Morris tribune., 1888-04-25

lished in your last issue and intended
as a reply to my communication in
the Tribune of April 4th Is of such an
evasive nature that it does not MERIT
nor would it receive reply had its
subscription been a less worthy and
respected name, than r. J. Hall.
The gentleman thinks, that II my
statement Is true, that the cost of the
liquor traffic to this state more then
equals the interest OH farm mortgages,
it proves that the liquor traffic is not
being suppressed.
The promise does not warrant the
conclusion; yet the fact Is, that in
spite Of restrictive and prohibitory
laws, the consumption Of liquor per
capita is increasing the world over;
but that fact does not prove restrictive
laws a failure, any more than it
proves the increased consumption a
result of said laws. The axe struck
into the trunk of growing tree is an
injury to that tree though it may not
stop or seemingly retard its growth.
Mr.. Hall passes over (perhaps un-
Intentionally several important
points in my former letter; one of
which is the following purport. The
evil effects of the saloon business are
not local, they are not confined to the
congested parts of q community, but
are felt as much by farmers and all
country residents, as by the inhabi-
tants of town and city, it therefore
follows as q matter not only of dollars
and cents, but of abstract right and
justice, that the former are as much
entitled to a direct vote upon the
license question as are the letter.
Does Mr.. Hall believe that the above
statement is true or false. II the
former, silence on the subject will not
add to his political prospects, or the
respect due his name. II the latter,
let him speak out plainly and give If
he can comprehensive reasons for his
belief. -. t
The writer speaks from the stand
point of the farmer, and IL one of the
many who are deprived of direct
vote upon the license question; he be-
lieves the law which discriminates in
favor Of the town and against the
country is wrong; he proposes to do
what he can to right that wrong; and
il the worthy gentleman who takes
exceptions to my former letter is the
kind of man he 10 supposed to be, he
will not be afraid to come out squarely
either for or against that issue.
Mr.. Hall wrongly assumes that Re.
publican was speaking from moral
grounds, when he said that license
fees should be paid to the state. Mr..
Hall, then, instead of answering the
statement OF. the good reasons upon
which It Is based, uses his false as
sumption as pretext for evadlng the
subject, by attacking Republicans
morality. Republicans morals, or the
ethics of high license have no con-
nection with the subject. From a
moral stand point only, 1t matters not
whether license fees are paid to state,
country or town.
] hope the attention of r. j. III. will
not be permanently drawn from what
/ have above said il I again allude to
the Alliance Committee, and its pro
whiskey candidate, The readers of
the Tribune know that the nominal
ing act of said committee has been
generally denounced and ridicnled
by the papers and public men through
out the state. They know that the
nomination was pushed through the
committee by the outside influence
Of few farmer politicians.
That nomination, though presump-
tuous, would yet be veniaI, had they
shown that their candidate had been
a life long friend Of the farmer, and
that IN his ability and willingness to