Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-02-02
The 0othenberg System.

DIR. Moxom explained the Gothen-
berg or Norwegian system in detail,
giving as it's vital principle that
the state shall make the liquor bust
mes an absolute monopoly, and put
it into the control of responsible
men. whose motive is to reduce,
instead of increasing, the per capita
consumption. The effect is also to
reduce the number of saloons to
marked degree. The profits accrue
not to the company. but to the peo-
pie, in the shape of public instu-
tons, amusement hall, etc.
II saw something of the workings
of the system in Sweden and Nor
way" said DIR. Moxom. II visited
more saloons last summer, than l
had ever seen before in my life. l
examined the liquors carefully.
found out what kinds were sold and
how many glasses man can buy.
In Bergen there are in the neigh
borhood of u dozen places where
liquor is sold by the glass or bottle.
Each is plain room, perfectly clean,
without even a picture on the wall.
There is not even chair in the
room, except a stool behind the
counter for the official in charge.
He is respectable man, probably
member of the church. On the
walls are printed the rules of the
company, which all must obey. 1t
man asks for aqua vita he lays
down his coin-there is no credit
and pure, undrugged spirit is
poured Tout for him. He is not
allowed to remain in the room, and
if he wants another glass he is told
to come back in three hours. The
glass is so small that he might take
glass every three hours in the day
and then not get drunk. a working
man cannot take nip on his way
to work, for the saloons do not
open till s, nor ut noon, for the
saloons close from IL to 1:30 o'clock.
The hour for closing in winter is
$50 and in summer o'clock. The
day before holiday they close at
noon and they are closed before the
workingmen are paid off.
"No man can take cent from the
business. The man behind the
counter is employed for his per-
sonal character. He gets fairly
good salary, but not cent from the
business. If he deviates from the
rules of the company he is bounced
at once. He is promoted for max
ing as small sales as possible. The
policy of the whole system is to
crowd down the consumption of
alcohol. In 1876 the per capita con-
sumption was 3.S quarts; in 1892 il
was reduced to 3.3 quarts. Norway
and Sweden were the most drunken
countries in Europe; now Norway
is three times rs sober as the United
States. II is the exact reverse of a
license system, under which the
licensed dealers stimulate trade as
much as possible to get back the
money they have paid for their
licenses. think il would be better
to have free whiskey than such
licenses as we have in American
cities. The difference between this
and that is as great as the differ
ence between day and night. The
Norwegian system eliminates poll.
tics entirely. 1t has been argued
that il makes drunkenness respect
able, but its effect has been to ele'
vate the public spirit, aud array II
against drunkenness. The system
has been recognized as working
against the monster of drink, and II
has become less respectable to
,patronize saloon.
"Many people maintain" DIR. Mox
ON continued, in taking up the
objections presented, that having
anything to do with liquor in any
way is sin. The position isabsolute
lly untenable. There is no basis II
ethics that will justify the propo
sition that per sc the taking OF alec
hol IL sin. II certainly is sin &c
take il in excess, but the abstrac
question cannot by any possibilit,
be based on this ground. If we
cannot kill the evilat blow, it is thu
part of righteousness TO conquer i
by degrees. II men will not do tina
they are not only impractical. bu
unrighteous, because they hinder
the welfare of the community, il "
also urged that many Temperance
people are opposed to il. Blu
unfortunately temperance senti
ments are not always guarantee
of wisdom. There are many tenn
perance people whose sentiments
we respect. but whose ideas arr
puerile. 1t lie also true that people
who derive gain from liquor arr
opposed TO the law, and we had the
spectacle of the liquor dealers and
the woman's Christian Temperance
Union fighting side by side to
defeat the measure. II was thing
to make angelo weep unless they
lhad so strong sense of humor