Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-07-26
That Whisky Howl.

That Whisky Howl.
1t is the policy of few spring-halt
Democratic journals like our e. C. to at
tempt to convey the impression that
there is an inconsistency between the
known attitude of the Republicans in
favor of the restriction of the liquor
traffic and the declaration of the Chi
cago platform in favor of abvlishing the
| United States tax on malt and Spiritu-
Gus liquors rather than break down the
protective feature of the tariff and
lessen the production in this country of
those articles that give employment to
American labor.
On account of this very reasonable
| declaration some Democrats who have
not much respect for the intelligence of
the average voter are growing red in
the face yelling ''free whisky at the
Republicans. We should not be sur
prised to learn that the loudest of these
free whisky shriekers are some of the
very men who, as the result of Repub-
lican legislation, have been deprived of
the right to sell whisky. The Repub-
licans are not in favor of free whisky
They want it taxed, and taxed heavily.
They believe, however, that for pur-
poses of regulation it can be taxed more
effectively by the States at the point of
consumption than by the United States
at the point OF production. The fed
eral tax has not prevented the indef-
mite multiplication of liquor saloons.
The State tax On the other hand, in the
form of a high license charge, has re-
duced the saloons of Philadelphia from
5000 to 1900, and has brought about
scarcely less improvement in every place
wherein high license is in force. Tax
ing the sale of intoxicants rather than
their production operates beneficially
in relieving from taxation the alcohol
used in the arts, for mechanical pur-
poses and for medicines. In this way
the medicine for the sick child is made
cheaper, but the whisky which destroys
the peace of homes is made dearer and
more difficult to get. Should the fed
eral taxes on whisky and beer be re-
pealed as last resort to avoid injuring
any industries and throwing men out
of employment, the license charge in
Republican States will undoubtedly be
increased and the revenue which now
goes to Washington to Overburden the
national treasury, already full to burst
ing, will find its way through license
taxes to State and local treasures,
tighten the taxes on real estate, and
make the saloons pay for some of the
mischief they cause in the very place
where their pernicious influence is felt.
Because the Republicans in most of
the Northern States have adopted the
principle of taxing the saloons all that
the traffic will bear, the saloon interest
has arrayed itself solidly against that
party. They will accomplish its defeat
if they can, and if they can delude any
foolish people into voting against the
Republican ticket by persuading them,
through the columns of such sheets as
the Gazette, that the party favors free
whisky, nothing would give them
greater pleasure. Their winking and
chuckling over the free whisky racket
are, however, too obvious. 1t deceives
as little as did the arrangement in the
Democratic State platform few years
ago, charging the Republican party
with being false to the principles of
protection. The burglar who turns
and yells "Stop. thief" at his pursuers
may confuse a stupid policeman, but
the Democratic cry of ''free whisky"is
too glazing fraud to gain credit with
anyone not already bent on the defeat
of the Republican party.