The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1893-03-16

rate. How thankful all ratepayers
should be for the "help" of the saloon.
2. The dram shops inevitably dimin-
ish the number of taxpayers in the
community.
Please think for a moment as to
where town or city or county gets
the money necessary for its expenses.
1t must OF course come from the peo.
pie, and from people, too, who own
property. Paupers and spendthrifts
pay no taxes. Each mans property
is assessed, and he pays to that
amount into the public treasury.
Suppose we watch the assessors as
they go over the list. They find A's
name, and say "There is A., he has
lived here for fifteen years, been earn
ing good wages and has saved his
surplus; he possesses now property
which we can assess at $1,000. He
must pay into the funds S15." And
so they go on over the list of residents
At last they come to RS name, and
one says, DWELL, at what shall we
assess r. ?" Assess r. ?" replies
another, "why we shall simply pass
him by" "And for what reason "
says the former, "has not r. lived as
long in this community as A, and
earned quite as large wages? Why,
then, should you pass him by?n ooh I.
yes" replies the second, "R. has
lived here just as long and been paid
as good wages as A, but instead of
saving his surplus he has been sup
porting the dram shops, and therefore
has not mite of property for us to
tax"
And so r., who has enjoyed all the
advantages of the town, can pay no
property tax to the town treasury,
because the dram-shop swallowed his
surplus earnings, and every thrifty
citizen has to "chip in" and pay
little higher tax to make up RS de-
ficiency.
5. The dram shops inevitably cause
the heaviest burdens of taxation.
When a citizen is turned into pau
per he becomes a nOn-prOducer, and
the community has to support him.
Nine-tenths of all the paupers gradu-
ate from the dram-shops. When
citizen is turned into criminal the
community is taxed to punish and sup
port him. Four-fifths of all the crime
of the country is the result of the dram
shop. Lunatics and idiots are kept
up at the expense of the tax payers.
Three-fifths of the lunacy and idiocy
of the country comes directly and
Indirectly from the intemperance of
the dram shop. Calls for charity are
to be met by the public and private
subscriptions of the abler people.
Four-fifths of all the charity cases of
a community may be traced directly
or indirectly to the impoverishment
caused by the dram shops. Police
have to be kept and maintained by
the people. Fully three fourths of
the work of the police is to
look after the dram shops and
their products. If q rate payer
will carefully examine the items
of his tax bill, he will find that,
excepting the items for schools and
improvements, nearly the whole of
what he pays is saddled upon him by
these ''helping institutions"
We see therefore that the dram
shops
property. (b) Diminish the number
OF available tax payers. (c) Impose
heavy burdens of taxation on the
community.
This is the way they 'help" the tax
payers Shut up these waste banks,
give the people a fair chance to be
saving, increase the property and
lessen the crime, pauperism, and in
sanity of the country, and thus
| Tighten the burden of taxation.
"But," says the sellers of liquor,
''we pay the license fees, we pay the
| license fees - and this chorus is
chanted by the whole fraternity, from
| the democratic proprietor of the beer
pump and whisky keg, up to
| the more aristocratic vendor of
"Pure Wines and Brandies." This cry
is as hollow and misleading as was the
other assumption that they "helped"
the tax paying community. A slight
investigation will convince any one
| that:
4. Dram shop keepers are merely
-gatherers.
Here is a city of 10000 people. In
| this city we shall suppose there are
1900 rate payers, and that these rate
payers own equal property and so will
pay an equal tax. The city needs
$4,000 for expenses and Improvements
for the year. So the two thousand tax
payers are called together and the
statement is made that $4,000 are re-
quired, and advice is asked as to how
it can be best raised. Some one sug-
gests that the easiest and best way
seems to be, as the city needs $4,000,
and as there are 1000 rate payers and
all equal in property, simply to assess
each rate payer So. 2,000x$5-S10,-
600, which is the amount required.
All assent to the proposition, and are
| about to pay the So each. But just
then person arises and thus address
| ses the rate payers:
"GentIemen, just put back your
pocket-books. / have a plan by which
the $4,000 can be raised and not one
of you be asked to pay a single cent of
| taXes.n
Immediately the pocket-books are
put back, and loud cries demand
the plan by which it is proposed to
raise the tax without asking the rate
payers for cent.
"Gentlemen," continues the speak
er, "I know one hundred men who
| desire to start business in this city.
They are prepared to give you 500 each
for the privilege; S160X100-S10,0 900,
the sum required, and you will have
to pay nothing"
An approving cheer breaks from the
assembled rate payers, aud they ask
that the matter be further explained
and the business men introduced.
"Gentlemen," the speaker goes on
to say, "these 100 men wish to sell
liquors, they will each give you $1OO
annually fer the privilege, but they in
sist upon one condition, viz: That you
will not ask them for the 800 each
until they have taken it In. The first
500 they make they will pay you"
There is no dissent from this propo-
sition, and the 100 business men set
up their business, each takes his place
behind the bar, and the rate payers
watch with interest the making of the