The Russellville Democrat., 1886-07-14
asked then to license an institution

asked then to license an Institution which:
 Provides nothing useful or beautiful; :;
 causes and encourages idleuess; teach-
 es tippling and drunkenness: breeds
 disorder, vice, poverty, and crime; an- | tagonizes our homes, schools and
 churches. Can we, dare we, call such institutions into existence, set them up in our midst, sanction their work. and
 protect them in it? Are tine interest of our homes, our society, our children
 and our neighbors to be sacrificed to such demand? And for whose inter- estss That one in five hundred may l become dram seller and make a lazy living at the expense oi all we hold dear; that the other four hundred and |ninety-nine may bear the burden and
 suffer the misery.
 III. What the voter does by licens- ing it. Christian voter, before yon cast
 your ballot for the dram shops, please
 think that by your licensing 1t:
 l l. You compromise with wrong.
 Suppose man comes to you and says, s.Sir you have nice boy growing up
 there, will pay you one hundred dol- l lars if you will give me the liberty to teach him to tipple and drink. I will
 not compel him but simply nse attract- 1 i've display and persuasion on him.
 You indignantly rcpcl the awful proposition. But friend standing near says, s'You might IS well take the one hundred dollars; ifyou refuse, he 1 will get your boy in some secret and Illicit way, and teach him to drink. 1 Your hoy will learn 10 drink all the same, and you will have the one huns dred dollars.7 And yet you repel with perfect adherence the suggestion that l you should allow any one, for q money 1 consideration, to attempt the ruin of your boy. But when d man goes to
 your corporation and says, T will give
 you one hundred dollars if you will al-
 low nc to teach as many ef the boys in your county or city as Lean allure to iipplc and drink" what do you says
 In the first ease the man wishes to try his arts upoi, one boy, and that one
 yours; in the second lie proposes to try 1 his aits upon all the boys, yours i'm cludcd It would have been infamous
 for you to have accepted his money and l delivered your boy over to his sednc- | tions; Is it not all the more infamous l for you to vote to fake the money and deliver all the boys of the corporation oyer to hls wiles? You would not com promise with wrong when lhe proposi- l ton for private corruption was made; q thousand times less should you do so, when it is proposed to attempt a whole sale and public corruption.
 ?. You go into partnership with the traffic. When you license the dram shop you practically say: "Give us q portion of your gains, and you keep the h..n la.
 lent partner, and m paid for your si- lence. The drasl khop ruins your neighbor's son ;vF can say nothing, made out of it's ri1fN. The dram shop destroys a happy nome, and mother and children sits weeping and heart-broken in ts ashes. You must be quiet, for in your pocket clinks a portion Of the sil- yer into which that happy home was pitlessly transmitted. And vixen at the end of the year the dram seller counts up the gain--wl,ile outside you behold the ruin, the wee, the misery and the sorrow which have bren wrought, he Invites you in and with almost dcnioniac leer says to you. "l know it locks ugly out there. but have the gains and here's your share sir. We're partners you know.' Can you partnership the traffic?
 5. You lend 1t responsibility and sane. ton. The liquor traffic without license Is vagaboud, a bankrupt, all outlaw. 1t sinks about with the brand of Cain on its brow whoever finds il may slay it.
 The very moment you license it, it Is entitled to claim full citizenship, it lifts it's heal boldly on your best streets; itis recognized us full brother to every use- fui and legitimate business it wears the full flowing garments of respectable sanction, and leans Tor support on your schools, y.mr churches ahd your laws. When 1t struck blow before 1t was done furtivoly aud in constant fear of punishment; now It bares the sword in full view of all, and stays right and left. 1t enlargcs the borders of it's garment, and with the prestige or city and State authority launches out into its congcn. ial work
 To all appeals and rclnonsiranees Il can then ,filimphantly reply, ''l Lave the people and he law at ny back, sir, and my business is us good as any oth- err" Every voter who casts his ballot for license practically throws his nsan- tie ef character aia,i respectpbility AooHt 1 the traffic and endorse its work.
 T, I pH tsliil " itf itn Abl Ns ltN R4"Ai ! slep k ready in essense. There is the 1 man ho wants to sell. There Is the place completely fitted up where he wishes to sell There are the liquors in bottle and keg which he Is ready 70 sell l Bnt the door Is barred, bottle Is undis- turbcd, the man is waiting and no work of decentralization has commenced, and it will not commence until yon aud Inc other voters order il. Legally aud sir- tnally the machinery of destruction is motionlcss uHfil yun give the word. That word is the license power. Nlth- hold it and all is we'll glsr i md inl- mediately ihc evil work begins. l,o yoai not see how you-the voters give lso tensy and activity to the dram shops You arm IT.. You erect \ ciiidct fur ii out of which il Issues to The constant attack. Yoa place tlie law and tho po- lice behind 1t, and no matter how inany ii stays and destroys nV ven gsaiice csi' oyertake it.
 Without license all Is Ut then has no abiding and