The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-09-21


derlies all such reasoning. The one
unanswerable objection to 1t is this:
The more respectable you make the
traffic the more dangerous it is and
the less likely to be crushed. High
license does away only with its more
degrading, disgusting forms, dresses
1t up in the garb of respectability and
elegance, and thereby makes IL a
thousand fold more potent. If, in.
deed, 1t were a thing that is good in
itself, then to remove it from evil as
sociations and surroundings and to
place it under the protection Of law
and responsibility would be only to
give it a fair chance for development
and beneficent influence; but it is
only and wholly and inherently evil,
and you change not its nature one
whit when you cover up its outward
manifestations of impurity and vice.
You veil its ugly face, but you change
not one repulsive feature. You alter
its sphere of action somewhat. You
close up the low, disreputable grog-
4 (; % in the slums of your city. per-
j CO !. :. Zee, ans7 sbus preventmanv street
Nights, broken heads. police court
trails. with their vile records, and
othe legitimate results of low license.
Youopen in a better portion of your
city be fine saloons-attractive. bril-
liant With lights and music-respecl-
able. Aristocratic. No young man
need bel ashamed to be seen FREE
quentilg first.class establishment
whose dam to responsibility is set
tied by the high fee paid for the
license. What have you gained? 1t
Is the same deadly upas tree throw
ing its baleful shadow over the fairer
garden bower that you transplanted
from the unsightly back yard of your
domain. What have you gained :?
Hearts will break as readily in
palace as in hoyel. and fair reputa-
tions and beautiful young lives are
as valuable as are the victims of the
low-license system. Nay, If this
thing must exist let it be driven to
low, dark, vile places to consort with
its like-fightings, revellings. muir
ders. Let it be seen in all lite hideous-
ness. its hydra-headed monstrosity.
1t will not be alluring to the sons
reared in homes of refinement. 1t
will present no temptation to the
better classes of society when it wears
its true c0lOrs.
"rhey are no friends to prohibition
who seek to mask the traffic with a
fair and smiling face they are its
bitterest enemies. 1t is because they
know full we'll that nothing will so
arouse public opinion against it and so
deepen public sentiment in favor of
as to let Its cruel results
Dc seen.
"a fayorite plea used by the advo-
Gates of high license is the increased
revenue received from the vastly de.
creased number of licenses issued.
So long as the question of revenue
occupies the place it does in the
minds of politicians and statesmen,
50 long will they be blinded to the
truth which is clearly apparent to the
single eye. Were prohibition the
law of the land and every known in
fringement of the law liable to pros
ecution and condign punishment.
there would indeed be no upright.
eous revenue from this course to pol
lutte the Golfers of the land and draw
down the curse of Heaven upon "the
house that is builded by unrighteous.
ness.' but when the appropriations
for criminal prosecutions, jails, asyl.
ums, penitentiaries, reformatories
and all the judicial and humane in
situations for the punishment or re-
claiming of the victims of the liquor
traffic were reduced proportlonately
the gain would be found to be i'm
measurably on the side of prohibi.
ton. Alas, it is the intimate con-
nection between this evil and the
politics of the present day that has
entrenched it 90 firmly in the verv
life of the nations. There is but one
remedy. Nothing short OF prohibi.
ton can be the aim of every true.
hearted worker in the cause. He
cannot compromise upon any mere
restrictive law. He will gladly use
ANY law that will prove a stepping
stone to the end he seeks. He will
carefully study the bearings and ten
dency of every proposed measure
and he will be TOO careful of his vote
and his influence 10 throw either in
the wrong direction"
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