The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-02-25
The Coming Village Election.

The time for holding the annual
village election is rapidly approach
ing and will occur two weeks from
Tuesday, March 10th. The most i'm
portant question will be whether a
'license" or mo license" council will
be elected. There are plenty of able
men in favor of each question to
successfully conduct the government
and financial affairs of our village
so that the qualifications and ability
of the respective candidates that will
he placed before the voters will not
be the greatest question for consider
alton but whether the men that are
elected will license the sale of intoxi-
eating liquors within our peaceful
village or not is the question. With
"mallce towards none and good will
towards all' the ADVANCE favors the
election of men that will not grant
license for the sale of intoxica-
ting liquor and will without fear or
favorse see that the laws of our common
wealth are enforced. No person or
motive except the dictation of our
own conscience has prompted this
view of the question.
The statements are, that if license
are not granted our taxes will be in
creased, blind pig will be opened and
exist, trade will be driven away, and
Il general depression of business
will occur as farmers will 60 some
where else to trade on account of their
not being able to get liquor here. Per-
NIT us in feeble way to offer our ar
gument and our columns are open to
proper discussion of the question for
answering the argument here prod
duced.
In reference to the taxes. IF the
money received from the payment OF
license reduces the taxes, who pays
the taxes7 Every man woman and
child. The man who buys the liquor
pays the taxes through the saloon
keeper who merely transfers the
money from his patrons to the tax
fund under the name of 'license. -
The woman and child who have a
husband or father that drinks assists
in these payments by being compelled
to do without many articles that
might be bought with the money ex-
pended for liquor and by their being
denied, the license money is obtained.
In reference to the ''blind pigs" if
they cannot be successfully ferreted
out and closed up, the young men
and boys are not permitted to enter
or are not liable to be enticed therein
until they arrive at an age where
they are sufficiently developed to en-
able them to see the degrading and
fatal effects Of liquor. So much is
gained in this way if nothing more.
Trade will be driven away. 1t is
an insult to any farmer to make this
statement. Are the prosperous farm
ers of tbs community to be solicited
for their patronage by licensing sa.
loon? This is deceit. to advance ar
argument of this kind, that we are te
inveigle the farmers to town by a sa
loon, so he can get drink either be-
fore or after doing his trading. There
are people that vote for license fo1
this very reason. If the farmers, up
on whom we are dependent, prefer t<
trade where there are saloons, why
not advertise the fact that saloons
exist here; there may be some wh>
do not know it and trade elsewhere
Our farmer friends would be justified
in boycoting town that advocate
saloons to draw their trade, and b,
their hard earned money pay the ex
pense of conducting our enterprise
by providing saloon for them t.
spend their money in, that our take
may be decreased. This is an under
hand way of obtaining money fo
our own personal benefit and canno
be gainsaid by any one.
Capable and efficient men will b
nominated for election that will nc
grant license and every person VIII
has the interest of his fellow man
welfare before him, and desires thei
elevation and success, will vote fc
the candidates that will not impose
tax upon the community through tn
saloon.