Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-08-03
Striking the Keynote
The Liquor Dealers Rebellion.
An Important Interview with Gov
ernOr Foster.

ao AOAAO"N-
In response to the inquiry whether in
his opinion the question of the repres-
sion of the liquor traffic and the en-
forcement of the Sunday laws would
become an important issue, and what his
views were in regard to those questions
as political issues, he said:
"The indications all point to the fact
that these questions are to become very
prominent. Even if we were disposed
to put them in the background, We could
not do it, l have never known SO much
feeling on any public question since
have been in politics as there is just
now on this one. The attitude of the
brewers and liquor dealers is such, in
their open alliance with the Democrat
lc party-their determination to throw
vast sums of money into the campaign
for the purpose of defeating the Eepsb-
lican party, in the interest of free rum
against Law and Order-their open hos
tility to the proper observance of Sun
day as day of rest and recreation
their open defiance of law-their want
of respect for wholesome usage and ira
ditiOn-their entire Want of apprecia-
tion of the better sentiment of the cOun-
try and of the welfare of the people, and
their indifference to the rapid increase
of drunkenness, misery and crime, AL
combine to show that the people Of the
State will be compelled to encounter a
Liquor Dealers Rebellion.
at is a question, with them, of self
interest against the peace, the order and
the good of society. According to their
own statement, thirty millions of dol
lars are invested in the brewing interest
in the State of Ohio, with an annual
sale, at retail price of thirty-fve millions
of dollors. 1t is safe to say, when we
add to this an equal amount for the
sales IF other kinds of liquors. that we
have total of sales at retail of seventy
millions of dollars in a single year. OF
this sum say one-half, or thirty-five mil
| lions of dollars, is net profit And here
| we find the animus of this rebellion.
"The enforcement of Sunday laws cur
tails profits, ard hence the howl sent up
in favor of personal liberty. A tax law
| would reduce the number of saloons at
least fifty per cent, thus curtailing their
sales largely, and hence their opposition
| to tax law.
They take no note of the fact that
amount of the pauperiSm, and one half
of the lunacy and idiocy, and the enor-
nous expense entailed on the people of
the State for the support and mainte-
nance of these classes are directly trace
able to the liquor traffic. 1t costs in
Ohio three millions of dollars year to
maintain our public institutions, and
our poor houses, and to support our out
door pauperS. 1t is safe to say that two
and one-half millions of this amount is
directly chargeable to the liquor traffic.
| I'VE have in Ohio fifteen thousand
saloons; one for every 225 of our popu-
| lation, and one for every IS of our Vo
ters, and however wise and good the
purpose may have been in voting into
the Constitution the clause prohibiting
| license for the sale OF Intoxicating IL
quors, the result has been, practically,
! free trade in their sale. Not family
relationship, scarcely, in the entire State,
but can count at least one victim to this
| horrible traffic.
The Pond law was declared unconsti-
tutional within three DAYS of the time
of its enforcement, and while there were
provisions in it which were deemed op-
pressive, yet Notwithstanding the nan
ner in which it was received, and the
general belief that it would be pronoun-
ced constitutional, investigation shows
the fact that had it been sustained by
the Supreme Court, one-half of the sa-
looms of the State would have gone out
of existence. Thus, if it had been de-
clared constitutional it is perfectly clear
that wholesome restraint would have
- l,a tro hot N
have lessened crime ard pauperism, and
tEe expense for the maintenance of the
criminal and pauper classes, and the re-
manning saloons wonld have been COM
PEELED to contribute not less than one
and one-half millions of dollars to the
revenues of the State, thus relieving the
taxpayers to that extent.
at is probable that the entire saloon
interest of the State pays less than
100000 in taxes, while the same
amount of business in other interests
pays ten times that amount. That it is
fair that this interest should contribute
equitably to the public revenues is be-
yond question. That the time has come
when there is an absolute necessity for
the curtailment of this traffic is equally
evident to every we'll informed person.
The Republican party stands squarely
on this ground, and they will make their
| fight on it against the saloons.
81 may add that, in my own opinion,
the best, the wiSest, and the most sue
cessful measure of restraint lies in the
direction of taxation. Prohibition, at
least, is but measure of restraint, and,
in my opinion, taxation will be found
to be more effective in restraining the
traffic than prohibition itself.
"In some quarters it is alleged that
the Germans, and especially the Repub-
lican Germans, will leave the party as
class in consequence of its liquor and
Sunday legislation. Our Democratic
friends seek everywhere to inculcate
this view. From my own observation,
and the information in my possession,
l am certain that this is untrue. The
Germans as as a people are as order
loving AS any other class ef our popula-
| tion. The fact about the whole business
is that this is liquor dealers rebellion
| against law, and while it may so happen
that in certain localities the beer traffic
may be largely carried on by Germans,
yet the German people as class are not
sympathizers, aiders or abettors of this
rebellion.
81 have met gentlemen from Cincin-
natl, Germans, who have said to me that
this charge against the Germans was un-
true. And while they may not have
that kind of respect for the Sabbath that
is held by American, vet they believe
that one day in the week ought to be
set apart for rest and recreation, and not
for debauchery and crime"
Colorado Excursion Rates.
The Pennsylvania Company and Pitts
burgh, Cincinnati & St Louis Railway
Comnanv will on Tulv 18th make a