Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-10-19
THE LIQUOR SIDE.
conclusions Of arr Anti-ProhioIsIov
S~evsspapec EeINsrye to Esrahih,r,n

Conclusions OF an Anei-ssrahsn7.,..
SeE.sp-per EeiHsnye to Esrohibissan
In E1wa.
Sioux Citr Tribune: Pschib,fio,,
has he'd, in the various states in wb,ch
~prohioitofy laws have been passed. q
sufficiently long period of trial to dem.
onstrate its efficiency. One of the
| chief effects OF prohibition has lee. -
increase taxation, both by adding specinl
taxes ana by lowering tue value OF r.al
estate. IL thus operates both wa,s 70
burden taxpayers and to retard pros.
perity. In many OF The towns and cities
OF harsas special cakes have been impos-
ed upon busiuess men to make uo ria
dehclG 10 the municipal treasury. In
Lawrence, Kan, q q has been levied
on merchants, lawyers, doctors, and
almost every business thu. will bear !
tax, though the quantity of LIQUOR CON
sumed has not been reduced. a. tho
returns of the drug stores show. Az
the applications are reported to tile
probate Judge, there is no difficulty IN
ascertaining from time to time Just how
much liquor is sold and drank IN the
several towns and cities of the state
But the municipalities derive no revenue
from these sales. 70 meet their exnen.
ses a license tax is collected from the
business and professions of the cities.
The burden that the liquor traffic escanps
under prohibition is put upon other
lines OF trade, and thus Indirectly unon
the people who do not consume alcohol
The city of Dss Moines is in much thu
same condition. There ia no money in
the treasury. Formerly when saloons
were licensed about $60, 1000 was added
to the clty's Income.
T. @. Crawfort, whom the New Yori,
World eent in this state to inyestipate
the workings of prohibition, writes to
his paper that 1.-THE sale OF liquor has
increased in Iowa." and gives the
internal revenue department figures to
show 1t. But these increased sales
bring nc money into the public %treasur.
les. He estimates that, under the decis.
ion of the federal courts requiring
compensation to be made for destruc.
ton of proprietary rights acquired by
liquor dealers and manufacturers before
the passage of the prohibitory law, the
state will become liable for $4,000, 900.
Should the supreme court affirm this
decision, a burden of tax will be put Up.
on the state which will be an incubus
upon its prosperity and progress for
years. The supreme court will hardly
reverse the decision of the court bsIow
in these cases, as the 6onfscation Of
private property is manifestiy involved.
Experience has show, that wherever
fprohibition has been in force. property
values have declined and immigration
has fallen off. This effect seems to be
inevitable. and whether we may deplore
it or not. it is the fact. Ii there were
any compromising advantage in the
dinunition of tho sale of liquor, prohi
bition would be less inconsistent; but
under the present law we have the evils
of the saloon without the benefits for
merly derived from their existence,
1t il not necessary to present stats
tics in support of these facts. Every one
knows that this is the absolute truth
. and every one knows also that q Judi
cious Law regulating the liquor traffic
and compelling the trade to contribute
toward the expenses of public improve
ments, as set forth in the democrat,
platform of Iowa and in the republican
platforms of Indiana, Wisconsin AM
Minnesota, is the only common sens,
way of dealing with the question:
least until mankind are no longer 20
the earth earthly" Until some intelli
gences purer than Gods flesh and BLOOD
people shall inhabit this terrestrial
abode of ours, these facts will not be
come less stubborn than the mountains