Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-01-18


granted, or if the council must dispose
of more licenses than one they will take
the minimum number that the council
is willing to grant with the same under
standing; or if the council will consent,
they may take out one license and turn
over to the treasury out of the profits
sum equal TO the cost of the other
licenses. They will also sign written
agreement with the council that they
will appropriate none OF the profits IN
less it should be small per centum on
the money invested, but that they shall
be used first to defray all expenses con-
nected with the business. necessary and
incidental. and that the balance whether
large or small shall be returned to the
community nominally in some form of
benevolence, but really because it be-
longs to the community. It should not
be returned in form, however, to re-
duce taxation; it should be in whatever
form would most effectually combat the
evil Of intemperance. The efforts should
be directed very largely toward the
boys to prevent their forming the habit.
A series of educational lectures on the
subject of intemperance would have an
influence to restrain the hayward tend
encies of boys; the foundation and main
tenance of public library and read
ing room in connection with it would
keep many boy out of temptation
These two forms of temperance effort
will serve as examples.
The joint stock company should seek
to bring INTO alliance with its efforts as
many of the temperance people of the
community as possible, and to that end
shares OF stock might be issued and
offered for sale to temperance people.
The full temperance strength of the
community would be required to resist
the efforts of greed to retake the
saloons,
When the joint stock company has
secured their monopoly, they will set up
one saloon, even though they may hold
a number of licenses. They will put
into this saloon salaried employees so
that the interests of the employees will
be entirely ASSOCIATED from the sale of
rum and inseparably linked with the
company. A manager should probably
be put in charge who would be respon-
sible, solely, for the conduct of the bust
ness. 1t might be well to allow the
manager to sell hot coffee and other
temperance drinks and lunches on his
own account The business of TIE rum
department of the saloon would be
strictly cash business. 1t would put
very effectual check upon the dishonest
tendencies of the employees, if such
there were, if all drinks were sold by
ticket The cashier in his office in one
part Of the saloon would sell tickets and
the man behind the bar in another part
of the saloon would serve the drinks
and take the tickets Each would give
separate weekly account, the one of
cash and the other of tickets, to the
proper officer of the company.
Such in outline is the scheme for
the factor of greed from the
saloon problem. Some jealous aud
conscientious temperance rcformer,
when he reads this will straight way be
filled with objections, which he will find
it hard to restrain; he will want to
make reply at once. II, however, he
will possess his soul in patience, will
try to anticipate some of his objections
in my articles and save him the trouble
of propounding them. What is to fol-
low must necessarily be defensive.
When the defense is all in, then criti-
cism will be invited. So far the meth
cd has not been tested by experience in
it is only thought. 1t
would be we'll to have it carefully con-
sidered before it is put into practice. |
As it exists now in my own mind, it is
both practicable and morally defensible. |