The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-28

Liquor and Revenue
The Parkersburg Times noticing the
purpose Of the saloon.keepers here to
close up rather than comply with the re-
auirements OF the new liquor.law, re-
marks:
1--WE leari the same view is prevailing
here among our saloon. keepers. II they
carry out their present intention, the re-
suit will be high city and State taxes on
all kinds of property"
1t seems to US very inadequate con-
ception Of the subject which supposes the
licensing of the sale Of liquor pays the
community as means oFraIsing revenue.
Whatever people may have to say, &C
cording to the personal bias Of EACH Tor
or against legalizing this traffic on other
grounds, we do not see how It can be
claimed for 1t that is q judieious mode oil
taxation. Probably three-lourths OF all
the criminal expenses Of the community
are directly traceable TO tho use Of intox-
icating liquors; and this Of itself, will
probably oVerbalance in our city, the
revenues raised from licenses. But intin'
ilely greater Is the loss to the communi-
ty in the time and money wasted in the
drinking saloons, the habits there formed
which wreck fortunes and families, the
widespread debssement and demOraliza'
ton OF society-all of which tells on the
productive capacity, wealth and general
status Of the community in way that
makes it positive and important eIe-
ment in the economic problem which 1t is
the business OF the political economist to
deal with. We do not believe any
intelligent mind can doubt that every dol
lar realized TO the treasury Of city from
licenses to sell liquor costs the people oil
that city ten times as much as commit
nity. 1t may be said that whether the sale
Of LIQUORS is licensed or not people will use
them, and that the losses and other evils
resulting from their use will result any
how. But experience has Hbundantly
shown that restrictions on the traffic do
lessen the amount Of liquors consumed
and correspondingly diminish the conse-
uuent evils. The kernel Of the whole con-
troversy seems to be find the precise point
IN which these restrictions should be car
ried to yield the best results. Absolute
prohibition Is successful in some commu'
mites, where the intelligence and moral
elevation Of the people are equal to its sup
port. In others of lower tone, 1t is com
parativc failure. AS general proposition
it may be asserted that prohibitory legis-
lation beyond public sentiment will be fu'
tile, because reaction and repeal will fol-
low. But the actual state Of public senti'
ment can only be ascertained by expert
ment Such an experiment has been ini'
tisted by the present Legislature, which
to the surprise of all parties has given
us the most stringent liquor law
the State has ever had-and, next to
prohibition, about the most stringent one
that could be devised. The people OF the
State havesix months 10 think abOutit,and
upon the rcassembling oil the Legislature,
it will be pretty definitely seen whether
public sentiment will sustain the law
or not. The saloon keepers in this city
propose. as we understand, to adopt Gen.
GRANTS idea that the best way 10 secure
the repeal OF IN obnoxious law is 10 en-
force it strictly, and that six months de-
privAtion of the present saloon privileges
will drive the people OF this city to de-
mand repeal upon the reassembling Of the
Legislature next fall. We trust this ex-
pertinent will have a fair trial, and that
whether any OF no licenses under the new
law are taken out, the law will bcrigidly
enforced. We believe the city can get
through Elk months without any public
drinking places at all and be all tue bet
ter for II at the end oil that tlmei anu pro-
portionately, II their number should be
reduced to half or fourth the present
number by the heavy responsibilities to
be assumed by the saloon keepers after
the Isl OF May. We arc not at all suro
but II the saloons do close and Sergeant
DAVIS and his deputies do their duty, the
good results may be SO apparent that the
large majority OF senliment in the city may
demand that the law be sustained instead
Of repealed.
We have wandered n good ways from
the simple proposition we set out with,
but close by reaflrmiDg it, viz: that
as a question Of finance it does not pay
any city or county to license the retail
sale Of liquoIs for the sake Of the revenue
arising from the tax on that license.
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