Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-07-30

On the 18th of next month the
people of this state are to decide for
themselves and their children, a
most important question. Not only
are they to decide relative to the
adoption of New Constitution but
a more important one, viz, whether
the General Assembly shall have
power to grant license to sell intoxi-
eating liquors or not.
If license law is best, We want
it, If not, we want to place the pow
er to grant it beyond the reach OF
the law making power of the State
for all time to come.
We may frequently gain an idea
of the merits of a question from the
character and arguments of its
friends and supporters -as-9-
Who then are the friends Of the
license Increment?
In the debates of the Con. Con-,
Mr.. Freiberg of Cincinnati liquor
manufacturer and dealer and Mr..
Mueller of Cleveland, of the grand
army of consumers with these who
owed relectiontothe liquorpower
were the champions Of license, while
over against them stood such men
as Mr.. Adair and Gen. Voris of Ak
ron both widely known as enemies
to the traffic. % Ho z1W as
In the great pro-license meeting
held at Exposition Hall Cincinnati,
the originators and enthusiastic en-
dorsers of its object were those di-
rectly interested in the traffic-But
when the call was issued for an an
tilicense convention in the same
city those who responded were, the
representatives of the temperance ell
ement of the State. Not a saloon
keeper mot liquor manufacturer
participated in the exercises of that
convention, but they opposed it,car
featured and cursed it. And now
those who most industriously advo-
late license are those who are di-
rectly interested in the manufacture
sale or use of intoxicants, and those
who look to that class for patronage
or favor. aa.7s
In addition to these there will oc.
cassionally be found a friend to the
cause of temperance who chafed, by
the prevalence Of intemperace under
the present Constitution, and lured
by the specioas arguments of its
advocates are inclined to the belief
that stringent" license law would
be desirable. But such are in un.
congenial company and their mum
Der is rapidly diminishing.
But do you ask why these favor
a license law? The reason is OBJ
viOus. 1t is evidently not to lessen
their sales, not to render them les:
secure in their unrighteous traffic
The events of the past few months
have diminished their sales, and
shown them that they stand upon q
sandy foundation, and with a public
sentiment to execute the present
laws they would be swept out of ex-
istenee These events have also
shown how 9disreputable is their
business and they now clamor for re
spectacle recognition at least by
the law Think not they have all al
once become SO philanthropic as te
be willing to sacrifice their business
for the good of community. This
spirit would lead them to voluntari
ly relinquish their business and find
more honorable employment.
The arguments on which they
chiefly rely to prevail with those who
oppose the traffic in strong drink
are: ei,2 > !-.'Ss'4--l -
lst. That as it, is impossible te
prohibit the traffic, the best way is
to regulate it. They assume that
all prohibitory laws are not only
failures, but that they actually in
crease the sales,-that so long as
men have appetites for strong drink
theywasS kss.si,fortunities for theil
gratification,-and will drink the
more because they are opposed. We
answer that, in precisely the sans
sense all laws forbidding,. theft,ga
bling, arson, adultery or murder art
failures, and these crimes are in
creased by opposition to them, buI
no one could be found 50 unwise al
to think Of regulating these crime:
by '.judicious license law" 1t i.
a fact abundantly substantiated
that prohibitofylaws do diminish
the sales anasnse of intoxicating
liquors. Thequnited testimony o
Gov, DINGHY, ExpGov. Perham, Sen
atols Hamlin and Morrill,, Hons
w. P. Frye. and Neal Dow, all o
Maine, is, that the prohibrtory Law
has wrought wonders IN the suppres
sion of the traffic -ea saI
! end. That there viii be fewer 81
looms, and these of a more respecta
BILE character. 7se nf=4t s.-I fai
laa There are many elaborate theorie.
which disappear before the sterr
logic of facts. Now for the facts
In Indiana under a stringent license
law, saloons, increased 100 per cent
In New York with license, saloon:
Increased until in the cities of New
York and Brooklyn they have near
Ily $4,000. In Massachusetts the
number of saloons was increased il
Suffolk Co., including Boston from
900 to 1,500 in one year. In ALE
gahny Co., Pa. from 100 saloons
lin the first, the End. quarter showed
5000 the third still greater in
crease and many beginning business
without license. And so far as a
licensed saloon keeper prosecuting
an unlicensed dealer, such .aisthine
has not been heard of-but theyjoin
hands to resistthe friends of law and
good order.Q .s.r.1 dl5HH .soisne
/ Bnt if Hess numerous, the sales
are not necessarily diminished
!, while the respectable saloons
deliberately ornamental, and richly
furnished entice young men to ruin
who could not be reached by, 9th
ers. .-.. +, -
3rd. That the sale of liquors vii
be surrounded with such checks