie so long in bond." The leakage steal-The Government done out of $1,750,000 a year. The provision allowing "leakage" was passed right in the yery face of the estimate of the Commissioners of Internal Revenue, that the akads therefrom to the Government would 46 de 2008 2006 $1,750,000! 758 estimate tras not picoloreak, ketry kulvas the kno wous passal. It was "It is true that he (the distiller) does not sell it (the de (baronền Peassure pure and sample. whiskey) at the end of one year to be used; but he does sell it to retail and even to wholesale dealers to in the House on April 28, 1880, answered this argument and placed the matter in its true light. Said he: Democratic party vote, by which the great be held for its growth and betterment by time. There steal passed the House, fore this Bourbon and other whiskeys are really saleable all the way along from the day they are first manufacthe man who is fortunate enough to be able to keep a large stock of such whiskers for three years will find that the "ontage" or shrinkage he loses upon that stock during that time is far more than compensated for by Of the 128 members constituting the majori-ured up to the date when they are drinkable. And ty who decided its fate in the House on the 4th of May, 1880), five only were Republicans Northern Distillers opposed to this "solid southern“ Democratie Steal. Strem notas opposition was made to the pas Nagu ar pas part of the bill by a portion of De allers themselves and it was evident By the waised thaw it was exeeding case of value of every gallon of it. If one hunplus pack whisky mid lose fifteen gallons by Saulge, the wikika ve kundred gallons will have gained a INOTORI DUE Un reruri maine cene what it had in the be ** * * It f f BD f more than compensate for the loss sensory equitable and bir that where we keep A MIES TYDET ir in viteal for two or three years, WO PUMAN" DE BAIE DI MESH & Wars of the profit that comes by that in 'htt That prida oists him mithing, but the interest on the saint of his investment. and the United SENS LIVESCuma 1 2 3 the shape of the tax is much blow the solidl Southern Distillers werk Debyer pare It seems 20 me that it is only fair that the Thing. How the law operates unfairly in favor of Kentucky whiskey and against IlliBois whiskes. The distilers of the Stute of Llinos pay more than free times is much uz is the tatillers of Kentucky; vet de irst complete set of reports received by the Commissioner of term Revenue after The passage of the Carisie bul shows that of at he wouve alow in the United States during Fine, 1880, the perod covered by the reports. Pre-hus we ALVMS to mucicu nisutters, and wow mealhun o Janvis tatillers. This sample of the overscon of the aw s suficient to verily sil that was claimed as to the inequali ty and inairness if is operations. row the law also facilitates whiskey From -vidence before the House of Repre Sentatives. Waca the bill was passed, it ap peared at Bourbon whiskey, resta rom the Sill and worth to cens per gallon, exciusve of the 383, mereased a site to Venis Sulen i Que you, 10 6 ans yer sien 'n two years and to $1.30 per silen in three 21 wurse, The Jasadly a spirits de Creases as the quailty is improved by this species of rectification, but y cry on so Ook me on Staves Gas W 286468 (36, xcreateper & dry, cami The Scarica wiiskeys and outer portsdie or Other Classes di spirits have to pay the In the other hand, the other asses f spirits, winien se reuthed and atted or use usulery, we sued to the tax DADES Slices, and De arts uter eavingine LOV D Vich beriod 2467, 89, 96.0 were codecsed, sind very cent midi into the TreasThese muds will not be large, because mposso le without coilusion on the Inertal Revenue cicers, But could & Democratie administration de trusted “-- The Law this moullien a Repodean law, enacted for the very purmuse ji topping. Jemveratie administra The aw which this eakage "rovision mod- 4,078 Moonshiners arrested-Killed and wounded officers, and cost in money. July 20, 1868, by a Republican Congress, for | In four years 3,874 stills destroyed and the very purpose of putting an end to frauds which had been perpetrated under an executive controlled by Democrats. Prior to July 20, 1868, the tax was In these operations, during the past four collected as is now provided in the Carlisle bill, on the quantity of spirits withdrawn from years, over 3,874 illicit stills have been seized, and warehouse, provided the leakage in ware- unlawful work. This has not been done with7,078 persons arrested for being engaged in this house was without fraud, collusion, or neglect. But the proofs on these matters out a considerable cost to the Government of were through affidavits of local officers and money, as well as the lives and limbs of its officers. Twenty-five officers and employees have been others. And when-as was often the case killed and fifty-five wounded while enforcing the during the latter part of Andrew Johnson's laws. The sum expended for this purpose, in administration-the local officers were corrupt addition to the ordinary expenses for the coland in collusion with the dishonest distillers, lection of the revenue, has amounted, during there was no luck of evidence to substantiate any claim. the past three years and a half, to more than The remedy which the Republican Congress one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. of 1868 applied, through the passage of the Act of July 20, 1868, was to require the tax to Every form of outrage resorted to by the be paid on the quantity deposited in the distillery warehouse. This has been the law for nearly twelve years, until, in this year, 1880, the Democratic Congress repealed it. What the Democratic Party wants, so as to complete its work of fraud and corruption in this matter, is to secure, through the election of Hancock, the class of rascally officers in the Executive branch of the Government suited for the damnable business. Dare we trust the Democratic party with such administrative responsibility in view of their past record?— For Internal Revenue figures, see Statistical Chapter.) PART II. Moonshiners in the "Solid South” -Open Defiance of Law– Bloodshed-Guerilla Warfare-Number of Stills destroyed and Moonshiners arrested in four years-A list of their bloody murders-Official vigor diminishes Moonshining – Hancock's nomination increases it again. The open defiance of the excise laws of the United States in the South has been attended with much bloodshed, and, at times, in some States, has assumed the proportions of a guerrilla war. In meeting armed resistance, United States troops having been denied by a Democratic Congress, it has been found nec. sary to arm civilian officers, many of whom have shown great courage and coolness in the performance of their duties. The forces of the Government used in the suppression of this miniature rebellion have been skilfully directed by Gen. Green B. Raum, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, who has been ably assisted by Gen. F. D. Sewall, Chief of Revenue Agents, both of whom won their military rank by gallant and distinguished services in the Cnion army. This was not the first time they had met law-breakers in arms, and their expehence in the fields of the rebellion has enabled them to carry on the work of subduing armed distillers with success. Moonshiners. The instances of armed resistance by illicit distillers to the authorities of the United States are too numerous to be given here, but they have been accompanied by every form of outrage upon the officers of the United States and all persons loyal enough to aid them. The intimidation of witnesses, burning of the houses and barns of officers, and the killing or injuring of their horses and cattle have been cases of frequent occurrence. While U. S. officers harassed in the courts and otherwise, only one conviction of a murderous Moonshiner secured ! It is a remarkable fact that, with the exception of the conviction of one man for the killing of Deputy Collector Cooper, in East Tennessee, no one has been punished on account of the many murders and assaults to murder committed upon United States officers. Upon the other hand, innumerable prosecu tions have been instituted in State Courts against United States officers for alleged offences perpetrated while in the performance of their official duties, mainly, it is believed, for the purpose of obstructing the enforcement of the laws of the United States. We have only space to give the official list of the bloody murders which have been committed by armed illicit distillers in the Southern States upon officers and other employees as follows: A list of bloody “murders” by Southern Moonshiners. 1. Lieutenant McIntire, of the Second Infantry, United States Army, murdered on the night of February 9, 1877, at the residence of Ayres Jones, an illicit distiller in Fannin County, Ga., while aiding revenue officers in suppressing illicit distillation. 2. Berry Sorrels (colored), suspected of being an informer, was brutally murdered in presence of his family, by a band of illicit distillers masked, March, 1879. He was really not an informer. (Walton County, Ga.) 3. Nathaniel Eason, a citizen of Campbell County, Ga., was called to his door on a night in February, 1878, and brutally assassinated in presence of his wife and children, by a body |