Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-18

A
 Burlington Qa) Hawkeye Rep)l
 Sioux City has thrown up the sponge in
 it's endeavor to levy a tax upon the saloons
 for the purpose of deriving revenue. It was
 but a few weeks ago that an ordinance was
 passed levying license of $1 ,000 upon
 the saloons, with the understanding that the
 saloon keepers who refuse to pay it should be prosecuted. Those who paid the license
 were to be protected from the competition of
 those who refused to pay, although no protec- tion could be guaranteed against prosecutions under the State law. About dozen of the more respectable saloons paid the licenses for the first month. The others refused to pay, and then came the first hitch of dis reputable compromise. The city government refused to enforce the ordinance; that is, it refused to protect those who did pay against
 the competition of those who did not. Then
 the question was turned over to the business i men who had been most Instrumental in
 securing the passage of the ordinance. Here
 there was another hitch. The business men
 had pledged themselves to assist the city
 government in enforcing the ordinance, but
 they did not care to take the initiative them
 selves. Between the failure of the two
 branches to cooperate the license plan has naturally proved dismal failure.
 This outcome of the plan pursued by Sioux City was inevitable. The saloon keep
 CTS held the balance of power. The city had no right to impose tax on the saloon-keep-
 CTS and the latter knew it. They had an ad-
 vantage which they were not slow in mak- ing the best of The Hawkeye has before expressed it's opinion in regard to the taxa ton of saloons in violation of the State laws and the effects which must certainly follow the pursuance of such a course. Sioux City, oLy,Ix nd ofh fharT oit 6n6AavOrAd overcome the effects of an odious State law by sanctioning, for 8 money consideration, violations of that law. Such course could only fail.
 The whole history of the State since the enactment of the prohibitory law shows that this law has entirely failed in securing its in tended objects in the larger towns and cities in the State It is practically dead letter. At the same time large revenue accruing to those cities has been cut off, with no hope sf securing it by other methods. There is no | legitimate plan of collecting revenue from the saloons, and how the illegitimate methods work has been illustrated in Sioux City and Keokuk. What can be the value of such a law? It does not lessen the number of saloons; it does not decrease drunkenness; it deprives the cities and towns of large reve nue; it helps the violation of the prohibitory l law itself by encouraging 1leg1tmate
 schemes like those adopted at Keokuk ana Sioux City. It brings all law into disrepute | and weakens all faith in the majesty of the
 law. Much as the levying of blackmailing
 upon saloon-keepers is to be condemned, the law which has caused it is to be held primarily | responsible. As the situation now stands
 the saloon-keepers hold the balance of power.
 The prohibitory law is not enforced, nor can | they be obliged to pay license. This is not
 intended to be the effect of the prohibitory
 law, but it is undoubtedly the result. It is | not pleasant condition of affairs to contem- plate.