Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-16
PROHIBITION.
Mr. Frank Burt Takes the Register to Task
ON the License system.

ON the License System.
Edao- Rsgtser:
DEAR SIR shall be glad if you will
grant me short space to make reply 10 your
eritieism-as contained in REGISTER OF
lO,h inst.-on MY position assuming that
If prohibition WAS good for Oklaboms, It
was also good for ihs balance Of the Union
You obirct because as You say, the stale
Of affair in Oklahoma differs from West
Virginia for instance, bat when Oklahoma
settles down to a civilized basis, prohi0i-
ton vii he 90 better for her than for any
other place. " and you add that 'pronioi-
tiop makes whiskey free and does not pro
hibit - also "thaI a good system OF hign
license il the only method Of controlling
m 6ouor traffic " While you are
r.tber rough on the Oklshomers,
vour premises seem TO assume
that the higher civilization dis egsrds pro
bibitory la~. Toe seller OF alcoholic
drinks IN West Virgins ia Just a. well
qualified and equipped to do business IN
oklahoma; the drinker who goes there
from West Virgins desires TO drink no
less than when here, and the effect pro
duced by acOhOl il no doubt the same as
here The conditions are quite similar,
EXCEPT that yOu maintain that because OF
their unsettled civilized basis they will
regard the law ID Oklahoma, while higher
state of civilization disregsrds the law.
I think il was last year that the Wheeling
CITY Council ordered the police 20 raid the
gambling bells and hagniOs because they
brought ruin to the boys. The week fol-
lowing the same Council licensed more
than 100 rum shops ask If yon are
prepared TO carry your theory out and ad-
vocste that because Of the higher civilizA-
tion of the cities OF the Nation, they will
not regard prohibitory law and that there
fore the City Council should have licensed
the prostitutes and gamblers instead of
raiding them
lit Is SO that law cannot be enforced
in cities, then il is no longer question OF
prohibition or license, but simply ques-
tiop of only life or death to the Nation.
And NAV say it will be well for Us to
take heed to the utteranees Of Bishop
Potter. as delivered at ST. Psu's Church,
New York City, during the Centennial
celebration few days since.
ne eNlur &C 10 oNFA NAe'N
prohibition does prohibit and that every
town. city and State where II has been
morally snd financially improved-just in
proportion a. the law hiss been regarded.
But TO say that prohibitOry law, license
law or any other kind Of liquor law has
been properly observed by the political
parties who have administered the govern
ment would be untrue. Political parties
that are dependent upon the liquor inter
eat for continued power, cut their own
threats when they lay a heavy hand upon
the traffic l may say, therefore, that
liquor laws will continue to be disregarded
TIL a party is placed in power without the
help Of the liquor fraternity. SO long ~
the shareholders could control both domi-
nant parties, they ruled the nation with a
high hand; and never until men divided
on that irsue, was there any hope Of even
checking its aggressiveness.
A problem of like import coniIOnts us
now.
The connection in which you speak OF
tree whisky would indicate that you be-
heved il 10 be worse than the licensed
article. Ii it can beat the record Of
licensed whisky AZ a crime breeder and
destroyer Of humanity, l am unalterably
opposed to IT, have not yet, however,
been enabled TO see how il is any more
moral and less deyilish after the tax is
paid Il would be bad enough TO set it
free where now prohibited; but have yet
to hear Of a saloon with license, that will
not endeavOr at least, to supply the de-
mand; therefore whether licensed or free
the quantity and result produced are the
same. License is simply an arrangement
that liquor may be supplied.
You speak of controlling the traffic by
a GOOD system of high license" | must
suggest that YOU are somewhat paradox
icsl Tie idea of controlling thing by
legalizing its existence may not he rev,
but IL is certainly exploded so far ss being
any remedy for the thing sought TO be
suppressed.
Tue prohibitions usually made on the
license to sell, such as no sales on Sunday,
no sales on election day, no sale to boys
under p wears old, no ssles to TO those
who sre drunk or get drunk, are
all very good but when the
license still has six days in the
week TO sell, and there are no more than
two election days in the year to stop its
work, and there 80 many boys 81 years
and up; and the necessi imposed on the
seller OF hunting up sober men for custom
ers. all this makes the license system bad,
indeed. Your reference TO good system
of license is hard to understand. l chal-
lengs any man who loves his fellows to
define any good system OF license that per
mits sales to anyone at any time. High
license while fastening all the evils of the
traffic upon us, Is to be further condemn
ed, because IL ia mOnopOllstic and un-
American. Please don't say rerenUe l
congratulate you on the publication OF DR..
Talmsge's sermons, and refer to his last,
wherein he quotes Mr.. Gladstone; Gen
tlemen, don't worry yourselves about the
revenue With a sober people Wei have
revenue enough and a surplus"
FRANK BURT.