The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-04-20
About Licenses

isfaction that the saloon-keepcrs are
finding it difficult to get the requisite
number of petitioners TO secure the re
newal oftheir licenses. The object Of TAI:
letter is, If possible, 10 increase this diff
ficulty. In other words, 90 discourage
all from signing whiskey petitions.
We hear anathemas pronounced justly
upon the sclier-but are they alone
responsible for the owl that is done
Nosyou, who sign petitions for saloon
licenses are equally partasors with them
in the crime Of IN liking drunk ards. 1t
is well established principal in mora
philosophy, tbat in proportion as we
lend our influence TO evil, wc are in that
measure responsible for it. Every Pc.
son who signed 4 petition last year
must share the woe pronounced upoa
the one who giveth his ncighbor drink
that pUttcth the bottle to him, and nrak-
eth drunken also. lab 2-l5. Let me
plead with you not to commit the same
fatal mistake again this year.
/ There is another woe pronounced ty
this same prophet, that our City au-
thoritics will do well TO consider at this
time. "WOe 10 him that buildeth a town
with blood, and establishcth q city By
! mi putty" Hab. 2-l2 | am not pre-
pared to say that iniquity was sanction
cd By law and made respectable in
uabakk uk's day as it is now, but if lie
had lived in our day, and been familiar
with our methods OF "buld;ng a town,
and establishing city" his language
could not have been more appropriate or
pointed. Every dollar that goes into the
treasury Of oar City, to build our side
walks, improve our streets, and IN other
ways reduce our taxes from this source,
I is tie pre- Of b'00d, and in many instan-
ces it Is the price Of innocent blood, and
! like that Of Abel, it cries from the
ground to God tor yengeuncc
! The plea that liquor will be sold any
how, and you had AS well license and
regulate 1t by law, and get some reve-
nue. out OF 1t, is the most glaring in
consistency ! know of. This rule is APP
! piled to no other evil ; arIess | except
the shameless practice Of 81. Louis, and
some other cities, in licensing proslilu
ton, and this is only an out-growth Of
a long standing practice of Iegalizug
and making respectable the sale OF in
toXicatng liquor.
We may argue, horses will be stolen /.
| is crime, wo all admit, but we can I
stop It, lot US thertore, regulate it :;
let Us license u well organized band OF
'respcctItiv horse thieves, and get a
revenue from 1t. Money will be coun-
terfeited; il is a crime, we know but we
can't stop il. Let US sanction it by law,
regulate, and get revenue from it. But
no. our political economists don't say
this. They pass stringent laws, and en-
force them against all these rules. But
The taking Of cur son from our hreside,
and from paths Of rcoliiude and virtue,
and enticng them into these gildcd
halls of vice, and sending them back TO
Us transformed into bcastly s0ts that
arc moral pes; in community. Al
this is eagaized, and if we go and ask
these men by what authority they do
lbeSe things, we arc shown licenses signed
by the city authorities, and scaled with
the city seal. If we 90 and ask the
City Council by what authority this
work IS done, we arc pointed to the Pc
tition OF majority of the citizens of our
city. Our r2ouths are shut our hands
are tied, and we can only 20 to God,
the judge % all who will do right, and
pray, Oh! Lord, God, Holy and true,
how long. how long.
Do you say his pictsto IS over drawn
take it home to yourself. Would you
not infinitely prefer 10 have your prop
crty sioicn, your fortune wrecked, than
to see your father, hssSaa5, brother or
son, made u moral wrcck-pre<enf, cter-
nal, irrcparablc 4? One of the suffcrcs-
from the Chicago fire Ut up placard
over the ruins Of bis property: "AIl gone
but wife, children, enerpy.' But what was
his love Nothing sui what could be re-
paired, everything dear,evcrythng valu.
able was LETT these fire could not touch.
Not so with this blightiDg eHr- which
like the lice of E-yFt enters CIT very
dwellings, and stings, and wounds, and
leaves ~ helpless, and deience9ess. Oh
citizens of Salira, Withhold yoor names
and influence from tins iniquity, and If
there must DC blood, let il not &c found
on your skirts, let not your binds be
stained with il. Let tic vision of that
poor weak @es->less shining pcrhcrs 4
ihaa snsed rg-inst-s,rrgginG in the /
dark waters of the Smoky, at The mid
right hour, come up before you. and re
mem Der that God will REQUIRE his blood