Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-05-04
The National Whiskey Copartnership.

S74,015,311. 1853 That's a snug little sum,
That sum is what the United States derives
from its partnership with the saloon bust
ness, wholesale and RETAIL in this country.
The United States is in the saloon business
more extensively than any other whiskey es-
Establishment in this land. No other whole
sale or retail dealer in this country can boast
Of such magnificent gross sum realized
from the trade. The business has been more
prosperous this year than in previous years.
The receipts are in excess of last year 81 :
934,07590. With all the temperance reform
and the fanatical agitation of the liquor
question, in the very year that Kansas voted
to retire from the business of selling or max
ing liquor, the saloon-keeper of the United
States reports that the gross receipts are
over eleven millions greater than the last
year. Green b. Raum is our saloon-keeper.
| voted for him once for congress, but that
was before he was degraded to the position
of saloon-keeper for the United States. lie
says his business is reliable and his judg-
ment is that it will steadily and gradually
increase with the increase of our popula-
ton, subject TO temporary diminution upon
the recurrence of hard times. Like all other
saloon-keepers he knows that the poison he
deals in creates its own demand that every
drop poured into the life of man becomes
Kissing devil, crying out, "Give, give, give
me more ~ that men will buy it, beg it.,
or steal it under the influence of the dread
full appetite it creates that they will have
it, therefore he confidently relies on steady
increase in the business. Like all other
saloon-keepers, he does, or aims to do, a cash
business. But some of his customers are
not entirely straight. They insist on run
ming their business without considering the
government a partner, and paying him the
government share of the blood money. So
the government says to its saloon-keeper,
"There are some of our partners in the
whiskey business who are not paying in our
share of the profits. You must send at once
and destroy their business, take possession
of their goods and imprison them. Do not
destroy the goods, but take possession of
them and sell them, so that we can get our
money out of the business" In attempting
to carry out this programme twenty-six of
his officers have been killed and fifty-seven
wounded. How many have been killed and
wounded on the other side our saloon-keeper
does not state. Over seven Thousand of his
customers have not been dividing properly,
have not been dealing squarely, and he has
closed out their business and imprisoned
them. The business of collecting his bills
is somewhat risky, as will be seen by the
mortality among his collectors. But il is
so among other saloon-keepers. Their Gus
toners are liable IN get drunk and shoot
them if they undertake to force them to pay
their bills by imprisoning them and taking
their property from them. wonder if it
ever occurs to our saloon.keeper that the
business of poisoning men may be very
profitable but is wrong? 1t is not surpris-
ing that he should recommend that the bust
ness be continued. That is what they nearly
all desire. You have heard some reports
that saloon-keepers in Kansas are going
quietly out of the business, now that the
amendment is passed. There may be once
in great while such a case but the rule is
that they will not go out OF the business I'M
til they are driven out. think it altogether
probable that the time will come in the
United States that they will have to be
driven out of the business in this country at
the point of the bayonet. When The general
government shall conclude to quit the whis-
key business, and shall at the same time de-
clare in its constitution that it shall not be
carried on in this country any longer-and
that day, thank God, is fast approaching
we shall see that the whiskey-sellers of this
country will only abandon their property
and the business of poisoning men at the
point of the bayonet. Let the struggle cul-
inmate; let it come repeat it, let il come.
But before it comes this government will
have to discharge our saloon keeper and dis
solve the partnership now existing between
the government and every distillery, brew
cry, and wholesale and retail liquor-house in
the country. May God speed the day