Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-02-29

ieavea grave doubts of any kind of Ii
cen g being constitutional and our presi-
dent truly adds that we have stood ON
the defensive and should now assume the
aggressive. Hoping we may have more
faith in our Masters promises may we
press eur work these coming mouths
with earnest prayer and joyful hearts
knowing. on Father will help us and We
canuGt out succeed. @
THE TAX ON INToxICANTs.
To the Press and Dakotaisn: There
seems TO be o difficulty in the minds of
many in regard to the attitude of the
w. o. L. q. towards the internal rev
enue tax upon intoxicnnts, even some
temperance people feeling that we have
struck hands with our friends, the
enemy, in our advocacy Of its repeal. II
you will kindly grant me space / will
endaavor to give cur view OF the situa.
ton. hoping thereby to clear away this
doubt in the minds of some OF our
friends, at least
To begin with, our position is not
newly taken. AS early rs 1882 our ma.
tional convention adopted a resolution
favoring the total abolition OF the tax,
o the ground that 1t is wrong in pfin-
oiple, ON outrage on the moral sentiment
OF the country, q quasi endorsements Of
9 pernioiouH traffic, q l%egalizing, 30 far
es the national government can Of g
business that is the source of most Of
our crimes and poverty, end q great
hindrance in the way OF the removal OF
the traffic and it's attendant evils out OF
tie land" The resolution further de-
clares the belieftthat "the large surplus
It brings into the treasury ia a standing
menace to honesty, and a fruitful source
Of, II not en- invitation to corruption.''k2
From this ground the w. @. 7. q. has
never reoeded, feeling to-day that this
tax forms the strongest bulwark between
the liquor traffic and humiliation. In at.
lacking it we believe that We are not
striking random blows but are coming
very near the root of the whole matter.
Let the United States government go
out of partnership with the brewers and
distillers and the credit OF the firm will
be immeesurably weakened. Ths brew
era n distillers recognize this fact, and
very cheerfully hand over to Uncle sam
the hons share in the profit OF the busi-
ness.
II IS urged that the repeal OF the tax
woold give the country 'ttres whisky."
But that does not necessarily follow. Ii
would simply be giving the entire on
troll OF the traffic into the hands OF the
crates, and they could tax and "regu-
late" It, or be regulated by it until they
we're sired. an then they could prohibit
it without any clashing wish the laws Of
the nstion. Again, it is claimed that
the %chsepeninR of liquors by the removal
OF the tax would increase She number OF
saloone. But the main cost of starting
q saloon is not IN liquors, but the rent,
furnishing and license. This last muet
be apparent TO those who can verify by
their own experience the statement OF
Judge w. d. Kelly. of Pennsylvania,
senior member of the house of represen-
tatives that ss She tax offers o reward
of 800 per cent on snch unwholesome
practices, mnoh u it is ndulterated with
ingredients SO perricious as to make
whisky distilled from grain and fruit q
comparatively harmless beverage
Another objection urged is thai
by reducing the price to the consumer
the consumption will be increased. The
actual reduction of the cost of q drink OF
real whisky by the removal Of the ninety
cent tax per gallon, wonld be Something
less than q cent. Gan any one sup
pose for an instant that any man who
wants wbiskey will drink any less &C ten
cents a glass than he would at nine? All
no, in most cases the .generous" sou.
would pay the ten cents anyway rather
be bothered about the change. But II
by the oheapening he did drink all he
wanted at q smaller cost, perhaps there
would be something left for such luxu,
ries as bread and shoes for wife and
children.
II lbeve succeeded in making my
meaning clear 1t will be seen that the W
o. 7. U. objects to the internal revenue
tag on precisely the same moral grounds
upon which it bases its objection to the
license system, and that it considers the
removal of the financial interest of the
government In the liquor traffic as a
meet important step toward its total
abolition. Respectfully.
| Mpa n M Gwyrr