Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-01-07

EDS. COURIER I'm your issue of
Dec. 3lst you say the ''liquor traffic is
bad enough in lie best estate, but so
long as it pays large portion of our
taxes II is probable that 1t will be rec.
ognizcd as a sort of necessary evil
Now IN the first place 1 object 10 the
statement that it pays large portion
of our taxes, and venture the assertion
that the liquor traffic docs not pay five
per cent. Of what it costs for public
and jail expenses, let alone tho pauper
bills and criminal court expenses,
which will amount to more dollara,
than the liquor traffic pays cents, in
the shape OF license and taxes. Shall
We recognize the necessity, If 1t did pay
large portion Of our taxes, when it
Is admitted that the tendency is to de-
moralize and debase the community !?
Shall VIC barter the health and morals
of the community for the few, dollars
the liquor seller pays? Humanity says
NO! Christianity says NO! And the
tax payers who have any regard for
tho prosperity OF tho county will say
no!
Again yon say Ottumwa can boast
ofa good many places where man can
get a nip on the sly, some Of them
kept by respectable people, others
quite otherwise. Is It not q fact that
liquor IL kept and sold just as publicly
as sugar and calico? Now shall we
understand that tho COURIER classes
those men who are engaged in the
liquor traffic In violation Of the laws
of the State, a. they must be to have to
sell on the sly, to be respectable men.
We certainly had hoped that there was
. higher standard Of responsibility in
OttumwA than to make the habitual
violators Of all law both of God and
man the bon ton Of respectabllity in
our county seat.
Let as examine these respectable
saloons little. The have places NICE
y fitted mp with billiard tables and
other amusements TO entice the young
men In to spend an idle hour, and az
respectable gentlemen attend them and
take nip on the ely, boys wishing to
initiate respectable men will 60 there
too, OF course on the sly, and SO the
appetite Is formed, and your respccta-
BILE saloons are training up boys and
men for drunkards.
When these moderate drinkers have
advanced too far for the respectable
saloons they turn them over to the
next lower grade to have them finished
up, IS their appearance might damage
the business Of the respectable saloons,
and deter moderate drinkers and re.
spectacle men from attending them.
Again you seem to regret that the
class of dealers who sell to the drunk
ards after your respectable saloons
have made him . drunkard, are bring
ing increased odium on the entire
liquor traffic.
Shall We understand that you wish
to mske the traffic respectable so that
more may be enticcd to drink and
make the drinking custom respectable
all over the countrys certainly do
not feel like laboring to insure the re-
spectability Of the liquor traffic with
its long list of murders, forgers, thefts
and paupcrs that follow in it's train so
coaspicuously that they are as much a
part of the business az the train is
part of q comet.
Again you say that reputable
liquor dealers and oil other good peo-
pie should see to II that those engaged
in these utterly disgracefnl practices
either quit them or are driven ont of
the business entirely. Now, from the
above shalt We understand that the
liquor dealer who violates the laws Of
the State five hundred times day II he
has an opportunity are all to become
.coAsersatoes OF tho sslaw w~s~snl
.savTanly and take the lead
in enforcing the law and punish
ing offenders? That they are the
leading good people of Wapello coun-
~ with whom others may walk, under
their directions of course, to uphold
the law2 Are they who violate
la,p every day the proper ones to en-
force the law? "Oh! consistency thou
art jewell" Why we begin to feel
elated and confident that the law will
now DO enforced, with Stormy Jordan
for Captain and other faithful liquor
dealers for Lieutenants and under off,
cers, won't we make an example OF of.
tenders that will strike terror to evil
doers generally, and hasten that
happy time when all shall respect the
law, and the Lion and Lamb shall
lie down'together.
And now gentlemen when you get
your company of reputable liquor SELL
ing reformers organized, l have no
doubt they will share the aid and
prayers Of the other good citizens for
the reformation. C. DUDLEY.
BURLINGTON, Iowa, August 10, 1874.
Morse Manufacturing Company, New
York; Gentlemen Several years ago.
commenced using "Phalon's Hair lnvig-
orator" and have constantly used j. ever
since. 1t is the most agreeable and re-
treshing Hair Tonic in the long catalogue
fsuch articles, keeping the hair moist,
easy to dress, and free from dandruf.
Yours Truly. c. P. SOURCES,
"Morse's Luxurene." late invention Of
purified Cocoa-nut-oil, united with the
splendid restorative properties Of Phalon'i
Invigorator, win be preferred by som per-