Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-09-06
The Liquor Issue
REVIEWED BY HON. WIN. WEST,
With Reply to Some of the Argu-
ments Set Forth by Judge
HOadly.

In answer to question from Hon. 7
c. Jones, of Delaware, Hon. VIM. West
has written lengthy letter on the tenn
perance issue, of which the folio ing is
a closing extract:
The temper in which the discussion is
by some conducted, the virulence and
elimination INDUCED in, the question
ing of the motives, and the sincerity of
convictions influencing opposite or con-
servative action or opinion, are greatly
to be deprecated, at least regretted. Such
discussion may momentarily CRAFTY, ex-
cite or Influence some, while repelling
others, such catch phrases az blood
Money" half loaf If poisoned is worse
than no bread" pay your tax and con-
tinue the manufacture of druhkards at
pleasure" are addressed with some ef-
feet to the sentimental or unrefscting,
but not to the judgment or understand
ing. The freedom from these of the
Hon. Mills Gardner's Leveland address,
its excellent temper, courteous tone, de-
cent respect for the opinions of others, is
worthy of the highest commendation.
Thirty yearf of free trade in liquor
had so far drawn the political power of
the State within its folds as to well
nigh bind it hand and foot. To some it
occurred that the clause voted into the
Constitution by Judge Hoadly, yesting
in the General Assembly power to pro-
vide against the evils Of the traffic, had
some practical purpose and operation
under which at least partial remedy Of
the evils might be secured. These evils
are tw0-fold. The on physical, moral
and mental decrepituds, pSuperisn, do
mesiic sorrow and crime 70 which the
traffic leads. The other, the burden of
taxation which these entail en- the So
Der, industrious and frsgal taxpayer to
meet the costs and expenses Of criminal
procedure and of oar benevolent, charit-
able and punitive institutions. The
former class of evil is purely private and
personal, which can be restrained or
pr divided against, but imperfectly, with
out suppressing their cause, as the ex-
perience of a century shows. The latter
class is of a public nature, which al
though they may be but partially pre-
vented by taxation may be compensated
by compelling the traffic to bear tho bur
dens it entails and relieving the tax-pay-
ing industries of the common wealth to
this extent from its public evils. Ae-
cording to the Legislature last winter,
not expecting, nor even hoping to inau-
gurate tho millennium or do more than
suppress the disreputable, irresponsible
dives In which the yonth, the inebriate
and the ha6itual drunkard are with i'm
punity INDUCED in defiance OF severe
penalties agaiest it, but hoping and OK
pecting to relieve the taN-paying public |
in the manner stated, suggested the fss- |
sibility of taxing the traffic, and embo |
died it in the Scott law. The measur.
has not disappointed the expectation Of |
its authors thus far. What 1t may &C
complish in the future, experience alone
can determine.
The recent decision of the Supreme |
Court has affirmed the authority of the |
Legislature to impose this tax. This
has simpllied the situation. In the
course OF its reasoning it expressed the |
opinion that the General Assembly |
migh by statute prohibit the beverage
traffic, il it deemed snch measure
necessary to the exercise Of the pu-
lice power vested by the clause author
zing II 10 provide against the evils there
Of, which Judge Hoadly voted into the
Uncertain how the court |
might hold on the question presented by
the Scott law, and conceiving an adverse
decision possible, it embodied the taxa
ton clause in the first amendment sub