The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-04-22
EHE KIMBAIL GRAPHIC
CLATE r. TINAN.
The Official Paper d BIula County,
srere,x a supresston.

The Official Paper OF HIule GouEtY.
Merely n SngGestion.
In New York city a license to sell
liquor not to be drank upon the prem
Uses costs 500 a year. The ordinance
applies to groceries, provision and
drug stores where intoxicating liquors
are on sale. We refer to the matter in
view OF the TACT that che GRAPHIC has
often called attention to the adyisabilitY
Of adopting III method in this state
for deriving II revenue from. the sale OF
liquor in communities where public
sentiment happens to be strong enough
to abolish and keep out the saloons; for
every intelligent and observing person
Is cognizant OF the fact that when the
saloons are closed the traffic is thrown
into other channels-ln this state, drug
stores, principally. Tho aggregate sales
are diminished slightly and the revenue
entirely. OF course ii is to be expected
that the fanatics engaged in keeping
Statewide prohibition intact will oppose
any law Whatsoever harrington its OBJ
ject the legalizing traffic i'll intoxicating
liquors, but as it is only through the
assistance of the conservative element
that their peculiar ideas find tolerance,
we believe a hotter condition Of affairs
will eventually be brought about in this
state.
If the GRAPHIC could have The making
OF an act governing the liquor traffic in
South Dakota it would-a!ter the sump-
tuary prohibition article in the consti-
tuition. had been killed >or properly
amended-proyide for local option by
municipalities. Then, in all towns and
cities where saloons were rejected by
popular vote we would provide for the
sale OF liquors not Ito be drank on the
premises, and with the further provision
that such sales should only be made by
regular qualified druggists, and for (which
they should be made to pay a fair tax or
license, based upon the amount Of sales.
The act would stipulute that every sale
should be recorded and signed by the
purchaser, exactly as is nov required,
and from these records the percentage
OF license would be reckoned. Druggists
would be required to give bonds not to
sell to habitual drunkards, nor minors,
nor improper characters. The object in
throwing the traffic into the hands of
druggists in the localities referred to is
because they are almost without excep-
ton reputable men and could not afford
to jeopordize their reputation and jnjure
their general trade for the sake OF an adj
ditional dollar or two gained through
the sale OF liquor to improper characters
They would be permitted to carry il
stock bottled beer and wines and cham
paigns Of all kinds. In many communi,
ties q law OF this kind would not change
the actual condition OF things any far
ther than to legalize what is now being
done illegally by hundreds of druggists
all over the state and obtain practically
q lost revenue. Not over one-tenth O.
the liquors sold by druggists are uset
for medicinal purposes. They ar,
bought and sold Tor beverages pure ant
~simple-and it is right and proper tina
they should be by people and for reopl,
Y use them temporarily and properly
ifths Of the people of this stat
aittf1at. Then why not recog
. lis tine fact? Then why compel Il con
scientions, upright citizen to peIjnT,
himself or send out Of the state ever
time he wants q bottleof wine to plac
upon his Sileboard for tile entertainment
of his friends or his own enjoyment.
In certain provincial localities saloon
can be kept Il simply because in add
ton to the radical piolibitionists VIII
look upon tile consumption OF liquor as
beverage a sin there are enough ether
who, while they believe right 10 the con
trary arc, nevertheless, ready to declar
tile saloon a public nuisance. I'll
saloons go and the former class Law
their prohibition. Tile drug store stil
remains AMI the latter get their bottle
filled. Meanwhile the middle class Ell
courage and maintain the hole-in-the
wall. Much, il not nearly all, OF TIL
undesirable, unsatisfactory and farcict
state CT affairs could be elaborated b
the enactment Of some such law as VI
have briefly outlined, and in thos
localities where it is now nip and tue
between the saloon and anti-saloon ell
mentst the saloon would be utterly abo
ished. It would be abolished because
soon as the conservative class of poop
saw that all that was desired was Il
closing OF the public tippling place al
not a radical attempt to do away vii
the consumption OF liquors they wou
come to the suppcrtof the original an,
saloon felix's and create a sentinien {.
strong 10 be resisted.
LII cities of any considerable size Il
saloon is the outcome of Ii desire to pa
take OF a social glass amid pubic su
roundings, and this Unborn taste and i
clination must be first e%ralicated befo
the least Roadway can ever be ma
towards the general adjustment
saloons. That this hereditary dispos
tion of NAN can be changed wit
in the lifetime OF anyone now living
nonsense to believe. 1t becomes t
duty, therefore, OF all good citizens
seek only some businesslike way 4
regulating the traffic in all sections
our commonwealth.
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