The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-03


aide beside with the product of in.
toxication increasing II times fastel
than the increase OF population, IN
sanity and idiocy increased twice a.
fast; pauperism nearly SIX times and
crime nine times as fast. l ask the
Senators how long under judicious
well regulated license law at this rate
will it take to make the State one
grand halacarst of pauperism. crime
and insanity? 1 deter to gentlemen
who are adept in arithmetic to calcu-
late.
That pauperism and crime obtain
just in proportion to the increase OF
drinking saloons, there is surely nc
gentleman on this floor will undertake
to deny. In the @ counties of this
State containing the largest number OF
licensed saloons, the number of voters
is 92,79O. There is one saloon to ev-
cry a voters, and one convict to every
100 voters. The criminal and paupeI
expenses are 50 ~ per voter. In the
% counties where thereare no licensed
saloons, with 54.5S9 voters, the pau
per and criminal expenses are 81 g.
per voter, not one half the amount Of
the % counties with most saloons
Thus establishing the fact beyond all
cavil or controversy, that just in plo
portion to the increase OF saloons, is
the increase in pauperism and crime
So much for the influence upon the
drink traffic and society of a judicious,
well-regulated license law, a law to
PROTECT THE DEAR PEOPLE
and increase the school fund
Turn we now to ascertain what eff
feet the local option feature of the
present law has had upon the drink
traffic, and its results upon society
Our present local option law was APP
proved on the 9th of February, 1873
In December, 1872, under the full
sway of the judicious hcence law,
there was in fhe State POI 1863 polls,
1904 licensed saloons and 345 con-
victed criminals in that year. In De-
cember, 1873, when the local option
law had been barely in operation ten
months, during which time. as Gov.
Hendricks says. 1T encountered de-
termined hostility on the part of those
engaged in the liquor business" and
when many of the officers of the law
virtually stood in the way Of its exc.
cution, we find that although the polls
OF the State had run up to 265, S74
being nearly 1890 more than in 1872,
the number of saloons had fallen to
,4S7, nearly one third less; the mum
Der of conyicts committed had fallen
to $50, more than twenty-five per cent
less, and the number of counties with
out SALOONS had run up to %, two and
n half times as many rs in 1872, under
the license law. |
But this is not all; drunkenness had
very largely decreased. According to
reports, made by truthful and reliable
persons residing in the respective
counties reported, it appears that up to
January 1874, in IL months, out OF
43 counties heard from, only one re
ported it doubtful as to the decrease
in drunkenness, while the rest report
ed decrease as follows: One, loo
per cent; one, 80; two, IS; one. So;
fourteen, so; eight, 35, and the bal-
ance range from to % per cent, and
slight" to considerable" 9tls s41'
Thus it will be seen by these stats
tics, that from 1860 to 1870, under a
judicious, ell-regulatcd license law,
the manufacture of intoxicants in
creased twelve times faster than the
population; and. as a legitimate result,
insanity and idiocy increased double
the ratio of population, pauperism
nearly six times, and crime nine times
as fast! whereas, on the other hand
in less than year after the passage OF
the local option law, and that, too
with an increase of nearly 1000 polls
saloons decreased one-third, drunken-
ness 81 per cent, and convicts com
mitted decreased more than Is pei
cent. | ask the Senators to ponder
oyer these facts, and give them due
consideration, before they seek to
supplant local option with a license
law. And yet, in the face of these
facts, we hear the cry, that local
option Isl failure. "a failurel Yes;
it has Tailed to disappoint the friends
of humanity 1t has failed to please
saloon keepers, brewers and distil.
lers !" II this law has utterly failed
in its purpose, l ask. how comes il
that those who traffic in alcoholics are
SO bitterly opposed to it? That they
are opposed to it we know from the
declaration of Governor Hendricks
for he says, TT has encountered de.
termined hostility on the part of those
engaged in the liquor business" This
is the strongestproof ofits efficiency
would the saloon keeper be so fear.
fully anxious to repeal a failure
With these facts before us--facts
which no sophistry or logic can gain
say-can we, who profess to be here tt
legislate, not in the interets OF a certain
class of men, but for the we'll being q
the people at large--can we vote to re-
peal law which has worked so bene-
ficiently, and in it's stead enact a Law
which sad experience proves to be
fearfully opposed to the public good
The cry comes up from all parts Of
the State that the -.
TAXES ARE OPPRESSIVE,
that relief must he had, for the people
can bear the burden ma longer. When
the people are asking for bread, as il
were. will You give them a stone In
the shape of. passing a license law
which, is sure to increase their bur
dens Whatever other Senators may
do, so far as / am concerned, l car
not, and will not disregard the cries
of patient and magnanimous people
Seeing then that this local option law
has tended SO much to restrain the
ruinous traffic in drink, and to largely
decrease drunkenness and its evils
why seek to repeal it? Why not sus-
tain it--strengthen and make it more
effective by restoring the ninth sec
ton, increasing the penalty for, selling
without a permit, and, if the people
demand license fee, [ care not how
heavy, why let them have it. But in
stead of using that money to defile the
treasury of the common school fund
use il in. building and founding .
grand inebriate asylum, wherein may
Be protected and maintained those
poor degraded sons of humanity
whose manhood has been destroyed
by this most unjust and inhuman