The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-09-21
TO THE PEOPLE OF KENOsHA.

Gaining the attention or the people OF
Kenosha to the miserable and horrible
condition of Kenosha. But the mag
nitude of the subject, the difficulty Of
getting hearing, and the still greater
difficulty of awaking the people from the
lethargy into which they have fallen and
larousing them to a knowledge of the
alarming dangers surrounding them and
in their midst, have been SO great that We
have not felt adequate to the labors we
saw before US.
The City Debt of many thousands has
weighed heavily upon the people. But
it has been said the City Debt hanging
over the people is q greater damages to
the city every weary than the whole
amount Of the Debt. We have said and
now publish it that there is something
hanging over and around and in the
midst of the people that is an immensely
greater damage to the city every year
than the City Debt Compute the value
Of the time ofth0se who sell Intoxicating
liquors in the city, and Of those who
frequent the places where they are sold,
and the money expended by them, and
the loss from their not attending to
some productive business, and the time
and expenses Of those attending civil and
criminal suits, and it will make sum
immensely greater every year than the
City Debt. In a pecuniary sense this
condition of the city should wake every
citizen and rouse him to action to free
himself and the people from such ex-
penditure and loss Individually and
collectively. o58I# 8 s0us
It may be asked how this can be done.
We answer by the people acting in their
power and might. Some years ago a law
was passed authorizing the electors to
decide by vote whether licenses should
be granted or not, and holding
those who SOLD liquors responsible for
the damages arising from the sale. Ken
osha voted against license, and in the
only suit brought, the wife obtained a
verdict for damages. in consequence Of
the sale Of liquor to her husband. The
next winter the Legislature repealed the
law, and the license law has remained.
Under the license law the City Coun
Gil has granted license to every one who
applied and could pay. Two principles
of action have seemed to govern. lst If
license was not granted to all applicants
those who received license would have a
monopoly Of the business. I'd. IF
license was not granted the applicants
would sell without license, and the city
better have the license fee in part pay.
ment of the expense incurred by the sale
The City Council and the Mayor, being
the representatives Of the people, we,
the people, have granted the licenses and
are responsible for the consequences
And it now remains for the people to
reverse their action and either grant no
licenses or none but what the law re-.
quires, a2d close up about ninety eight
one hundredths of the liquor selling
nuisances and save the expenses, ex-
penditures and loss arising from their ex-
istence. lg,i@ cggGs r3vpu ,b4l -
+. =
In civilized and moral sense the dam
age cannot be computed in money. In
the balance of civi1ity and morality liquor
selling has sunk out OF sight, and those
who frequent the places have sunk to an
alarming depth Of degradation and wick
edness. And what is worse, young men
and boys are being decoyed into those
places and dragged down to the deepest
depths of degradation, wickednese and
infamy. For proof of what we say it is only
necessary to refer to the drunts, fights, sati-
cides, or hon,icides of daily occurrence.
The drunk and fight and homicide of
Sunday evening, given elsewhere, is case
in point. A dozen young men,on re-
spectacle, full Of beer, got into fight, one
and one stabbed another, inficting a
wound which proved mortal in thirty-six
hours. One paid the peualty mundane
penalty of his "fuil of beer" with his
life. As fearful penalty awaits the other
Great and fearful as has been and is the
penalty which these young men have met
and will have to meet, they are not alone
to blame. We, the people, who have al
lowed allurements and foundations 10 br