Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-06-06
Communication.
DopaEv1LLE, Wis, June /, 1867.

DoDaEvILLE, Wis, dune /, 1867.
Mr.. En1roR: Considerable excitement
seems to prevail on the license question,
and, by your permission, I will offer few
words, pointing ous she errors of few
who are at present loud in condemnation
of church and temperance men. The vii
lage board has seen fit, without any aid
from outsiders, to raise the license from
$40 to $50. To this the keepers of saloons
and taverns demur, and from them comes
all sorts of threats. In fact, understand
they have waited upon the board in a
body, having had the advice and counsel
of a lawyer, not over gifted in brains, nor
in the least likely to astonish the people
with any of his grand exploits in the con-
struction of law. How we'll the keepers
of saloons in this village obey the laws,
may be judged from their course during
last year, when the board had fixed certain
hours for the closing of saloons, and for
bidding their opening on Sundays. The
keepers of these so-called taverns, aided
by the saloon keepers, hooted and abused
the marshal in the performance of his
duties. In fact, little boys were stationed
here and there to watch his movements,
and every impediment was put in his way
to prevent him from the discharge Of his
duties, A general hue and cry was set up
against the board and marshal, against
the church, and against Good Templars,
all forsooth because these houses could not
dispense their liquor on the Sabbath day.
Gentlemen, you call yourselves a law abid-
ing people. Do few of you ever think
what ridiculous figure you cut during
last summers raid upon the marshal !?
You without doubt were every one of
you subject to confinement in prison. You
disobeyed the laws then, and you are still
in the same category. And now, because
your license is raised to $50, you stand
aloof crying aloud for mercy, threatning
to close your taverns, and go to law for re-
dress. Oh, mighty men the all-power-
ful-closc your taverns-pray tell US, is
there tavern in this5little village? Your
paper, Mr.. Editor, does not give proof of
this. But the amount of money required
of each of these men is not what makes
them raving. 1t is their desire to run
"thc machine" To satisfy these men,
give them their own way. Now they are
loud, threatning, are going to law, headed
by their worthy counsel, and knowing that
they will be defeated in the first suit, they
expect by appealing to a higher court, to
secure the privilege of selling all summer
for nothing. Poor deluded men! Neither
of you are too old to learn and the more
you stir up this matter, the greater the
odor, till your nostrils will smell and your
selves tumble, conglomcratcd mass, the
hated of the people at large. You cry,
"high taxes" and you do all in your pow
er to make them so. You cry, "good or
der, and peace to all men, while you give
the cup to destroy, and you disobey the
laws to a man. You howl at the board
you aided to elect. Yoo elect yourselves
the representative men of village, whose
people are disgusted with the hue and cry
you set up; and sooner or later they will
teach you a lesson that you will not be
slow to profit by You are not paying very
high for license; Platteville, Lancaster,
FAvoca, Darlington and Shullsbnrg each
pay 500. You are subject to the laws,
and you should be made to obey them
The people are all awake to this trouble
and they will surely have voice in the
matter. 1t is not an issue between rum
and temperance or the church, but it is be-
tween good order, morality,-and, the
whiskcy venders. DAMON.