The Republican journal., 1882-08-31
A Rebellion OF Rum.

Gov Foster of Ohio expresses his views
very clearly on the issues of the coming
campaign in that state, which, he init
mates, is substantially question whether
the liquor dealers, backed by the Dem
ocratic party, shall control politics and
dictate legislation. In regard to the re-
preston Of the liquor traffic and intorce-
ment of the Sunday law as an issue, the
Governor says: Gwen five were disposed
to put them in the background we could
not do it. | have never known so much
feeling on any public question since
have been in politics as there is upon
this one. The attitude OF the brewers
and liquor dealers as such is in open al
lance with the Democratic party; their
determination to throw vast sums of mon
ey into the campaign for the purpose OF
defeating the Republican party in the in
terest of free rum against law and order
their open hostility to the proper observ-
ance OF Sunday as day Of rest and lee
reatlOn, their open defiance Of law; their
want of respect for wholesome usage.
their want of appreciation Of the better
sentiment OF the country and the welfare
Of the people, and their Indifference to
and crime, all combine to show that the
people of the state will be compelled to
encounter liquor dealers rebellion. 1t
is a question with them of self-interest
against the peace, the order and the good
of society. According to their own state
ment, S30,0O0.O00 is invested in the
brewing interest in the state of Ohio, with
an annual sale at retail price of $50, 900,
600 1t is safe to say, when we add 10
this an equal amount for the sales OF
other kinds OF liquors, that we have a
total OF sales at a retail OF S1O.O0O,0OO in
a single year. OF this sum, say one halt is
profit, and here we find the animus OF
this rebellion.
"Ihe enforcement of Sunday laws
curtails profits, and hence the howl sent
up in favor OF personal liberty 4 tax
law would reduce the number of saloons
at least 50 per cent, thus curtaiing theil
sales largely, and hence their opposition
To the tax law. They take no note of the
fact that nine -tenths of the crime, an
equal amount of the pauperism. and
half Of the lunacy and idiocy and the
enormous expense entai|ed on the pco-
pie of the State for support and main
tenance of these classes are decidedly
traceable to the liquor traffic. 1t costs
in Uhlo Sj,UUU.UUU Il year TO maintain
our public institutions and our poor
| houses and to support our outdoor
paupers 1t is safe to say that 81 800
600 Of this amount is directly charge
! able to the liquor traffic. We have il
Ohio $4,000 saloons, one for every -
OF our population, and one for every 4
of our voters. and however wise anC
| good the purpose may have been in vot-
| ing into the constitution the clause pro
| hibiting license for the sale of intoXicat-
inc liquors, the result has been practi
cally free trade in their sale. Not {
family relationship, scarcely, in the
entire state but can count at least
| one victim to this horrible traffic Ila,
| the Pond law been declared constit-
utional investigation shows that half o
| the saloons in the state would be clcseC
| to-day. which would in itself be Il whole
some restraint upon the traffic, and Woult
/ have lessened crime and pauperisni, WhilC
| those saloons remaining in business Woull
| have been compelled to contribute no.
less than : 800 600 to the state. and re-
| lieying the tax payers to that extent. |
is probable that the entire saloon interests
Of the state pays less than 5000, 900 il
taxes, while the same amount Of busineS:
in other interests pays ten times that
amount. That it is fair this interest shouIt
contribute cquitahIy TO the public rcve
nues is beyond question: That the tim,
has come when there is an absolute ne
cessity for the cultailment Of this traffic
is equally evident to every well -intorme,
person. The Republican party stand,
| squarely on this ground. and they will
make their fight on itaganst the saloons