Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-01-27
COMMUNICATION.

Eds. CcuRIEB.-In answering your rath. |
or caustic comments on my former com.
munication, would diselaim any personal
feeling against the COURIER or any Of its !
managers, but in this, as in my former ar
ticle, would speak for the cause Of temper
anco and against anything that regard as
injurious to it. am sensitive on this SUBJ \
ject, aud think the tendencies are to in |
crease intemperancc instead Of its reform. |
First, would examine your plea for the
sale on the ground Of the Government tax
and license. Is 1t not q TACT that the liauor
traffic was as prominent before the passage
OF the internal revenue law, and was il not
advocated by the same class of men. and
patronized by che same class then as now !?
Who ever heard of saloon being started for
the benefit Of the government. where men
would drink solely because by 60 ioipx they
were aiding the Government and paving tax
to the United Statesg wonder Stormy Tor
dan had not thought of that patriotic dodge
andIlabeled his den ~. $. Tax Collectors
headquarters--walk up gentlemen and rsy
your tax
Again, yon say il We are to understand
anything BY Mr.. Dudleys communication,
1t Is that the National Government should
pursue the same course toward the liquor
traffic that is pursued by the State Of Iowa;
that is not tax. do not understand how
you came to that conclusion. AZ Iunder-
| stand the policy of the United States, it
does not grant any right to sell against the
po!ity of the State, but only where the
I State is 80 regardless OF the health and
| morals Of its citizens as to allow liquor
sold. Then the Government comes in for n
| tax on whiskey and beer, and license to
| authorize the sale, as an additional obstacle
to the sale, and an additional protection to
| community against it's spread broadcast
| over the land.
certainly approve the United States
plan OF taxing whiskey aud beer. With
the above, | might dismiss that part Of the
subject, was it not for your unqualified de-.
clarationthat should the tax gatherer attempt
to collect direct tax that was odious to
/ the people, he would be ''hung to the nearest
| convenient tree, and the verdict would be.
served him right" In this, Intentionally
or otherwise, you approve violent resist
| ance to the enforcement of an unpopular
law, and in that, we can better understand
why the liquor laws are not enforced 10
Ottumwa. az you declare yourselves op-
posed to our present laws. and in favor Of
no restrictions except what revenues il can
be made to pay.
Again, you say that the present laws are
free whiskey policy, aud suggest license
law. The COURIER we'll knows that the
| present law authorizes tho city to regulate
| or prohibit the sale of wine or beer, and
that under that provision You can TAI each
saloon 81 or $1,000; that you have as uu.
qualified right to tax as any license law
could give, SO that the present Law gives
you the privilege Of getting all the good
there lie in the evil, and you can have It all
for the benefit Of Ottumwa, and that law
has been in force some six years. Now
how much have the citizens of the county
| been benefited by your getting good out of
that evil? 1t is we'll known that all the
whiskey that is sold in violation OF Law, is
sold under the guise Of beer license, and
| It the city wished to stop the sale entirely,
they could do SO by prohibiting the sale OF
wine and beer in the city.
Now, about the cost and profit Of the
traffic. The statistics of 1872 show that
the use Of intoxicating liquors costs tho cit.
izens Of the United States each year, ST..
49l, s65,000, COO murders, 400 suicides, be.
sides sending 200, 900 persons to prison, 200,-
| 600 children to aims houses and other char.
table institutions, causes the death Of 5000
dIunkards, including $50 by delirium, and
5000 By other forms OF insanity, making
| $4,000 widows and 90 700 orphans. Now,
all this enormous expense is t0E on the
productive Industry of the country, and all
the crime and misery is chargeable to the
community, who, knowing the effects Of
| the trade, encourage it; aud to advocate
the sale because the tax pays, insults the
intelligence and outrages the better feelings
Of humanity.
You say, in regard to liceuse, it il to get
the best attainsb.e results out of the evil,
Please let US know what good you have got
out OF the saloons in tho last six yeaYs
| You say you believe you are in accord with
nine tenths of the BEST people in the com-
munity. That may be trne, YET I would
require some proof before acknowledging
myself in so small minority. We are
aware that in your advocating license or
free whiskey, you are in accord with brew.
ers, distillors, liquor sellers, losfers, drunk.
ards, gamblers, and dead beats generally.
SO it the good people approve your policy, |
1t will carry almost unanimously, and
should have been adopted long ago. as
sure You that will not be found counsel
ing resistance to your law by force or mob.
9. DuDLEYsa@
Auaucv Eiky Ion 1c5E