Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-06-21

/ l.
are wrong; therefore, we seek only to
exterminate them-to prohibit them.
The liquor traffic is mother to all of
these; yet governments prohibit and
destroy the offspring, but license and
regulate the guilty parent. 1t is when
this policy is adopted that we need
argument. Hence, as soon as license
was adopted. men began apOlogizing
for and arguing in support Of IT, and
must continue to, so long as the gov
eminent seeks to perpetuate an evil
for revenue and political purposes.
In Norway and Sweden there is a
very strong element that opposes any
form of government protection to, or
license of, liquor selling. At one time
the whole business was in the hands
of the Crown. furnishing much Of its
revenue. The brandy interests have
fought every change. There never
has been a time that | can learn Of
when the government was not deriy-
ing heavy revenue from the liquor
business. Every effort of temperance
men to introduce any reform, even
slight, has been resisted not only by
the brandy makers but by the large
class Of politicians and tax payers
who desire to continue the revenue.
The sentiment in favor of total absti-
nence and prohibition has been stead
lily growing for years, and rapidly of
late. The government majority de-
sires to continue the revenue system.
To do so, it must make the business
sufficiently respectable to break down
the growing opposition and stay the
sentiment in favor of destruction.
The government must furnish and
tabulate statistics that seem to Justify
continued protection Of the awful
traffic That is just what license has
done and is still doing for America,
and that is Just what the Goth sys-
tenn is doing for Scandinavia. Every
brandv maker, every inscriptions
politician, every member Of the gov
eminent seeking for revenue rather
than right, and every large tax payer
is friend Of the Gothenburg system.
Ii is the best club yet devised to fight
prohibition, as license has been here.
Many good men, not compromising
this not seeing how necessary it is
for government TO be ready with
excuses and arguments if it would
keep the people satisfied with its sys-
TEN OF revenue from vice, become
government agents in propagating the
arguments, swallowing facts and
figures as gospel truth, il promul-
gated from governmental or quasi
governmental success
The Goth. system, then, has two
great purposes: % To furnish a
government revenue aud (2l TO rem
der the liquor business sufficiently res
pectable TO induce the people 10 con-
tinue ii. 1t is simply double-bar-
relied government policy One barrel
discharges well CLOSED facts, figures
and arguments, with sufficient force
to Kill OIL opposition the other dis
charges magnificent revenue into
the treasury SO easily that il must be
continued Such Is license with us.
Neither barrel could survive alone.
for il would be filled IN no time with
prohibition dynamite by the 'cranks
and be blown To smithereens.
do not deny that many good men /.
ase deceived into fayoring this system /
as with is they have favored high Ii
cense, but | do maintain that the /
Goth system has its strength. a. has I
license with u.s. in politicians, muni-
eipal officers, liquor men aud tax pay I
ers, who care a hundred times as
much for the revenue as for any good I
to the people. deny that it has any
particular strength in love or zeal /
for humanity If it depended upon
earnest temperance advocates for its
it would 20 down at once.
While some good men. high in church
and temperance circles, advocate it as
a stepping stone 70 prohibition, at /
least nine-tenths OF its support, rs
with our license SYSTEM comes from /
men who care for it only rs '.step-
ping stone topolitical support or
government revenue. if may believe
the testimony coming from SO many
different sources.
1t is most significant fact chat
most 81 the men who are now very !
Jealous in advocating the Goth. sys-
tenn are men who were, few years
since. advocating high license as the
great panacea for liquor evils and the
papers championjng this new craze
are strong aud leading republican or
democratic organs. rs rule. These
men and papers have ever been ready |
to tight and denounce prohibltiontsts
as ,crankst and fanatics or worse.
The fact that they have been compell-
"a to drop license docs not increase
their modesty in this scheme. They /
are lust rs positive that this Old
World experiment Will be the great !
solution Of veNing political and 500
cial question, rs they are of the I'M !
wisdom Of prohibition. Papers like !
the Springfield Republican Of MasSa |
have taken on new lease OF |
strength 10 abuse prohibitionists with |
their championship Of the Goth. syS-
*, ~ asAf faia