The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-09-17

tnelf hcllOn, VIZ lnh cOllhUfNrllOn Ol
the cons tuition OF the State In favor OF
what he calls Temperance aud good or
der;" whereas II the Democratic party
eueceed Ia electing Their candidates for
jndges the constitution will be con-
strued In accordance with law, and not
by any partisan rule whatever. The
constitution OF the State OF Ohio TeQulr.
Ing taxation 10 be upon property accord
Ing TO lts money value, fOrblds, by q
strong Implication, the arbitrary taxa
tion Of any of the functiOna OF property.
The taxation OF the sale OF liquor Ia lust
as constitutional, as the taxation OF the
sale OF farm or q railroad. The supreme
court of the United States has twice do.
cided that the taxation Of the sale OF
property Ia q taxation Of the property
itself. Brown Va Maryland. IL Wheaton,
4l0; Welton Va Missouri, 9l u e, 27b.
II 10 familiar law. a. every lawyer
knows, that under the law OF Wills, the
gift OF the income arising from property
Ia q gift OF the property Itself For these
reasons II has always seemed clear 10
my mind that this taxation of the sale
Of liquor, as II II we're an entity or sub
atanlial thing apart from the liquor IT.
self, the power TO levy which Ia not sup
posed 10 exist In Ohio for more than
thirty years after the adoption OF the
present con Itituli0n, cannot be sustained
without an amendment TO the constltu'
ton.
The real question at Issue Ia that OF
prohibition or license. The character OF
| the Scott law as a license, In morals, II
not In law, would be at once Visible II
II were proposed TO tax every house OF
ili-tame or gambling house 5000 or any
other arbitrary sum; and that the Scott
law az q temperance measure was In
effectual, was shown by its results. II
did not diminish the amount of drink
Ing In the State. IL repealed the Demo-
cratic Legislation OF 1854 and by permit
ting the sale OF liquor to be drunk on
the premises, II had the effect, az Allen
o Myers we'll said In Toledo In 1888, "0f
chaTtering every man who was willing
| 10 pay two hundred dollars for the priv.
lege 10 manufacture drunkards." The
good point Of the Scott law, II II have
one at all, Ia Its character al q revenue
measure--not that II promotes morality,
for II does not promote morality except
"for revenue only" Considering the
real question In Ohio then as being be-
tween prohibition and licenee- whether
that license be In the form Of Scott
law or permitted by an amendment OF
the constitution, the Democratic prlncl.
| pie is plainly stated In the platform OF
our party.
We are opposed 10 sumptuary logisla'
tioD and In favor OF llceneing the traffic
In intoxicating liquors. We believe In
self.control, and that the true remedy
against temptations OF liquor drinking
Ia to make happy homeaj and that per-
sOnal liberty should not be destroyed by
law, except where its exercise Ia always
wrong. No man seeks 10 license houses
| OF ill.fame or gambling houses simply
because the wrong In such cases ls In
the use and not In the abuse; but the
traffic In intoxicating liquors Ia the To-
gitlmate subject OF license, because the
nse.is beneficial and only the abuse In
furious and destructive. That which
Christ and 81. Paul encouraged and Ma
hammod discouraged; that which the
great Popes and the great ref0rmers--
the Leos and the Greg0rles, Luther and
Calvin, INDUCED In; that which Shakes
peare and Gothic and Ceryantes used and
Burns defended In song, the wine OF
Ohio which Longfellow has celebrated
In immortal verse. wine which has been
In common use by the most sober oil
nations. and has furnished q daily drlnh
10 the most civilized OF people, which
keeps Kaiser wilhelm and many Other
ancients In health and life, 10 not al
ways as evil even as beverage. But II II
liable TO abuse and therefore we propose
to regulate II by license, TO give II th
sanction and protection OF law, subjec
TO conditions requiring the vendors on
gagged In this traillc 10 behave them
selves, to keep decent houses, and 10 keel
them In proper nelghborhoods, aud WI
propose 10 charge the traillca fee for thI
privilege OF carrying on, the SAINT
graded In proportion 10 the amount o.
business done as q compensation for thl
burdens and injuries OF its abuse. Thl
Slxty.sixth General Assembly woult
have submitted to the popular vote a II
cense system but for the appll o.
the great Republican principle tina
whatever q Republican proposes Ia rlgh
but when suggested by q Democrat Il
necessarily wrong, which prevented
three Republican members Of the lowe
House from voting for the amendmen
when enough Democrats we're presen
to give II the necessary three lliths vote
because the Democratic party would 20
the glory.
Three Republicans-Burnett and Ha
Icy, OF Cleveland, and Peet, Of Clncin
natl voted for the license amendmon
when not enough Democrats we're prea
ent 10 pass II. They we're loud m0uthet
advocates OF license then. But wheI
every Democrat was In his scat, and th,
full tale OF sixty votes were recorded II
the affirmative, sixty three being need
cd for its passage, these three Repreeen
tatives being present refused 70 vote
The Republican caucus dictated this owl
, curse, and they followed In blind elay
cry 10. the party beheste.
Fellow cltlzens OF Butler county,
, the Democratic party succeed at thi
election and secure the necessary three
liths majority In tho Ohio Legislator,
q constitutional amendment pNrmlttin
n license OF this trolllc--the most salu
tary aud the wleeet scheme ever devise
|. for its regulati0n--wlll be submitted !
/. popular vote In 1887. II the Republlca
party succeed IN securing a Ropubllca
Legislature. which Mr.. Sherman hae tol
, us will give us "wico temperance laws,
y and Republican judges are elected VIII
will construe the constitution OF th
State not In accordance viii Ito NEAR
' 2 Ing and intent, but upon what Mr.. Shel
man calls the side OF temperance an
y good order, the result will no doubt b
' reached either 10 reverse tho declelon
: the Supreme Court against the Scott Ia,
, and collect the uncollected taxes OF 1875
' and 1884 or 10 pass another law OF while
the Scott law 10 a sample and submit o.
; other prohibition amendment for whlc
!, the action Of the Slxty.2fth General Al
sembly gives us q precedent. Betwee
, these alternatives as between Scylla nm
!. Charybdls, the Republican party hope
II aacura tha amOlumAnta of OillCA with