San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-04-09
EDITORIAL OPINIONS.

Il
There are, it is estimated, 5000
saloon keepers in Texas. Or
ganized, ii would mean $4,000
votes to prevent mischievous leg
islation and temperance insanity
We would not advise saloon men
to organize to engage in politics or
to elect saloon men to positions,
but protect their business.
The prohibitionists have a dis
tinct political party organization ;
they make particular warfare on
the retail liquor dealers, they ap-
peal TO the moral sense of the COM
munity, they use the pulpit, the
rOstrum and the press; no wonder
they are able to injure the unor-
ganiZed saloon men.
We would not advise organiza-
ton for the purpose OF boosting
candidates for office, or to aid any
particular party, but, under the pc
culiar circumstances, to organize
in order to head off your organized
enemies.
Legislators would hesitate to
pass laws at the command Of tenn
perance cranks, il they were faced
with strictly business organiza.
ton Of the liquor men OF the state.
The saloon man has been de-
nounced as factor in party poll
tics when in fact all have made
use Of him to influence voters.
Every saloon-keeper in this coun-
try knows by experience that he is
in great demand when q political
campaign is on, but when it is of
he misses the familiar faces Of the
prominent political leaders.
If the retail liquor dealers Of this
country were organized the saloon
would not be considered conven-
lent place to round up venal voters,
but would be respected as an insti-
tuition that had rights and privi-
leges deserving of respect.
Texas should join hands with
other states In perfecting nation
al organization that would COM
mand the respect Of all legislative
bodies in this country from the
capitol at Washington to the capt.
tol at Austin, Texas.
1t should be the business of
statesmen to take hold OF the
liquor question, and solve it in
just and wise manner. If this
country is to be subjected to con-
tinual temperance agitation-to
state legislation conflicting with
revenue laws, with futile efforts to
stop drinking, it ia high time some
consistent plan was devised either
traffic or to regulate 1t in states
man like way.
The local option law Of Texas is
blot upon our Jurisprudence, it Is
injurious to the state, unjust to
the people, ruinous to the peace Of
society, and should be either re-
pealed or amended so as not to
promote continual agitation.
Prohibition can never be a sue
cess as long as the world moves.
1t has proven futile because it only
aims at the sale Of an article that
Is one OF the staples Of the civilized
world.
The female mobs who lacersted
DIR. Hancock at Ladonis, Texas,
only illustrated the senseless bru-
tality of the prohibition sentiment
and its utter futility.
The time has come when the re-
sponsibility for the liquor traffic
must be shared by all who profit
by 1t.
The distiller, the brewer, the
farmer who grows the grain and
the hops, the vine growers, the
great wholesale dealers, the rail-
roads, the government that licenses
the great body of people who
share in the benefit OF the tax
gathered-the retail dealer is only
the last man who is responsible.
But for this great ramification of
pecuniary interest the saloon man
would not be known to exist at all.
And yet, we have hypocritical
heads of departments running rail-
roads, conducting big whisky
houses, and whole communities
growing rich from the liquor traffic
who effect to despise the saloon
man, and regard his svocation as
detrimental to society.
The saloon man is the agent Of
all OF them, including the great
| railroad.
He is the poorest paid, the worst
abused and the most prosecuted of
all the agents engaged in the
i ltpunr FRA ffip