Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-04
FOOLISH TO DeNOUNCEIT.
What the Secretary of the Non-Partisan
Temperance Union Says of the Dow

What tho Secretary Of the Non-Partisan
Temperance Union Says of the Dow
| Law.
At this time when the Dow law il un!er
consideration, remarks by Mr.. o. d. Cotton,
secretary Of the -non-partisau Temperance
union, an earnest and consistent temperance
worker, ara respectfully submitted to some
other Temperance workers who have de-
nounced the Dow law. Mr.. Cotton says:
81 hear a great amount Of foolish deuuncia-
tion Of the Dow law tax az being a bribe by
which the state becomes a partner in the
moral crims of saloonkseping, and also about
the feature giving municipalities power TO
regulate to Sunday sale, the latter being
denounced as Infamous and as a surrender
Of our Christian Sabbath The Sc theorists
seem TO think there were no saloons before
the tax provided for their continuance
and that there was no Sunday dissertation
before the Dow law gave municipal authori-
ties the right to legalizs the Sunday sale Of
liquors, as well as prohibit he sale entirely
We have listened so long to the discussion OF
these matters from a purely theoretical
standpoint that we have some OF us for.
gotten to take practical results into coasidera-
ton
Now, let us look at this tax matter from
practical point of view. and, while adher-
ing firmly to the principle that saloon is an
evil and entirely unnecessary for any proper
purpose and ought not to be tolerated, let US
observe the effect of the Dow law tax: Dur
ing the year previous to the enactment of
the Dow law, saloons were on the increase in
Ohio, and saloon business was as legal as the
grocers' or the dry goods merchants bust
ness. So far as the legal status Of the saloon
Is concerned the only effect of the law was TO
brand the saloon al evil, for the tax rests
On the assumption that the law restrains the
svils resulting from the sale Of intoxicating
liquors, and can be imposed only as a police
regulation. BnfOre the Dow law was enact
81 saloonist ing business alongside of a
grocer stood i'll the eyes OF the law, and 10
svery way legally, on the same footing; ami
the only difference now is that the saloonist
has TO pay a special tax because of the evils
resulting from his business If there is any
lesalizing of the business in that, the SALOON
keeper Is welcome to the benefit
Now about the surrender OF our Christian
Sabbath. Here again let US LOOK at the prac-
tical results The mere fact OF transferring
the responsibility of protecting the Sabbath
from the legislature to the city councils can
not be questioned only as to the propriety OF
results 1t must be remembered that the
general assembly had the power to legalizs
Sunday saloon keeping, else it could not have
granted that power to tho councils Hence |
this CLAUSE simply transfers the power and
responsibility as TO any given municipality. |
only STIMULATING that in the absence of direct
authority to keep open, all saloons every |
where shall be closed on Sunday. So far,
therefore, as the state has enacted, all sa- |
looms must ba closed
The majority Of the people Of Cincinnati |
seem to desire to have the saloons Of that |
city open, and the municipal authority has |
taken the scandalous responsibility to say |
the saloonS Of that city may keep open on |
Sunday. But the saloons Of Cincinnati had |
kept open before, the only practical differ
snce being that now the council, and through |
the council the people Of Cincinnati author
iZs this ieSecration of the Sabbath
"Bnt how has it worked In other placesi
In all the smaller cities with few exceptions
it has already closed the saloons on Sunday.
AMI this particular feature of the law has
kept the saloons closed in one OF the chief
cities Of the west even our own beautiful
Cleveland"