Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-08-08
HAwK-EYE AND TELEGRAPH.
A Liquor Monopoly.

A Liquor Monopoly.
In q Republican Government, and in
TACT in any government, q monopoly is ar
odious thing-it presupposes exclusive
rights and privileges, bestowed upon ia.
vored few. For the bestowment Of such
exclusive pririleges-for the creation of a
monopoly in favor Of any party, there can
be but one sufficient excuse, viz: that it is
done for the public good and viii result in
the public veal.
Is the creation ofa government Grocery
where staid and fashionable upper tendon
can procure its after dinner wines-where
solid and substantial citizens-where Of
fetal dignitaries, men of marvellous pro-
priety and perchance a religious turn, can
procure their brandies-their choice old
whiskies, and their red and white wines
a place where the miserable drunkard can
procure the fuel necessary to keep up the
fires of hell that burn within him,-where
his ragged, bare-footed and bare.headed
children shall bring the last dime, stained
with blood aud tears, and barter it for
whiskey where the prodigal shall spend
his substance and procure the strong drink
which shall ruin him and bring the grey
hairs OF his parents to the grave-is such
a grocery, contemplating monopoly for
such a purpose, one that should be re.
tanned by any government or granted to
individuals? Certainly not. God forbid
that the intelligent people of Iowa should
prohibit the liquor trade in order to put
into the State Treasury the profits of such
damnable traffic in the odius form of q
monopolyl
And yetthat our county Judge has acted
upon this hypothesis is abundantly shown
by his own statement-by the amount Of
money he has expended for liquors-by
the daily sales. But in order that nc
further doubts may arise, and that all men
shall be satisfied, the Gazette, the organ Of
Judge Wightman plainly avows that it
is to be monopoly of the liquor traffic,
the profits Of which are to go into the coun-
ty treasury:
The HawKeye claims that Judge Wightman
is wasting the peoples money by the estab-
lishment of county Grocery, which by tho
requirements of their favorite law and his
sworn duty. he was bound to establish. Now
the Hawkeye, and all others who use this
against the Judge, know this to be untrue
They all know chat every dollar expended
for liquors will be paid back upon the sale
of those liquors with profit: which will
mere than pay all expenses; and thus the
comfy instead Of being the loser in the trans
action, will derive great deal Of its reve-
nue. from this monopoly oe the liquor selling
business. Indeed in this point it is better
for the county than the license system, for it
will derive all the profits of the business.
On this issue, now plainly avowed, be-
cause it could be no longer concealed, we
are willing to go before the people. We
have abundantly proven by the prepara-
tion made, by the money expended, sala-
ries and rents paid, that liquor monopoly
was intended. 1t is now plainly avowed
as the only means the Judge can devise of
getting rid of probable deficit.
AS the issue is rendered, we accept it.
All men who are in favor of mammoth
county Grocery regularly authorized
Government Drunkery, conducted on re-
ligious principles, if you please, the profits
and losses of which are to accrue to the
county treasury, will vote for Judge
Wightman.
All who are in favor Of an honest and
fair construction ofthe prohibitory law, in
volving only the sales of necessary liquors,
to be used for medicinal, mechanical and
sacramental purposes" as clearly set forth
in the law, will vote for Thomas W. New
man.
This is the issue, plainly rendered and
fairly accepted. Here we shall rest the
case, confident that every reader of the
Hawk-Eye and Telegraph has clear uu-
derstanding of the whole question.