The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-03
DEBATE ON LICENSE.

DEbA1E ON LICENSE.
As stated, the senate did a whole lot OF
>business, and made the biggest record OF
the session. There is no telling what the
record of the minute clerk might have
amounted to had not the license question
been brought up by an amendment to
tie code which changed the license fee
from $500 minimum TO $500, the same be-
ing left at the discretion of the board OF
county commissioners.
The amendment was offered by Mr..
Monsoon, who declared that thus fixing
the amount would result in closing up
many of the dives which now exist in
smaller towns. AT present low dens sell
liquor TO boys and there is no reaching
| them, so II was thought best to license
places where liquor is sold.
Senator Robson said that he agreed
| with the position taken by Mr.. Monson.
When license is issued the saloons are
| under the surveillance of the officers and
are interested in seeing that others obey
| the law.
Mr.. Alfred made few remarks upon
| the proposition. He declared the eX-
De-ience in SanDete was that when sa-
| looms were licensed more liquor was sold
| than when they were not. He was op-
! posed to the selling of liquor in the small
towns and thought 5000 would aid ma
| terially in prohibiting such sale.
| President Nebeker called Mr.. Game TO
the chair and said the question was one
| of prohibition. The license of $1,000 in
| Salt Lake City is no more than $500 in
some of the outside towns. 1t has been
/ demonstrated that prohibition does not
/ prohibit. and that abuses will creep in.
/ A license will regulate these abuses We
have the evil in the outside towns. The
/ e-'-l of bitters sold or given away at
| the stores and groggeries confront US
Boys and men get drunk II the people
are going to have liquor let them buy it
at a regularly licensed place. Then the
authorities may be able 10 keep surveil
lance upon the saloon men and the county
VIII get some revenue.
Again did Mr.. Robson say a few words.
In his experience the high license did no
good. 1t closed the saloons in his town
and the people who wanted whisky went
to the next town and got it.
Ny Johnson said that $500 was better
than $500. if it prohibited, but he did not
believe il would. He related an incident
il his town where the saloon man was
driven to burn down his place of bust
ness because of inability to pay the high
license.
Mr. Evans argued for high license,
and against the amendment. He could not
say that he was not prohibitionist.
Drinking was becoming too popular in
this country. Men would go into a sa-
loon who would not enter dive or a den.
Liquor is an evil which clouds the brain,
makes the home unhappy, the wife bag
card and causes the children to go hun
CRY and cold. He favored depressing il
as much as possible.
Mr.. Smoot said he was sorry he conld
rot agree with mis- colleague. For Is
years ne had lived in a prohibition town
and was prepared TO say that it does not
prohibit. A committee of citizens had
investigated the sale of liquor in Provo
during the last two years of prohibition,
and the first TWO years under license and
the record showed that more liquor was
sold in Provo during the prohibition years
than the other two, and that too, when
a boom was on. His colleague says men
will go into saloons who will not go into
a den. Experience teaches that men viii
20 into dives who will not enter a saloon.
The maximum of 81, 200 is in the power
of no commissioners w n will
flush out the dead falls and bring in some
revenue. Attempts to enforce prohibit
ton uses up the money of the taxpayers.
1t was tried in Provo and il was impoS
sible TO get conviction. The evidence
was conclusive and the judges favorable
to the enforcement of law. but there was
always colored man IN the wo9dplle
and no jury would ever convict. Provo
spent half her revenue in prosecuting
these cases. ard backed down with 50
cases on the docket. 1t is better to have
Utah county endeavoring to emulate |
Provo. and there are more drug stores /
there than are required to fill all the pre- I
scriptions in Salt Lake City. He be- !
missioners and that they could be trusted. ,
President Nebeker called attention to /
the fact that public policy in this state 1
called for high license. 1t is not salts 1
factory to the outside counties TO have /
4 prohibitory rate. This question is not /
ore of counties, but of the entire state. /
Mr.. Evans, replying. said that the state I
policy was not in favor of a high license /
law except as to the system forced upon .
them by legal decisions. If the question (
was submitted it would result in the peo-
Ole voting for prohibition
Monson made another vigorous speech
in which he declared the law was needed.
In his town. at the Coup, under the all
seeing eve, and the motto. Holiness to
the Lord. ginger brandy was sold to
minors, and boys of s. 10 and u got
drunk He wanted license law which
would admit of regulation.
The $500 amendment prevailed-ayes. IL;
nays. 6.