Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-06-30
THE CITY LIQUOR LICENSES.
The Mayors Veto.

oroinance passed at Inc last meeting of the city
council to reduce the city dramshop licenses
from $50 for six month 8 to s7s for six months.
MAYORS OFFICE. CITY OF LEXINGTON.
Thursday. June %, 1888
To the Honorable City Council Of the City of
Lexington:
returning to you with my dis
approval the ordinance to reduce the licenses of
dramshops In the city from $50 Tor each term of
Six months to S75 for each term of six months,
IL 10 but proper. and a requirement OF law, that
should assign to you the reasons which have
presented themselves for my action, and which
despite my great desire to agree with you In
your conclusions. have In this case forced me
respectfully but none the less firmly to differ
from you. 1 have thought it to be my duty to
all the people of the city to disapprove this Or
dlnance-
first--Becsuse the financial condition of the
city will not variant the proposed reduction.
second--Because | do moi believe the reduction
would be good public policy.
Ihird-Because 1 do not think the saloon
keepers themselves would be benefited thereby.
The estimated city revenue Tor the year be-
ginning June l. 1883, including thirteen saloons
paying a license of $500 per annun each, will be
IN round numbers Sill 600 The estimated alb
solutely necessary expenses for the same period,
wi Cll NIX
repairs except the rock which il will take to run
the calaboose. will be. also in round numbe q.
W. 5oo. Over $500 worth Of work has already
been ordered to be done by the council. The
curbing advertised for will take something like
$5oo more. msking a total of %. 500. This does
not provide for expenses Of special meetings of
the council, nor for committee services by coun-
clinen. Thus 1t will be seen if The saloon llcen-
ses are reduced one-half. or l $50 per annum,
that though the first month OF the year Is not vet
ended the council has already expended. and IN.
unavoidable expenses of the city will REQUIRE.
$ooO more revenue than can possibly be collect
ed dnr.n g the entire year. This, too. in face of the
TACT, that the unusually heavy rains have
oone such damages rs Call for immediate
repair, not one dollar for which is included in
the above estimate of expenditures. The m
swer may be made that If the licenses ale not |
reduced u number Of saloons will In consequence |
cease business. There may be cases where
saloons will be closed because of the Increased |
county license. but 1 do not believe, whatever
tnrea's may be made. that q single saloon will !
De closed because Of the city license, under
which every saloon IN the city has been doing
business for the past six months. do not be-
AeVe the reduction would be good public
policy. because l am personally convinced Of
the iailacy. fneMciency and serious evil OF pro-
hioiuon. 1etl recognize, a every thoughtful
and ooservant person must do, that there il q
very strong and feeling in this state
against the lndtscriminate sale of alcoholic IL
quors. The high license law OF the state was
simply q tub thrown to the whale. 1t is not safe
10 lake The tub away, nor even to play ut taking
It away. In my estimation, and I say il d.lib-
erately and carefully. revenue, of no lnconsia-
cradle sum. with careful police regulation is the
only preventive Of prohibition in Missouri, In
this city the protest Of the saloon keepers is not
Just. The license Of $500 per annum is not a
nigh one. Many cities in the state have imposed
a License two and three times a. great. The
county ilcense In ne..ty double Inls amount ann
yet the city does all the police duty thu, .nen..
from the existence of the saloons, II this ord,-
nance were to become 3 law it would comue,
me discharge Of the policemen. when the dlso..
oers mat would result would not only be soap.
oaious to the city. but disastrous to tbs saloon
keepers. VINO would he more or less held r..non.
s'oie 1of tnem. AS 1t 10, the police snd Gala.
ooose' which could be dispensed With almost
were there no saloons. leaving the
ponce duties to the marshal. oast the CITY the
'um OF $1,000 per year. These faets clearly nrov.
hat the city license. as it stands, 10 not unr.a..
onxbly high. In consequence l believe thar q
opposition TO it Will be apt to epgender
. ieeiine which may end in prohibition here of
me sale OF intoxicants altogether. I do M,
mink the saloon keepers themselves would he.
by the reduction, because L believe if
ne CITY should agree to reduce the license the
county court woufd impose lust thai mucb
greater sum. In proof OF this it Will be re,u.m-
'ereo that the county did at one time increase
me license and then reduce 1t IN order to give the
city the benefit of the amount. Now as then the
city needs the revenue from this source while the
county does not. have no person al hostility to
my saloon keeper in the city. On the contrary
nave the irlendliest feeling for all of them, but
nave urged these views consclentiously in the
OF my duty AS mayor. l only regret the
manner Of the introduction and passage of this
done Ms it evidently was by pr.-ar-
ind pushed through IRON first read
ng to passage at one meeting of the council.
;ouise unprecedented so far as l know, with a
measure of such grave importance. For these
gentlemen. keeping the interests of the
lily always in view. l ask you to carefully con-
'lder the condition of Its finances, and tn so
egislate that the revenue of the city will not be
'educed to a sum entirely inadequate to its re-
With great respect.
Very truly yours,
c. Z. BALLARD,
Mayer Of the city Of Lexington.