The Benton democrat. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1871-18??, 1873-04-26
THE LICENSE QUESTION.

pose to give our views, fearlessly, and
at the risk of becoming target for
the harmless, though bitter thrusts of
the professedly religious and total absti-
nence javelins. There is project on
foot to abolish licenses for the sale of
spirituous liquors. IF the matter of
prohibition had not repeatedly been
shown moral, physical and political
impossibility, we would not hesitate to
give our aid toward the consummation
of such project. But, as far as NOR
ality is concerned, the withdrawal of
licenses from the saloons, while other
establishments in the city are allowed
to sell, as now, without license, will not,
in our opinion, effect one ,jot or little of
improvement. Those who. from habit
or inclination, now frequent saloons for
the purpose of drinking, will have the
same facilities for obtaining liquor as
they now possess. No less whisky will
be drank, and experience teaches that
more drunkenness will be occasioned by
the 'squart" system. The. morals of
our city will not be made one whit bet
ter, by the suppression of retail traffic,
while our City Treasury will, we fear,
seriously feel the depletion caused by
the withdrawal of 1000 to $1,000 per
annum from its Golfers. Here our tenn
perance friends will exclaim: Would
you tolerate vice, in order to fill the
tresury with gold 2" No; but in ethics
there are imperfect rights as well as
perfect ones, and the same law which
gives the gunsmith the right to manu-
facture deadly weapons; the druggist,
to compound poisons; and the Gilman,
to manufacture nitro o-glycerine, under
certain restrictions, permits the disti1ler
to convert his grain and fruit into bev-
erages, and expose them for sale. He
has no right to force one to buy, but the
law of the land gives him the right to
offer them for sale, after paying certain
taxes. The city authorities can pro-
hibit the vending of Intoxicating drinks
within certain prescribed limits but
will this stop drinking Can they say
to A or B, "you shall drink no more,''
or take any action that will lessen the
/
quantity drank, while the law of Con-
gress gives q the right to sell, and that
of God to A and B the right to buy and
drink, if they SO desire2 Most assur-
edly not. Then what advantages will
arise from withdrawal of city licenses2
Here they are: Some half dozen bus
mess stands on Main street will be
closed, and their owners deprived OF
their rentals; the City Treasury will be
robbed of $1,000 revenue; streets and
sidewalks will go unimproved !; a gen
eral stagnatlon of business in the cor
poration will follow, and places of re-
sort, for drinking, gaming and amuse-
ment will be erected on the confines of
the town, where the restraint Of public
gaze will be unfelt, and excesses in
dulged in that never would occur on enr
public thoroughfares. Let stemper-
ance shriekers howl at. us, as they
have and will, with their l9atemperate
utterances we propose to look at the
subject in its true light, and treat it
from logical standpoint. No such op-
probrious epithets as whisky organ .
flung at us by canting hypocrite, whose
zeal is equaled only by his lack OF hon
or and brains, shall deter us from ex-
pressing our views upon the matter at
issue. We are no apologist for drunk
enness, and would gladly witness every
drop of alcoholic stimulants banished
from the land. But, let Us be just. If
] we would restrain the traffic, let us not
stop at the saloons; but go into the
drug, grocery and dry goods houses,
where, we are informed by gentlemen
who stand ready to substantiate the
fact by scores of afidavits, whisky is
daily sold in less quantities than one
quart, and compel them to pay license
There is no justice in this specious war
fare against one or two individuals who
/ happen to be poor. Let us treat all
alike. We heard member of the com
mitee which reported to the Council
last Friday night, while trying to sell 8
certain saloon keeper some casks o.
whisky, which the saloon man refused
to buy on account Of the unsettled state
of the license question, say that, with
the license at 5000 or ST. 900, he though
1 T. T. = T =