The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-11

COMMUNICATION. :,
Honor to Whom II nor Is due.
A Financial Scheme which ont SAer.
mans Sherman.
A village ordinance was passed some
time since which undertook to prohibi,
the sale of spirituous, malt. fermented OF
vinous liquors unles. presci bed by q
physician for purely medical purposes.
This was an advanced measure in the
direction of radical r form which did
great credit to our Town. 1t advertised
US abroad as importance village. II
brought to our place multitude of long
haired gentlemen and short haired W.T.
men of the radical persuasion. We have
patent right az nts from down East. in
valid ministers drinking nothing but
Hosteitcr's Bitter, and lecturer, on tenn
perance whose aim and end was to take
up collections.
But somehow or other this ordinance
did not work we'll. Sone 500 of license
fees did not find their way into the Vii
tlage trea sury. Our German and Scandi-
navian friends and patrons deserted us.
They were unable to find tn" back dOor
entrance to our saloons. Several pro-
tracted suits brought at great expense
iby the Village failed to establish the
validity of the ordinance. The VILLAGE
treasury was depleted. Bills maturt
could not be paid. Projected improve
|ments were abandoned. Grass grew in
the business streets. Weeds. unmolest-
ed. overtopped the buildings. The banks
held nothing but promises to pay.
The little silver and gold left, was de-
posted by our citizens for safe keeping
in the vaults under Joe Lichtwark' 5
saloon
The municipal affairs Of our respectable
corporation we're dcad-lccked. Some
thing had to be done. TIE Village Coun.
Gil was equal to the emergency. 1t re-
pcaled the former rdinance and passed a
new one which provides that whoever
GIVES, barriers. sells or disposes of any
liquors. without having first obtained a
license therefor, shall on conviction there.
of he fined for every such OGense ~ any
sum not exceeding $40. or be imprison-
ed in iail, until the fine and costs have
been paid. Now this ordinance on the
face of it goes 10 the root of the whole
matter.
A superficial observer would conclude
that the purpose and intent Of the Coun-
Gil was to inhibit and absolutely prohibit
and prevent the possible use of anything
stronger than spruce beer for convivial.
me dicinar, mechanical or Sacramental
purposes, from this time, hereforth and
and forever more. Such an ordinance
passed by the Village Council of Jerusa-
lem, Ammo Domini 30 Il say it reverently
might have imprisoned the Saviour for
GIVING wine to the guests at the mar
rage feast of Cana. 1t would have e.
abled the miserable Roman tax gathvrcrs
to have collected a fine of 500. from
whoever gave or disposed of the wine
which the sorrowful dis ciples used at the
last Supper 1t would have put detect
ives on the track of Paul for his advice
to Timothy. But the Publicans of Red
wood Falls are wiser in their generation
than the ancients. The fact is that the
real intent of this ordinance is to fill the
exhausted Village treasury. 1t has no
moral significance. 1t is purely and sole
ly matter of finance. With an eye sin
gle to the main chance dollars and
cents-they manage at the same time tt
satisfy the demands of radical reformers.
The utmost that radica! SEMI erance leg
iSlation has attempted heretofore. has
been to restrain or ''proniui:
the sale of srlr.tu,us. malt or
WIN us liquors. Until the CT, alton Of tie
present sil,age Council OF Redwood Fails
it never Mt red into the heart or mini OF
man to max tn g.v.ng OF glass OF wine
or beer under any and all circumstances
imprisonment. This t.oLgnl is original
with our Village Fathers or their advis
crs. 1t is well conc, iyed financial plan
to put money into the Village trcasu. y
which by uawisc iegi>la ion has been de
pl ted BIZ ing, II ously introducing ths
word give" into the ordinance, they
expect to cat h the uuwary aid compel Il
large appl alton for license. Look Il,
t. Ii druggist fills Il PRESCRIPTION i'll
which on homeopathic principles an
intinite>imal amount of wine, VIII sley OF
b. andy is introduced ne is iiaalc to.a fine
of $40. If a physician iii Case OF lifa
an death adm ni>tara an atom ~ stiiiiu.
liant to his patti MT he is able 10 fine oi
$40. If Il mo;.,e start Ell IN tie night
with the cries of h r babt il the agony
of c.,lic, dare to administer a today Sill
liabl. to fine of $iUU if Il geEti, m.; Il
offers his guest a. his d nn,r table :; glass
# native wine. made from crap gr,wn
on his own premises, hc is liable to- a ffne
OF $lOJ. If the ekler, OF The Prtsoyter. an
church OF The Rev. S NJ. Davis of ;ne
Methodist church, or the Presiding elder
gives or disposes If wine at the sacra-
mant they are habl,. under this ordinance
to fine Of 800. There can be 70 mis-
take about the legal import OF tie Ian
guage used-it means to ''btstoN G aiui
tously it is emphasized by be ne
made the first offence d, sisnat d in the
ordinance. There is no mt nor gu H.
fication as to the giving. ~ hoe l
gives" wine, beer, whiskey o. Lrandy
under any circumstances. or to any y r
son, or in any place. is guilty OF m =
demeanor and liable to fine or impri on
ment. Now i, is not pos>ibl. to con.ei yy
that any sane mind however prejudice
or radical. could entertain the belief that
the giving of stimulants under any ard
all possible circumstances was a crime
| Per Sc.
We must look for some other motive
and intent for the ehactm mt of this
Extraordinary ordinance. The purpOs:
| have said is n financial one. the writ
er's first impression was that, the Council
proposed to enforce the law and collec,
unlimited fincs bv an indirect process Of
universal TAXATION. Bat they have beer
iuofortunate in that direction. Fhe onl,
other conclusion can reach, is that they
nronose to enforce universal license
Imagine the revenue o. the Village
There's millions in it," Liccn e. {;
300 apiece. Saloon keepers, druggists
physicians, heads of families, mothers
with ailing babies, gentlemen who drinl
Openly and gentlemen who drink con til,
sly" pastors of churches. church sessions
and ruling elders, Germans. Swedes
Norwegians Elamites and the dwcl|er
beyond the Redwood Imagine them ri
|rushing to the village Recorder with thei