The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-04-27

| the number of saloons was trlf1e smaller
in 1887, on the basis of population, than it
was in 1881.
So want to enter respectful doubt as
to the truthfulness OF the statement that in
the city of Chicago high license has even
closed one saloon.
Outside of Chicago, throughout the State
of Illinois as whole, we find the tendency
to be just in the opposite direction. In the
smaller towns, in many of the smaller
cities and country villages where the Ii
cense fee was fixed at $50. those villages
and cities voted no license, but such has
been the operation of the $500 license fee
acting as brbe upon the cupidity of the
individual taxpayer, that We find in the
smaller country towns and villages there
| has been an actual increase in the number
of saloons sufficient number of the tax
payers in a large number of these towns
| have been influenced by the bride, and the
towns that went dry in 1881 and 1882 are
now going wet by small majority under
the influence of this bride applied to the
individual taxpayer. So that take the
State as whole and we find the tendency
is toward the increase and not the decrease
of the number of saloons.
| But, mark you ! suppose for the sake of
the argument, that we grant the claim
made by the friends of high license, that
it does close up 25 per cent of the saloons,
is there any reliable testimony from any
| source of information to show that the de-
crease of % per cent is accompanied by a
corresponding decrease of the sales and con-
sumption or by anything like cores
ponding decrease in the evil effects of the
| curse to society from the existence of the
| remaining Is per cent? Applause. |
| think not You will observe in the city OF
Philadelphia and throughout your own
state, it is not the high license feature of your
law, but rather the restrictive features that
seem to be operative, Gloud applause] and
| know that one Of your newspapers, | be-
lieve the Press, OF this city, has ex-
pressed itself as opposed to these restric-
tive features on the ground that without
these restrictive features the high license
revenue would be largely increased from
the increased number of places.
But they tell us that license makes bet
is to use words in utterly meaningless dis
elimination. IF you undertake to divide
the saloons of your city into two great
classes, guarantee that you cannot find
man in this audience who is willing to
stand on the proposition that the saloons
| of Philadelphia are divided into two class
es of good saloons and bad saloons You are
all agreed that if yon classify them at all
you may possible find very small num-
Der that you will be Hing to call bad sa-
looms and very large number that you
will all agree are oorse. Applause
have been out in Nebraska recently and
have taken some pains to inquire into the
character of the saloons of that state.
They are paying $1,000 as their license fee.
| received letter from gentleman for
merly mayor of the city of Lincoln, in re-
Spouse to an inquiry of mine as to the
character of the high license saloons of his
1
censed saloons of his own city, q quote his
language verbatim) sail the devices of
gambling, all the revolving horrors Of pros
titution are combined with the high license
saloons Of our city, and then the vast To-
cal revenue is pointed to as a sufficient ex-
cuse for He'll turned loose in Lincoln!'
That was his language. The vast local
revenue is pointed to by the citizens as
sufficient excuse for continuing the present
corrupt state of things in Nebraska.
| Many of those who are present have no
doubt read in the Voice and in other
| Prohibition papers letter quite widely
published, written by Mr.. Peter Her of
| Omaha, the President of the Willow
| Springs Distilling CO., perhaps the largest
| distilery in the United States. Mr. Her
wrote the letter snpposing that he was
giving advice to the liquor men of the
state of New York, having been solicited
rs to what advice he would give conce rn-
ing the adoption of the Crosby High Lii
cense bill, then, and believe still be-
fore the Legislature of the state of
New York. He was asked number
of direct questions and his opinion as
to whether high license in Nebraska
had seriously interfered with his bust
ness He was also asked to express him
self on this other point, ''would you ia
vor the passage Of a Prohibitory law, and
trust to it's non enforcement. =" Mr.. Her
advised with great clearness and consider
able force, saying High License is the
grandest law that has ever been devised
for our trade He says to them Sen
tlemen, you will find it very unsatisfactory
to undertake to transact your business I'M
der aProhibitory statute for, )" said he, 'to
conduct yonr business under Prohibition,
and trust TO its acknowledgements, is very
much like trying TO run railroad under
ground. You cannot tell" say Mr.. Her,
where You are going nor what is ahead"
and he assures his New York friends that
they will be blackmailed by what he calls
''onc-horse attorneys" and suffer much
greater difficulties than they would under
high license law He tells them that
high license increases the tone of the bust