The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-01-30
JOHN DANNER
WRITES ANOTHER
Communication Taking Issue
With License Law.
AND SAYS 1T Is ESSENTIAL
To strike at the Root and Prohibit the
Granting of Licenses--AI All who Take
Issue with Him Are Invited
to Make Response.

80 pieces of silver Judas took as the
price to betray his Master. That was
quite right as far as it went, but by
turning to Webster's unabridged die
tionary we will find many other things
to come under this condemnation.
among these are the following: First,
Money obtained as the price or at
the cost of another life," and again;
End, Money obtained from the sale of
that which will destroy the purchaser"
The last clause 1 have quoted strikes
at the root of all laws, that give
legal existence to the liquor
traffic The money taken in the form of
any license law for the traffic, or from
the Dow tax law in Ohio, is clearly
defined as blood money" because the
parties that pay in this money in the
form of tax or license, are given a
legal permit to carry on business,
"the sale of which will destroy the
purchaser" There is no evading this
just conclusion from the definition as
given by Webster; no sensible man can
truthfully deny that the selling of in
toxicating liquors for beverage purposes
does destroy the purchaser"
This fact being established, the ques-
tion is who is responsible; is it the
saloon man or liquor seller? Certainly
not, neither of these could sell If they
did not have a. legal permit to do 50;
then we must go back to our law makers
and hold them responsible, but they are
quick to reply that when they were
elected it was with the distinct under
standing that the liquor traffic should be
legalized in some form, some of the
political parties went so far as to say
I'VE point with just pride to the Dow
law" and others said 1--WE are opposed
to all prohibition laws" The legislator
eXhonorates himself by the above facts
Then the last party that we can hold
responsible is the VOTERS" but they
cannot get away from this serious but
just charge.
The interest of the home and of the
saloon cannot be protected under the
same code of laws, therefore If the
home is to be protected the saloon must
be dealt with as an outlaw. Christians
and patriots should go into the eau
cuses and conventions of political
parties and contend for platforms and
policies that will protect the homes and
outlaw the liquor traffic, and when that
cannot be obtained the honorable thing
to do is to withdraw and seek some
other body of voters.
prophet, but can clearly see that the
MSihfe is not far distant when this great
moral issue will press it's way to the
front as did the slavery question. 1t
can never be settled until it is settled
right. Morals cannot always be elimi-
mated from politics as Senator ingalls,
and others would have us believe. Our
homes and firesides must be protected
from this legalized evil, this "blood
money"
greater truth was never uttered
than that of the lamented Lincoln
when he said, This nation cannot long
exist, half slave and half free" Just
as true is 1t today, to say, this nation
cannot long exist to be controlled hall
by the saloon and half by the home
one or the other must go to the wall
while the other will reign supreme
Which shall 1t be, dear fellow citizens
shall the rum power be still further
exalted by law, or shall we say in the
name of Jesus Christ, as King, the
liquor power must be destroyed.
The abolition of slavery was moi
brought about by what was said by
Free Sellers, but by the outrageous de.
mands made upon all parties by the
slave power; and just so it Is today
The liquor traffic is not likely to be
aboli shed by what the Prohibitionists
or anti-saloon men may say, but by
what is demanded by the rum power ir
all our legislative bodies. 1t Is no lon
ger secret that IN every legislative
body the rum power is daily encrouch.
ing and increasing it's demdu1s, enc
nothing will satisfy them but to rul,
4 or ruin.
See our own state legislation. How
soon was the law repealed that CLOSED
the saloon Withing certain distance o.
the fair grounds during the time O,
falrs. The saloons are taxed higher
than ever before under the unconstitu
tional Dow tax law, and their demand.
for protection are greater than ever be-
fore. The more that political partie.
try to regulate the liquor traffic by higl
tax and license laws, the more are sait
parties regulated by the rum power
No political party that sells the righ
to the liquor traffic to legally conduc
said business, but what comes under tn,
domination of the saloon and are ruled
thereby as with rod of iron.
The only way for free and enlight
ened people to deal with the saloons 4,
to have no saloons upon any terms OF
at any price.
If we adopt a system of legalizing evil
where shall 1t stop? Bawdy houses anC
gambling dens are as much entitled to E
legal existence by some system of ia,
or license as is the liquor traffic for bev
erage purposes. In fact, neither of tn,
evils that 1 have named can compar,
with the saloons for evil The saloon,
in most instances are the foundatio,
upon which these other vices flourish
Look at the facts as they truly exist II
our midst, and let all party question,
be lost sight of. Then shall we be abb,
to arrive at just conclusion, and no
J. otherwise. Let us be free from "blooC
money" JOHN DANNER.
p. S,-If any of your many reader,
feel like defending the legalization O
the liquor traffic, will be glad to NEE
them in honorable discussion, provided
they Will write over their own propei
al tn hut t1yin