Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-01-27
High License VI. Prohibition.
To ne Ettor Cft's Register.
WHEELING, January %.

WHEELING, January %.
SIR:-In your comments in this mora
ing's REGISTER on al article copied from
the Philadelphia Press, you say that
'wbile high license decreases the general
tax rate very materially by increasing the
revenue from s~aiOOnsit also decreases, very
materially, the saloons themselves. Pro-
hibi,iOn. on the other hand, takes all the
EXPENSES Of government of OF the whiskey
business and throws the whole burden Oh
the general taxpayer, while it does not de-
crease drunkenness. The number of ar
tests I'D. drunkenness was never 50 lGrSc
ia Maine rs IL WIS last year. The same
Is true, ID a greater or lees degree, o fother
States where alleged prOhi5itOry laws are
on the statute books Ia tiue, hIgh
lcrnse restricts the sale of liquor While
prohibition makes it free and anyone may
engage in il. These are simple facts
We PrOhibitioaists deny that these are
facts. and desire to furnish proof OF the
same.
Governor Larrabee, Of Iowa, IN his an
nual message, January 10, 1888, says:
Many judges give strong testimony IN
its lprOhtbitlOn's) favor, showing that,
whore. il has been we'll executed, there has
baep a marked reduction Ill criminal Of
genses, and also in court expenses. Dur
ing the last year, and particularly during
lis latter half, there has been a decided
falling off in penitLntiary COnvirts, and a
very large number of county Jaiis have
becn empty, some of them for the first
time in years
There has been a marked improve
ment in the condition of our poorer people,
especialIy in the families cf labOriDg men
addicted to strong drink. What was
formerly s~quandered in the saloon now
goes to the support Of wife and children.
Hundreds of witnesses to this can he
cited"
Governor Martin, of Kansas, t~estifes to
the same facts in bis State. One OF our
most reputable citizens, who spent thirty
DAYS in Kansas last June and July, says
"hc Was in nearly all the cities and prlncl-
mi towns aud only saw one man under
the influence of drink during his stay.
He enquiIed Of many persons As TO the en-
(Ogcemeut of Prohibition. The testimony
was il is generally we'll enforced n 1t IS a
good thing for Kansas and would not be
given up " .
S. w. Packard, an eminent lawyer Of
| Chicago, in a letter TO the JOice, OF New
York, dated January II, says:
In 1883. when our Illinois Legislature
adopted the high License law, l was great
Nv reioiced. | thought it was a long step
towards Prohibition. | tried to get up q
celebration over the great victory for tenn
perance, and offered to contribute SlO To-
wards fireworks for the occasion. From a
careful study of the workings OF High Lii
cense for four years, | now believe that
| His Satanic Majesty could not have de-
vised a more ingenious method 70 perpetu-
ate the liquor traffic than the same high
License scheme.
The evils flowing from the liquor traffic
have not diminished but increased under
High License. Although the number oil
saloons in proportion to the population In
Illinois has slightly decreased, yet those
that remain do a much larger business
than the larger number did formerly.
The following figures IN reference TO the
workings OF the system in Chicago speak
for themselves: The number OF saloons In
| 1882, under $50 90 license, was 3,S49, and
last November, after five years OF S5OO IL
cense, they numbered 4, 10S, according to
! CITY Collector Onahan's report. In 1857
the arrests in Chicsgo were $500; in 1887
they were 45,4OO, an increase OF 80 per
cent. The amount of beer consumed mas
increased from ST., 2S barrels in 1882 to
1874, lao in 1897, or nearly doubled.
The quantity of spirituous liquors con-
sumed has also increased greatly during
the same period, but accurate STATISTICS ID
reference to that matter 1t IS dlfhcuit, Ii
not impossible to obtain. g,
The population of Chicago has Increased
from lSS2 to 1887 about 30 per cent, ac-
cording to the most ~extravagant estimates.
But the consumption Of beer has increased
81 per cent, and arrests have increased 50
per cent. during the same period. so
where does the restriction" from high
License come in.
In closing he says: .
l hope the good temperance people Of
New York will have to go through our
sad experience to find out that hlgn
License is not a step towards Prohloltion
but Is, AZ The Tribune says, the only par
hler against Prohibition IN Tue pteseht
temper Ofthe people"
SAMUEL ". PACKARD.
John B. French, who framed the High
License law Of Nebraska, and OF ex-Mayor
Hardy, of Lincoln, Nebraska, who was
one Of that laws most ardent supporters,
both have since declared that that was the
greatest mistake they ever made.
The long trials of High License In Oma-
M, St Louis, and Kansas City are but
repetitiOns of this disastrous experience in
Chicago.
No wonder the liquor dealers are rally
ing every day more and more numerously
to the standard of High License, as the
only barrier of defense, as the Chicsgo
Tribune says, against Prohibition. 1t will
be a defense that doesn't defend.
The liquor men favor high licenses. The