The Oscar Pepper Distillery in Woodford County, 1883. KHS Collections.
On March 16, 1897, Governor William O. Bradley sent a message to the Kentucky General Assembly, meeting in special session. He asserted: “The manner in which claims against the State have been hawked about and discounted, their holders fleeced and shaved, is discreditable. . . . You are most earnestly requested to enact such measures as will liquidate the floating debt and promptly pay current expenses, so that the credit of the State, and those to whom the State may become indebted, will not suffer in the future.” Some of his suggestions for raising revenue included: increasing license fees of wholesale and retail liquor dealers, druggists, and distillers; increased fees on pool and billiard tables; and special taxes for the sale of tobacco and cigars.
The Oscar Pepper Distillery in Woodford County, 1883. KHS Collections.
