River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-11-06
Prohibition and the Farmer.

Iuo uoiig tiHcS pcAooho soy VI oeo- |
tistics, II do not know that these
statements are correct, and shall not
consider Them" Particularly is this
true il the figures represent ideas con-
tpary to the individuals notion. In
this paper no figures are TO be given,
but each person is asked to reason re-
garding the PROPOSE tions upon the ba-
sis of his own observations. The /
farmer is a producer. His income is |
entirely dependent on the demands
other people make for his products. If |
there be a large call for wheat. or
corn. or cattle. the prices of these |
products advance in proportion. and
the farmers purse is better filled.
l. Whatever decreases demand low
ers prices. 1t is known by every OBJ
serving man that the families of many
drinking men are poorer fed and
clothed than they would be if the
head of the family did not drink.
Wherever this is the case drink de-
creases the demand for farmers food.
products, and wool and cotton for
clothing. and lower prices.
2. Demand is more than local. 1t
is eastern consumption that fixes the
prices of western products. Then ey-
cry drink by a man whose family is
poorly provided for as q result of
drink, restricts demand and lowers
prices. Every saloon in the United
States is in antagonism with every
farmer of every section, lessening con-
sumption and lowering prices of agri-
cultural products. Each saloon in New
York, Chicago, San Francisco, Mime
apolis, or anywhere else. is an expense
to every farmer in Dakota, Wisconsin,
Kansas, and every other state. And
the open bars in ones home town is
in every way financial burden and
curse. A little reflection leads to
some small idea of the magnitude of
this burden upon producers. How
many thousand families-some near
home and others distant-because of
intoxicants, make half or less than
half, the natural demand for agricul-
tural productsl
8. 1t is universally known that the
quantity of grain used in the manu-
facture of liquor is small-insigni.i-
| cant, compared with the lessened con-
| sumption. The prices of farmers pro-
duce would advance perceptibly and
satisfactorily in a day if every drink.
suffering person were well fed and
clothed.
4. quor-drinking decreases de-
mand for manufactured goods. Fac
tories are shut down or running half
force because of restricted demand
for their productions. Industrious
and sober workmen are living on scant
supplies, because out of employment
all or part of the time. Why are
these men suffering, if neither drink.
ers nor idlersi Largely because SO
many men do drink to excess that
there is less than normal demand on
| the cotton factories, wooden mills,
shoe shops, furniture makers, house
builders, stove manufacturers and 9TH
ers. The families of thousands of
temperate laboring men are eating
meat less frequently, are coarsely fed
| and scantily clad, and in every way
making smaller demands on the agri-
culturists than they would if drunk
ards families were properly provided
for. The more prosperous other legit-
innate pursuits the greater the call up
on the farmer and the larger his CON-
pensatiOn. The liquor traffic antagon-
ICES and restricts every proper bust
ness, but the bulk of the burden rests
on the producer.
5. A large business makes low
prices possible. If drink restricted
none in their living, manufacturers,
wholesalers and retsilers-each doing
a larger business-could live on
smaller margins and farmers would
receive the benefit.
6. Because of liquor drinking there
are many expensive accidents, defalca-
tions, and ''bad debts" The profits
of manufacturers. transportation COM
panies. jobbers and local traders must
be large enough to cover all these.
How the expense doubles up to the
final purchaser-the farmer.
Z. 1t is matter of general obser-
walton that most criminals and pau
pers and many insane are the children
of the liquor traffic. The expense of
prisons, asylums and officers to keep
the peace is enormous. Who pays the
billsl
8. License money does not do it.
The chief advocates of license, even
high license, are the very ones who
pay 1.-THE liquor dealers. They
know it does not come out of their
pockets. They willingly pay this so
as to get the government to protect
their business. Tie license is an in
surance policy guaranteeing the sa-
loon legalized, pOpularized existence. |
The saloOn-keeper gets his money all
back and more. Farmers, of all men, |
should not favor license. In the west |
farmers pay three-fourths of the taxes |
and only small part of the license |
money goes into the county treasur- |
les. The farmer pays most of the |
criminal and pauper bills and the |
cities and villages get most of the Ii
cense money. License is defrauder |
of everyone except liquor dealers, but |
is a double deceiver and curse to the |
farmers.
Q. The attitude of the liquor ques-
tion now is high license or prohibition. /!
Prohibition does not say man shall /
not drink; it provides that no man
shall put the bottle to his neighbours
lips. A prohibitory law does not sac
rifice personal liberty. but provides
for it. High license destroys personal
liberty, because it provides that none
may sell liquor except those who can
advance $500 or more license fee-mo-
nopoly. Prohibition laws simply pre-
vent white-aproned suckers from sap
ping the industrial life-b blood from our
country and moral life-blood from our