Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-04-11
HIGH LICENSE.
DIR. Talmage Gives 1t Some
Sharp Hits.
He Prefers Downright Pro
hibition.
The Fast Mail Service Extended
to California.
Other News OF the Day.
HIGH LICENSE.
Other News OF the Day.
SHARP HITS.

Talmage on High License.
BROOKLYN, April S.-Dr. Talmsge's
sermon on high license calls out much
comment here. In his last Sundays
discourse on High License, the Mo-
nopoly of Abominations," he said,
among other sharp things: stamp
on this high license movement as the
monopoly ef abomination. Among
other charges against it, l have to
say that it is anti-American, anti-com
mon sense, anti tidemonstrated-fa facts,
anti Christian. 1t was written by our
Revolutionary fathers, first by pen
and then by sword, first in black ink
and then in red that all men are equal
in the sight of the law. 1mpartiality
is the word written the on Declaration
of Independence, Constitution of the
United States and over the doors of
state and national capitols. How
then dare you give to the man who
can raise $500 or 81, 600 the privilege of
selling sweetened dynamite, while you
deny to his neighbor the privilege be-
cause he can not raise more than $50
or can raise nothing2 Have the
small dealers in the festive liquid no
rightsl Iplead for justice to the tens
of thousands of men who are en-
gagged in a small and prudent and
economical way in selling extract of
logwood and strychnine say it is
unequal and unjust to allow the man
who has money enough to kindle a
great, roaring conhagration of temp
tation to go ahead while you deny
those other poor fellows of the traffic
the privilege of ever lighting a
lucifer match. | demand equal
rights for rum sellers. This high
license plan is the property
qualification in its most offensive
shape. Why don't you carry out the
idea and shut up all the bakeries ex-
cept those which can pay 1000
license2 Why not shut up all the
butcher shops except those which can
pay an extravagant taxi Why not
close all the dry goods stores except
those that can pay big sum for the
privileged well" you say, that is
very different" How is it ditferent2
Well" you say, 'the business of
selling bread or meat or clothing does
no damage, while the selling of whis-
key does a great deal of HARM There
you have surrendered the question. If
1t does great damage, then no amount
of money paid can give man the
right to carry on the business. The
$500 or 81, 600 are a bribe to govern
ment to let few do that which the
very attitude of government declares
a wickedness
So, also, is it anti-commou sense.
Some one says it is impossible to exc
cute prohibitory law, and as we can
not eject the evil, let us put upon it
this one brake The fact that you can
not execute fully law is no reason
why you should not have law.
Which one of your laws is fully exc
cuted2 We have law against Sab
bath breaking, yet millions offend it
every Sunday. We have a law against
blasphemy, but sometimes the air is
lurid with imprecation. We have a
law against theft, but your jails are full
of burglars and highwaymen. There
is law against murder, but we have
three murderers now in Raymond
street jail, and scores of them in the
United States prisons. Since we have
not been able to stop these evils of
theft and arson and blasphemy and
murder, why not compromise the mat
ter and for high license give certain
men all the privileges of stealing and
swearing and massacre2 Get ready
your excise commissioner 600 or
$40, 900 for the business of theft. Let
us put an end to it.
The clergyman's sermon is caustic
attack upon the liquor traffic and the
system of license. He is for iron clad
prohibition.