Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-07-02

of the yasrancv and crime which crowds our
hospitals and iails, swclS the criminal docket
to undue proportions and burdens our young
community with great and growing indebt-
edness Five men, unrestr;sincd by any law,
are pouring poison into the mouths OF our
peOplc-fring the blood and filling the brain
with madness, where in IN ordinary cOmmu-
nity there would be but one, and that one
subject to wholesome restrictions. To stop
vagrancy and crime we must put check to
this system of unrcstrained poisoning which
fills our streets with the clamOr OF nadmcn,
and too often paints them with blood.
1t would be cheaper to support out of the
public treasury the men engaged III this bust
ness than to allow them unbrdicd license to
carry ON their traffic in our midst.
Two criminal trials alone cost this county
about thlrty-fivc thousand dollars We alludc
to the Territory rs. ''Shavey" for the killing
of Forkey, and the Territory rx. Bull for the
killing of Pcele Both of these cases had
their origin in the bar-room and bawdy house.
Both men were acquitted on II second trial,
although both were hung after leaving the
Territory for offences subsequently commit
ted.
If you deduct from our county Indebtedness
the expense of these criminal trials, and ex-
penses incurred on account Of paupers, va
grants and the prosecution of offences result
ing from intemperance, it would leave US
free from debt, and with handsome surplus
in the treasury.
1t is grave question rs to how far few
men have the right to carry Oh traffic to the
injury of everyone else, dcmoralizing society
and burtlening the community with debt and
consequent heavy taxation. But without dis
cussing this question, we deem it the duty of
I'D tn ct I00c
his influence against the abuse of such
traffic, and to use all lawful means to sur
round it with proper restrictions and safe
guards. AT present any man can obtain IL
cense to sell intoxicating liquors by paying
the necessary tax, and such license is without
conditions.
Every applicant for license should be re-
Quired to give bond in the sum of at least
five hundred dollars. Such bond should be
subject to liability and license to forfeiture,
if intoxicating liquors be sold to minors with
out the consent of parents or guardians; to
husbands after receiving notice from their
wives to desist, or if sold to persons already
intoxicated There should also he some re-
straiDt imposed upon the vending of impure
or poisonous liquors.
We have no wish or intention to wage
personal war upon those Of our fellow-citi-
zens engaged in this business. Our opposi-
tio0 is to tie abuse Of the tro tfc and not to the
men acho carry it on. We merely desire to
surround it with the same restrictions and
safeguards as exist in nearly all the States of
the Union We ask nothing more than this.
We shall be satisfied with nothing less.
Let us then, fellow citizens, resolve to act
in concert upon the following propositions,
viz:
First-'rhat we will support none but sober
men for Office.
Sec0nd-That saloons should be licensed,
subject to such conditions, and surrounded
by some such safeguards as above suggested.
Thirt-That laws should be enacted clos
ing all saloons upon the Sabbath day, and
also upon election days.
FOurth-That the men who ill our Offices
should be selected from our test citizens, and
not from adventures and mere ce-seekers
who have no interests in common with the
taxpayers of the county.
Fifth-That the Office should seek the man
and not be sought by him.
But we can only outline in this address a
few of the objects of this reform movement.
For example, as in many of the States, our
sheriffs, constables, probate judges and JUS
tees of the peace should receive fixed SAL
ary fer services in criminal cases, and all fees
received in excess of this salary should be
paid into the county treasury. Under the
present system grave suspicion is often ex
cited that men arc arrested and imprisoned
for trivial offenses, simply for the sake of the
fees involved. AS long as the compensation
of officers in criminal cases depends upon the
amount of business done, there. is danger
that they may forget that arrests and impris-
onment, though source of profit to them
o1~
hundred dollars per capita.
Our Territorial judicial system also needs
q radical reformation, although this is more
properly Congressional issue.
We trust, fellow citizens, that you will re-
alize the absolute necessity of thorough and
radical reformation in political affairs The
coming political struggle is one of moment
Dus interest. 1t is q conflict between good
and evil, light and darkness, heaven and hell.
It will determine whether Montana will takes
step in advance or fall heck towards primitive
barbarism. 1t will decide whether this Ter
ritory is to be fitting place to which good
citizens may immigrate with their families
and rear up their children, or whether our
better class of citizens shall continue to fly
from our borders, and the Territory be given
over t. the dominion of the bar-room and
bawdy- house.
Good and true men OF Montana, rally then
70 the standard of truth and right. Organize
n every precinct and county, for all portions
IF our beautiful Territory are overshadowed
BY similar curse. The slogan of our op-
'onents will ring around us and their lances
- shivered against our shields, but with faith
q God and confidence in the purity Of "ur
1Nncip'ce. We give orr bslAler to The batue
snd the brec.e, res0is 4 - 4 ~. and Ii need
,e TO flM bcneeth Its fr,ds
- s>sc4~s-t isfs-~-
: Ge. 'hco to ,ty c.9s~t 'cer ~ ''swaliOw
ali from is hook. aa1 loss .lto the ilmbo
It OH clc.hes, To- lcto} he za1 has danced