The record-union., 1891-06-09
A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.

There are people7who willfully close
their eyes to the truth in the hope to
avoid commitment to a policy which de-
Inands some self-sacrifice for principles
sake. There are others who knowing
and seeing, by adroit perversion Of terms
and arguments, attempt to carry water
upon both shoulders and at one and the
same time have the favor of two opposing
forces.
In the controversy that has recently alb
sorbed so much of local attention both
of these classes have made themselves
manifest. One class contents itself with
saying that an augmented license rate
will not close the dives, but that, never
theless, they must be closed. The other
shouts that the matter of prohibition is
not before the people, and as to high
license rates, whatever is done will be
satisfactory, if enough is done.
The RECoRD-UNIoN, in common with
the people, has urged local authority to
refuse licenses to dives and disreputable
bar proprietors regardless of license rates
On that head there is no issue; no human
being has been heard to advocate the en-
couragement of the dives. When, there
fore, anyone, in speaking of higher Ii
cense, interposes the doubt that it will not
close the dives, leaving the inference to be
drawn that there should therefore be no
higher license, he avoids the question be-
fore the people, and attempts to carry
water upon both shoulders-indeed, this
class has been heard to say boldly, since
high license can be paid by the dives it
is unjust to heavily tax those who do not
keep dives. When any others respond to
the high-license plea with the answer
that prohibition is not before the people,
they cowardly attempt to convey the inn
preston that the advocates of a higher
license are in favor of rate that would
be prohibitory. When they add that if
rate is fixed high enough to produce ade-
quate revenue it will be acceptable, they
confess to lack of courage to express
judgment as to what the rate should be,
thus hedging and preparing a convenient
screen behind which to take cover.
The truth is that prohibition is not only
not before the people, and that prohibi-
ton does not prohibit, but that higher
license is not prohibitory, nor intended
to be, since it does not attempt to prevent
any person indulging in drink who
chooses, nor to prevent any reputable
person from retailing liquors. But if
closing the dives is prohibition then all
the press and all the people are prohibi-
tionists to that extent.
Higher license is simply an economic
measure, means to greater revenue;
coupled with regulation it is intended to
conserve order and decency. Since
liquor is chargeable with so large pro-
portion of municipal burdens, it is simply
fair That it should bear due proportion
of the cost.
The RECoRD-UNIoN has for two years
lost no opportunity of urging the author
tiles to exercise their power and refuse
licenses to dives and the assembIy-rooms
of thugs and the criminal classes. 1t has
also held, and does hold, that there are
too many bars in the city, and that liquor
selling pays an absurdly too low
license; it has repeatedly published
figures obtaining under high license in
other cities, as guide as to what should
be the rule here; it has repeatedly shown
what our revenue from liquor license is,
and what it should be- and the great good
that could be accomplished with the
augmented income. 1t has uniformly
insisted upon stringent regulation and
demanded the enforcement of the regula-
tive ordinance we now have, that bars
may be set up only in number as the
people by petition and Endorsement ex-
press desire for.
Why any one should hesitate to take
clearly defined position on questions so
simple and admitting of so little
ambiguity, is accountable for only upon
the hypothesis that the fear of punish
ment by the dive-keepers cows the
that these fearful people are actually in
capable of judging whether one liquor
bar TO each S5 or 100 of the entire popu-
lation gives an aggregate of bars too few
or too many, and whether S. month is
too low or too high license rate.
SIR JOHN MACDONALD.