West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-01-04
Political Economy VS.. The Liquor
Traffic.
BY HON. w. T. WILEY.

most excellent address, entitled as
above, delivered in the NJ, E.
Church, Morgantown, Dec. 4th.
We wish every voter in West Vir-
ginia could Just now read and con-
slider this unanswerable array of
facts and arguments.
The address ought to be scattered
by the thousands all over the State,
We shall from time to time give
our readers extracts from it. Here
is how Senator Wiley treats the
groveling argument of the abettors
of the traffic for the sake of it's
REVENUE.
But the popular, and much
Wanted, argument OF the abettors
of the liquor manufacture and traf-
fc, is yet to be answered, namely:
They are great source OF revenue.
The license tax levied upon the
vendor, largely relieves other indus
tries from the burden of taxation.
The friends of temperance make no
objection to the tax assessed upon
the manufacture, or to the license
tax imposed upon the traffic. For
myself, | wish the Legislative au-
thorities would tax them to death.
and, so far as these taxes operate as
restriction on the manufacture
and traffic, they are, in fact, means
of prohibition. So far, so good. But,
emitting for the moment, the finan-
cial relations of this pretext, look
upon it's abhorrent moral features.
Remember, the manufacturer and
vendor, present this consideration
of revenue as a justification of their
business. How can they have the
moral hardihood to do so? They
dare not deny the innumerable and
immeasurable ills, which their ne
farious business entails upon hui
manity But they would divert
your horror of them, by pointing to
the millions of revenue, which their
business pours into the public treas
ury. They make dollars and cents
the equivalent ofsighs and sorrows,
crimes and cruelties, wretchedness
and ruin, moral mental, physical
and social, which their avocation is
daily scattering over the land.
What a miserable apology Go,
gather from the highways and
hedges of your country, from the
purlieus and brothels Of your cities,
from the novels and homes of penu-
ry and restitution, the more than
eighty thousand drunkards who
died there last year, and lay them
out in sorrowful state at the feet OF
the liquor manufacturer; read to
him the confessions of the 5Oo or 100
murderers, who were executed last
year, for crimes committed when
under the influence of strong drink;
bring before him, from our aims
houses, the multitudes of squalid,
imbecile, helpless wretches, whom
intemperance has thrust upon the
public charity; surround him, IN
short, with all the progeny of wrong
and ruin, which his business has
begotten, What is his answer to
all this? He will-he must, admit
the facts. They are patent, and
undeniable. How does he justify
himself? By the revenue derived
from the manufacture and sale OF
liquors, the use of which produces
all Of these evils-by the millions OF
revenue poured into the public
treasury. demonstrate as you may
-beseech, implore, argue as you
may, your protests are drowned IN
the vociferous, guinea-fowl cry o,
Revenue! Revenue! Revenue !
Away with such horrible casuistry
that would condone crime by taxa
ton! 1t cannot satisfy the con-
science of the enlightened states
man. tits irreconcileable with the
obligations Of a good citizen. 1t IS
abhorrent to our Christian civlllza-
ton. Pardon this strong language
Perhaps it will be said it is not tor
me to- Judge. Very well Let judlg-
ment be RENTED to Him who
hath said: "Vengeance is mine, l
will repay, saith the Lord"