The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-10-21

lates to the use Of intoxicanls as bsver.
age. The saloon is the child Of license,
and what Is wanted Is to find out the ex.
act place and influence OF that We may
be able to determine just what ought 10
Oe done with 1t, First, DR., Gushing
took the words OF zone who may per
haps be called a fair representative
MISUNDERSTANDING Window, who Is
certainly not allied with q party aTrayed
against the saloon" In a speech deliv.
cred two years ago he said; "Among all
the problems before the American
people, the saloon III politics is the
grayest and most pressing, and
no other threatens consequences SO
disastrous 10 all that is most 50,
cred in our institutions. 1t claims
not only the privilege Of satisfying the
appetite for liquor already existing, but
OF creating tue craving by every means
possible, as a method OF increasing the
market OF brewers and distillers and
wholesale dealers" At that time he
showed that its revenues and profits OK.
ceeded those OF our 100000 miles OF rail.
road, and that the cost to the nation
was, in cash paid directly for drink, loss
Of wages and taxation caused by the
traffic, nearly $3,500,000 a day, Sundays
included, He declared that loss OF life
caused by the liquor traffic In this Coun-
try, in every five years, exceeded the
total number OF deaths from the late
Rebellion. Mr., Window also said "ths
saloon system Is itself league Of law
breakers, whose example affords most
powerful stimulus to disorder Of all
kinds"
DR.. Gushing quoted the words !oi
other eminent men in the same line OF
thought. He also quoted from deCi-
sion Of the U, S, Supreme Court to show
that tho business is one in which no one
may lawfully engage, and that the saloon
Is an unmitigated evil,
In answer to the question asked by
some, "Why not license the sale Of 1t
under proper restriCtiOnW DR., Gushing
said: "There can be no proper instriC-
ton to an acknowledged evil, but its
destruction. License Ia any form ViO-
lates the fundamental law Of society and
outrages rights" No one has the right
according to the Supreme Courts ruling
to do what jopardizes the welfare OF an
individual or society, yet license author
ICES one TO do both Mr.. Blaine has said
on this point "Liberty OF the individual
ceases where the rights OF society be.
gin."
It Is not in the province Of law, prop
erly interpreted, to authorize a wrong,
Blackstone says: Municipal or civil
law, is q rule OF civil conduct, prescribed
by tho superior power in State, COM
mandiug what Is right and prohibiting
what Is wrong"
License, DR.. Gushing commended, has
always proved a failure. There is no
evidence that ii restricts the quantity OF
liquor sold. On the contrary, II gives
authority to the dealer, furnishes shelter
from the odium which would otherwise
fall upon him personally, and by that
much, gives responsibility to that which
would, but for that, place a man under
condemnation, No man, without the
sanction OF law, can do what the liquor
seller does, without being openly con.
demned by everybody. Vastly moro
liquor Is sold now, DR.. Gushing con-
tended, than there was before the license
laws were in vogue, for the reason that
license created q market for II.
There is no proof OF what is claimed
by many, that "high license" will do
what ordinary license has failed to do.
No one has ever shown that high license
would lessen the amount OF liquor sold.
All high license laws discriminate in IA.
vor OF wine and beer, while the fact is
that the sale Of beer Is a greater evil
than tho sale Of distilled liquors. Drunk.
enness has been on the Increase in the
past twenty years, and in that same PEE
Rod the sale Of beer has increased rap.
idly, while that OF distilled liquors has
decreased. Beer Is the most formidable
enemy We have to fight. High license
aims to make the saloon more respect
able-that Is all wrong.
DR.. Gushing said great effort was be-
ing made ON the part OF many politicians
and editors Of partisan papers to show
that the attempt 10 prohibit the sale OF
liquor Is failure. In reply to this DIR.
Gushing read from the current number
Of the Century figures and statements
from tho judges OF the different counties
Of Iowa In reply to questions put to then
by Governor Larra6ee, as to the ex-
pediency Of repeating the present pro.
hibitory law.
AS Christians, and especially as Meth.
odisis, II we regard the teaching OF our
Discipline, there can be, 1t seems to me,
but one thing for us TO declare and work
for, aud that Is the absolute destruction
OF the saloon, with all that 1t tends tn &C.
complish. On every saloon should be
branded in flaming letters, IAN Out.
law"