St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-09
STATE POLITICS.
High License-First District At
fairS-PrOhibition Work,

High License-First District At
fairs-Prohibition Work.
Since the publication by the GLOBE
of the number of retail liquor licenses
issued by the government in Minnesota
for seventy-six towns up to July l, 1888,
some of the Republican state papers
have gone into fearful tantrums over
what they regard as an attack on high
license.
Their frantic fear is almost ludicrous,
for the reason that any close observer of
politics in this state knows that with the
exception of the Prohibition party no
one is making an attack on high license
nor desires to see the law changed.
The GLOBE, in its daily intercourse
with the politicians of all shades and
colors, but prohibition, finds no senti-
ment against high license nor attempt
being made to change it. 1t would be
prepOsterOus to say that there was.
Mr.. Schetfer favors letting it alone.
Mr.. McGill and Mr.. Merriam favor it.
The leaders of the Democratic party all
declare that it will stand. The GLOBE
has never attacked it. The GLOBES
only position as to the law has been that,
save as means to raise revenue, it has
proved itself to have fallen short of the
claims made for it. The morality of the
state has not improved to perceptible
degree by its enactment, drinking has
not decreased, and the GLOBE repeats,
liquor is sold to-day in nearly as many
places in the state as it was before the
law went into effect. st. Paul is the
only city that to-day shows any remark
able decrease, and that is fast being
swept away.
The retail liquor dealers, wholesalers,
rectifiers, are all pleased with the law. A
few respectable but poor Germans who
were crowded out are not. But the
liquor traffic generally like the law and
frankly declare that they would not
have it changed.
One of the largest wholesale liquor
dealers in st. Paul and man who was
sincerely opposed to high license said
last week that his business had in
creased IS per cent since the law went
into effect. Another said to the GLOBE
(and he fought high license tooth and
naiD: "My profits have never been so
large as since the law passed, and pay
$1,000 license for retail bar''
All over the state the number of pri-
vate and so-called social clubs have in
creased, and they pay retail license
fee to Uncle Sam.
IT ic tima that tho 6rnn cforac
retail licenses and equally time that
they sell good liquor, and that the farce
of a prescription doesn't hinder its sale.
A prominent German said to the
GLOBE: "Since high license went into
effect drinking at home among my cOun-
trymen has increased. They take it
home by the cask or BARREL"
st. Paul and Minneapolis never had
as many finely furnished and elegant
bars as they have to-day, and the bust
ness on the general average is flourish
ing.
~
The Fergus Falls Journal says that
the local authorities of that place have
approved but ten saloon licenses this
year, and proceeds to charge the GLOBE
with inaccuracy in reporting twenty
four there. The Journal can verify the
GLOBES statement by going to the
internal revenue Office, examining the
books, and ascertaining, what is the
fact, that twenty-four retail liquor
licenses have been issued by the gov
ernment since May l, 1888, to parties in
Fergus Falls. And licenses are usually
taken out in this country to sell liquor,
and not for mere fun. Nor is it i'm
portant whether it is drug store or
saloon. The liquor is there, it is sold at
retail. and he who wants it can get il.
The same is the case in Mankato, where
Republican organs rave that some one
is trying to repudiate high license. The
retail liquor licenses are taken out, and
because parties taking them out are
cunning enough not to pay municipal
licenses is not indication that they are
not selling liquor. They do sell it, and
whether it comes out of drug store or
miscalled saloon doesn't bother the
drinker.
The apparent trouble with the Repub-
licans is that they fear prohibition,
which within four years, and probably
two, they will be embracing to save
themselves from defeat. They hate to
acknowledge that high license in many
ways has fallen short. They dislike to
admit, what they know will be the case,
that in the next legislature PROPOSE
ton will be submitted to them to give
the people chance to vote for constitu-
tional prohibition. What the GLOBE
has published has only been given with
desire to show the people the trap high
license is leading Republicanism into,
and the evident fact that sooner or
later they will have to swal-
low prohibition to save votes
or be beaten. Indeed, it has
been the case that last spring certain
Republican leaders gravely considered
thesproposition to attach to the next
tot .lot 1.,fs