Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1884-04-18


taking the lead in the movement for high
er license and consequent determination
of the low dives that exist now in all
parts of the city under the mere nominal
fee required for the privilege of tapping
barrels Of poor whisky in the Easements
and rookeries that can be had for small
amount of rent. The movement has no
connection with the extreme and lmprac.
t,cable idea of prohibition, but is design.
ed as restrictive and renovating meas
ure, making It the interest Of those who
pay the high license to aid in the prose-
cution and driving ont of the disreputa-
bic dens that seek obscure places for q
covering to their violations Of the law.
Prohibition arrays against itself the solid
phalanx of the liquor interests from the
distilleries down, which is too powerful
an antagonist TO successfully cope with,
but the high license principle divides that
formidable power and receives the sup
port Of the most influential and effective
part Of it. The better class of liquor deal
ers look with disgust upon the low char
acters that engage in il as a blind for the
disrepulable business which they cozduct
behind 1t and will avail themselves of
any opportunity to lend a helping hand
in driving them out Of the business and
ferreting out their obscure retreats. The
work has already commenced in Mime.
apol,s and the indications are that it
will he followed up in st. Paul.
The Iowa legislature at Its recent ses-
sion passed law imposing the NEST dire
penalties upon the saloon keeper or whis-
ky seller, and the extreme idea of prohi.
bition as 1t now prevails will have prac-
tlcal test. But it will fail because it is
founded upon the absurd theory that two
persons may conspire together and equal
ly contribute to the perpstratlon Of q
wrong and the one be q criminal and the
other martyr as the result of that wrong.
Admitting all that may be said of the
liquor traffic, liquor sellers are as HARM
less as spiked cannons unless there are
llquor buyers. When we come to look
the facts square in the face, and divest
ourselves of all superficial sentimentality,
we must concede that the man who buys
and converts himself into beast with
his purchase is the more culpable of the
two. The seller does not go out on the
street and drag his customer in, but the
buyer deliberately aud Of his own volltion
goes in, buys, and so far as the business
transaction is concerned no harm ls done.
The price paid belongs to the seller to
swell his Golfers sr give 10 the church or
TO some charity as he may choose, and the
liquor belongs to the purchaser to drink,
pour out ON the floor or other wise do with
as he pleases. Ii he drinks until he
makes fool aud beast Of himself, goes
home and abuses his family, he is con
soled with the thought that the saloon
keeper was the one to blame for it all and
that he himself is martyr, and straight
way he goes out to be made martyr Of
again, and will go two blocksto be temp
ted. The man who drinks must not be
relieved of his own responsibility on such
easy terms, nor do We IN the least screen
the liquor seller from his portion of the
responsibility, but law that ispredica-
ted upon such jug handle idea OF ex-
cesalve responsibility on the one side and
total absence Of it ON the other can never
be sustained by the moral sentiment and
sense Of justice IN the people, end Law
that - not supported by public sensinent
auuot be enforced.