Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-09-06
New Se,iee-Vol. q. No. SO

pack is not within its jaws, lest by the
destruction of part he may impliedly
legalize the depredatiUns of their sur
Vivors. The taxation of dogs he fears
will make the State a co-partner In the
predatory sheep-killiug excursion of the
canine race. The reduction of peison-
ed loaf of half It's destructive power he
regard. AS legalizing the destroying pow
er of the residue. Total prohibition ur
Rothing is his shibboletb. The prohi-
biti,n amendment may fail, but no mat
ter; strike down the Scett law because
it does not exterminate the traffic, and
let the saloon keeper manufacture all
the drunkards he pleases for nothing,
until entire prohibition comes. Better
this than compound with crime, and the
State pollute its hands by becoming CO.
partner with the saloon keeper in the
"bloOd money" extracted from his vic
tins. He forgets that for thirty years
the treasury Of the State has been re-
plenished, and his own children edu-
Gated In part with this same blood
money" He fOrgets that with "blood
money derived from his traffic the sa-
loon keeper pays the tax on his billiard
table, the tax on his dwelling, the tax on
his stock Of liquors, which is the indis-
pensable agsnt Of his traffic. He fOrgets
that with blood money" drawn from
his business the distiller pays the tax on
his distillery, the brewer the tax on his
brewery. and the wholesale dealer the
tax on his stock in trade, Does the pay-
ment of these taxes with money thus
derived lsgalizs billiard gambling, dis
tilllng, brewing or liquor selling? Does
the receiving Of 1t polluts the hands of
the State and make it a co-parther in the
traffic from which it is derived? Would
the refusal TO receive it place on this
property and these institutions the seal
aud ban of outlswry? If moral senti-
ment requires the rejection of the tax
on the traffic as an unholy thing does it
not require the REJECTION of those other
taxes which are paid from the fruits of
the same traffic? To this extreme the
logic necessarily leads. 1t in effect says.
reject the tax with righteous hOrrer as
an unclsan thing. osCracise the dealer
from legal recognition, freszs Kim with
public disappr9bation. outlaw him in his
business BY severely exsmpting him
from the burdens of taxation and blot
his Rsme from the duplicate rs from the
1t may fail of adoption; no matter, until
IL gone strike down the Scott law with
its upholy sanction of and eopartnership
is IT, traffic; and meantime permit the
DE-, manufacture all the drunk
ards In-, please for nothing-and all
ths dealers say smeni This may be all
right; might be in Eden or in Paradise;
but cRGnOt comprehend it. | cannot
comprehend the optimism that antici-
pases the millennium in practical
world whore the wicked cease not from
troubling and the weary never rest. 1
cannot comprehend the Jeffersonian
statesmanship or morality which pro-
fes.-s TO approve the taxation of the
traffic but demands that it be imposed
only by the impossible method of IL
censs. l cannot comprehend the Chris
tianity which refuses the salvation of
some or to diminish some evils because
all are hoi embraced.
Rrpabiicnnism is practical; does not
sit waiting Oh the bank for the river to
flow by, bat deals with the facts of the
present as it finds them. If ali good be
Of impossible attainment, it does not for
that reason reject partial good. The
JsffersoRian license tax which Judge
Hoadly and the Democracy so vehement
~ commend might be better than the
Scott law tax; the revenue derived un-
der it might be greater. But it is not
now attaiHsble. The Scott law does not
prevent them from persevering to OBJ
tain its constitutional possibility. Until
attained, Republicanism thinks the
81 .0O0, 900 Of revenue derived uRder the
Scott la ", although not precisely Jeffer-
sOniaA in its method, is better than
nothing. Prohibition may be better than
the SCOTT law; in the magnitude and
number of:the fountains of crime and
streams Of sorrow which it would dry
up, doubtless would be better. But pro-
hibition has not yet come, and may new
or. The Scott law does not prevent its
friends from persevering to secure it,
and the suppression of the private evils
entalled by the traffic. Until secured,
thinks the drying up of
a few fountains and streams. and the
of the public evils of the
traffic with the two millions of revenue
derived under the Scott law, and reliev-
ng the frugal wealth and VirtueIs in
iustriss Of the State from the burdens,
:usts and expenses 1t entails, are better
.haa nothing. For these reasons it ad-
here's to the principle Of taxation enbod-
ed In the Seett law. as practicable, just
and reasonable, and calls upon all, of
y Shatevsr political faith, for whom the
common welfare and diminished tax
burdens have charms superior to the
;hibbolsth Of JeffersORian personal lib
.rty. to aid in preventing either its
Legislative or judicial overthrow
Having thus stated what understand
o be the attitude Of political parties to
he liquor traffic. and the constitutional
and covered as best as
ave been able the matter of yaur sug-
,estiOns. 1 am very truly yours,
w. II. WEST.