Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-02-17
TEMPERANCE DEPARTMENT
Revenue Versus Temperance.

one of the fundamental errors of the
| prevalent public opinion, which the
/ friends OF temperance must needs cor
! rect before the reform can triumph,
: involves the question of revenue from
/ the liquor traffic. There are thousands
| OF good citizens who would scorn to
traffic in Intoxicating liquors them
/ selves, or 10 accept personal gain there
/ from, who are nevertheless wholly in
different tn the existing revenue policy
ot the state and National Govern
| meuts in dealing with the traffic. One
, OF the strongest points made by the
brewers and liquor dealers in defence
of their business Is that they pay trib-
ute to the public treasury. and should
therefore have not only governmental
protection, but should also have the
respect which attaches to other legi-
innate business. A first and most DO
tent objection urged by legislators,
State and National, when any really
effective, restrictive, or prOhibitory
legislation is asked for, is that it will
weaken the public treasury by dimiu-
ishing the revenue.
i Recently large number of petit
tiOns, representing several States and
many thousands of petitioners, includ-
ing clergy men, officers and members
OF churches of nearly all denomina-
t!Ous, Christian men and women, were
presented in the Senate of the United
states, asking Congress, in view of the
large amount of pauperism, disease,
: and crime caused by the liquor traffic,
: to prohibit, by appropriate legislation
: the manufacture, importation, and sale
} OF all alcoholic beverages in the Dis
: trict of Columbia and throughout the
: Territories Of the United States. The
q appropriate reference of these peti,
tons, with a view to their proper con-
sideratiOu and subsequent action,
6 would have been to the District and
! Territorial Committees, otherwise tc
D the Committee on the Judiciary: but
they were sent to the Committee on
Finance instead, because in the sight
Of the Senate of the United States the
Il, temperance question is chiefly a reve,
J nue. question, and the petitions of the
, thousands of Christian men and wo
, ! men, 10 whom it means much more
: must needs be consigned to the care Of
the one committee which, more than
any other, is presumed to be ayerse t.
recommending or doing auythina
4 vi ich shall tend 10 diminish the re-
sources of the public treasury.
= The time il az hand when the friend.
. of temperance should demand, a. citi-
: zeus, a change Of legislative policy in
t, dealing, with respect to revenue, with
liuuDr-traffic. In the light simply OF
. political economy the present policy i,
: one which, applied 10 private business
Z would bring 70 speedy bankruptcy al
n who should adopt it. The New York
] rapanflu fgnL- ainn tr nv.
. press it, qualification at the increased
sum Of money latterly received into
our city treasury from liquor-licenses
which, il affirmed, would be available
p, for needed charitable purposes. But II
= appears e. forget that the extra police
= expenses alone, rendered necessary by
= | the presence Of these licensed drink
ing dens, absorb al Of the thousand,
!, Of dollars received from the liquor,
, dealers, and many more besides from
h the pockets Of taK-paying citizens. II
= forgrts, 100, that these same licensed
T drinking places are a chief cause o.
! the very poverty which charity mus
= needs care for. On the score OF ecOnO
: my the present policy Of revenue from
+ the liuu0r-tTsffle IL a ruin Gus one, ant
? ought 10 be abandoned.
y In he moral aspect, and in the ligh
y Of enlightened Christian sentiment
The reasons against the longer contin
uance Of the present liquor>reyenu'
Ipalicy are still stronger. II, as thu
c Disciplinary regulations Of sundry
j. Christian churches affirm, Christian
C men and women may not, without o.
r fence, engage In the traffic In intoXica
r ting liquors, no more may the Chris
: uau ciIzrn, in the capacity Of voter o
u legislator, authorize aud sanction II
o be- name aud under the forms Of gov
= eminent, what would be "A cnnfesse'
immortality for the individual, acting