The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-09-11
THE HIGHER LICENSE PROB
LEM.
VOTE FOR A FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR
LICENSE.

The importance of the question to BIZ
decided by the ballot next Tuesday can
not be over-estimated, and should not be
lost sight of. Although this question is
to be decided in the same manner as
questions of politics are decided, yet in
no sense should it be regarded as a
political issue. All good citizens, NO
matter what their political opinions may
be, are DESTROYS of seeing vice suppress
ed, of having the causes Of poverty and
crime diminished as much as possible,
or removed. Although the liquor sa-
looms are now required to pay license
fee of three hundred do,lsrs, yet we
have to-day licensed saloon for about
every two hundred ana forty eight OF
our people-men, women and children.
According to the late census, we have a
population of five thousand two hun
dred and sixteen persons, and we have
twenty-one licensed saloons. If we take
from the population the children who
cannot patronize the saloon, the large
number of minors and women who do
not patronize the saloon, the men who
are either abstainers, or who patronize
only home saloons" we find remaining
for the actual patronage of each saloon
certainly a small number of customers.
The saloon cannot meet expenses and
realize any profit unless the receipts are
large. Hence, the conviction is forced
upon US, that a majority Of the small
number of regular customers not only
drink beyond all N liberation, but spend
their money in worse than wasteful ex-
travagance. 1t may be said that it is
unfair to estimate in this way the pro-
portion ofour city population as patrons
of the liquor saloons, for the people
from the surrounding country give a
generous patronage to the Kenosha sa-
looms. admit that this view of the
case Is not to be lost sight of, and with
sadness of heart I have too often seen
evidence that the tempta-
lions of the saloon have made victims of
those who are not counted in our city
population. However, this ASPECT of
the case does not count for so much in
our favor as many suppose. Is it not
also q fact that money is spent freely in
other places by many who are number
ed with our actual population? 1t is a
notorious fact that when some of our ex-
perienced drinkers want to indulge in a
spree" of large proportions, Kenosha
is considered altogether too small place
by them IN which to give generous in
diligence to a monumental "drunk, :"
and they 60 to Chicago, or some other
city, where they can more readily give
due latitude to their debauch, and more
lavishly spend their money. Kenosha
may do very we'll for an ordinary little
+" drunk" but for one-hundred or even
a fifty dollar SPREE" it is scarcely suffi-
GENTLY metropolitan So that, after all,
if the figures could be carefully comput-
ed, it would not be so very unfair to
form q propot tion from our actual city
population for the regular patronage Of
our licensed saloons. This being the
case, we certainly have too many saloons
for any legitimate or reasonable demand.
The greater the number of saloons, the
more plentiful the temptations that lie
in wait to ensnare weak or misguided
men. Experience everywhere demon
strates that diminishing the number of
saloons ldiminishes the number of the
habitually Incorporate. Habitual in
temperance among our people entails on
the taxpayers heavy and Ubiquitous
burdens every year. The burden is
heavy, as the financial report of the city's
affairs will show; it is Ubiquitous, for it
is the unavoidable result of sinful prodi-
gality. The majority of our poor are
made paupers by intemperarce the
same cause produces most of the crime
committed in our midst. Let the traffic,
therefore, that is to blame for entailing
on the taxpayers end ON the charitably
inclined such large share of financial
burdens pay something like the proper
ton that is its due, to compensate, at
least somewhat, for the mischief it
causes.
A splendid opportunity is now given
us to show whether we are in sympathy
with business that never gives any
benefit in compensation for the misery
it brings unless the high license it may
be compelled to pay will compensate
somewhat for the evil. Let us make
every effort to secure a $500 license.
Twelve saloons paying $500 license will
bring about the same amount to the
city treasury that twenty-one saloons
pay now. A $500 license means fewer
saloons and fewer Incorporate men. II
means more money in the city treasury
and lighter taxes for the people to pay
Give your ballot next Tuesday for a
$500 license.
~ g.tess JAS. M. CLEARY,
Rector ST. James Church.