Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-12-01

Into theif pO6atSsloA III al ADkOiute
helpless condition as soon as pos
session in an absolutely helpless
condition as soon as possible. 1t was
not enough TO make beer-drinker
Of him-to get get the largest profit
II became necessary 10 make q
drunkard Of him.
But il does not stop here. Men
are not the only victims. There
are boys in the neighborhood, strip
lings from 13 to Is. The agent Of
the brewers arranges his trap for
them. They have no money, so he
gives them credit. He has room
for them secure from observation, in
which they may play cards, or pool,
or other forms Of Billiards; all for
beer, OF course. When the account
swells to a sufficient amount he de-
,nands payment. The alarmed boy
cannot pay. He frightens him With
threats Of appeal to his parents, and
when the boy is sufficiently ground
down, he suggests that his mother
has linen, and his elder brother a
revolver, his father books. and his
sister jewelry; and he gives him the
name Of pawnbroker who will ad
vance him all the money he wants
on articles of this kind. The fright
ened boy jumps at this easy escape,
goods are missed from the house,
servant girls are discharged for theft,
and the thing goes on until the boy
becomes confirmed thief, and so
bold in his operations that discovery
is made. Whether he finally gets
to the house Of correction or not, he
is bcer-sotten wretch before he is
eighteen, and is the bond-slave Of
the drink-tiend forever. The bust.
ness is, in and of itself an organized
hunt after weak men aud children.
II druggist should entice the boys
into his store and feed them with
opium, that, after the habit was fix
ed, he might make money by sell
ing them the drug, there would be
no question as to what the COM
munity would do with him. Where
in il the difference The beer
shopkeeper makes it his business to
entice boys and weak men into his
place and lures them on to an appe-
tite more obstructive than opium.
He uses every artitice that his inge-
nuity devise to fix the alcohol habit
upon them to their destruction and
his profit. "a more internal infer
nalism" says Locke, was never de-
vised, ''and it does not call for some
kind Of law nothing does"
But it must be prohibited, not
merely restrained. Heavy taxation
of the traffic has no effect, for the
profit Of the business are SO great
that no taxation has ever been
reached that they could not laugh
at. The profit on beer is enormous
and they have safeguard against
taxation III this, that they make
their own prices and they have pos
session Of their customers. Should
a tax, upon beer be made so great
that the seller should be compelled
to double the price, it would make
no difference in sale to his regular
customers. They must and will
have it.
The widespread misery caused by
this wholesale poison Of the masses,
the poverty, degradation. ignorance,
crime and disease it entails, the in
creased taxation it has caused, have
alarmed the general public, and
made some action against it ubso-
lutely necessary. In five states,
Maine, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and
Georgia, prohibition is an accom-
plished fact and the sentiment in
favor of it is rapidly spreading.
But does prohibition, and is pro-
hibition the cure for the evil? In
answering this question, Mr.. Locke
recoCnts his personal experience,
particularly in Maine, and answers
in the affirmative. He says there is
liquor still sold in Portland, and
plenty Of it; but if you want to get
drunk il Portland you go where
the material is, for that purpose, and
that only. You must go and find
tit is not trying to find you.
Mr.. Locke considers the influence
of rum in politics as one Of the
strongest reasons for prohibition.
Take,the vote of the enormous mass
the men employed in hrcweriea, the
wholesalers and retailers OF l,qGor,
the bartenders and other assistants
directly employed, the collateral
branches Of trade dependent more
or less upon them, and the vast
army OF hangers-on Of the saloons,
and it is power which can and
does CONTROL the cities OF the coun-
ty. Parties vie with each other in
bidding for tho saloon vote. nomi-
nations are made with sole reference
to it, aud this unholy power would
become the government but for the
counteracting influence in the coun-
try, which IS yet, to some extent
free from its Internal induenee
Think of a government under con.
troll Of an organization whose bust.
ness it is to make criminals and
paupers! Think Of government,
controlled by the worst instead OF
the best citizens! Think of com.
mnnities governed by the men who's
business it is to make thieves and
paupers instead of honest and self
supporting citizens!
Rum is the source direct OF 80 pei
cent. Of all the crime and pauperisn
of the country; 06 per cent Of the
murders are to be credited to rum
and almost every gallows-tree il
rooted in whisky barrel.
Prohibition is certainty in this
country and that within a few years
Every civilized nation on earth il