Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-03-07
How to Run a City without Revenue FfOm
the Liquor Traffic"

EDPrOR CENSOR TT 4 letter here
with given, from the pen of the Hon. J.
A. Johnson, mayor of the city of Fargo
North Dakota, published in the columns
of a widely circulated family Journal,
speaks for itself. needing no other COM
ment than to state briefly the circum-
stances under which il wis written No
doubt it will be read with interest by
your citizens 1t will be remembered
that when North Da 'SGta became an in
dependent state, = provision was incor-
porated in its constitution that no intox-
icating liquors to be used as a beverage
should be sold within its limits Some
sections of the state enforced the law,
while others did not. AT Fargo, when
Mayor Johnson was first elected, saloons
flourished unmolested AT this juno
ture of affairs Mayo. johnson was
elected At the beginning of his second
term this honest and fearless official had
succeeded in so arousing hitherto apa-
thetic public against the fragrant viola
ton Of the prohibitory law by the
liquor element, that the public gener-
ally gladly sustained him in abolishing
the saloons, and he is now serving his
fourth year under prohibition. Mayor
Johnson writes;
''By way OF illustration on the subject of
How TO run city without any revenue from
the liquor traffic, I Will take the cities OF
Fargo NORTH Dakota, and Morehead, Minne-
yotn. Morehead has forty-Hvo saloons each
paying license of 500; Fargo has none and
derives no revenue from that sour %. all eN-
pendftures % re taken from direct taxation on
real and personal property. The assessor )
books show that the increased valuation OF
Fargo was S504, ,9G4 more In 1899 than IL was In
1898. while Morehead showed decrease OF
fB 400 betwee n 1898 aud 1899 The two towns
are situated on the east and west banks
the Red River of the North, respectively, and
have equal advantages In the way OF location.
transportatiol charges, and the same class OF
ueople live - both sides of the river. di
rectory for Morehcad and Fargo for 1899,
shows Fargo increased Ia population more
than six times as fast as Morehead did In
1898 when the saloons were driven out e..
Fargo Il was predicted that the town world
die, that the rents wOnld 90 down ana the
buildings remain vacant, etc The facss 90
not carry those dismal prophecies out More
than 81 0Ga00N has been expended In hulitlngs
In Fargo Ia the past three years and there is
not il vacant house or store In town thht "
at all desirable, The tax rate for the run
ming expenses OF Fargo has been reduced 25
per cent In the last four years. notwith~
standing the great improvements which have
taken place, and In the face OF the fact tina
IN 1897 an extraordinary expense, on account
Of high water, OF more than 10 per cent OF the
taY levy for cityspuFposes Of that year CITY
warrants that were sold during saloon times
below par, are par today, and eagerly sought
for The bonded tndeDt eduess OF Fargo Is
only Sl9 80 as against SO NJ for Toledo, ohio,
up 10 s95.7S for Boston. Massachusetts. Dur
ing saloon times, Fargo did not have single
blorg OF paved streets, while now we have
fifteen miles OF well paved streets with q
complete system OF sewerage to all parts oi
the city In reply TO the inquiry as How to
run prosperous town without any revenue
iron. the llquoF traffic, IL Is Yerv simple
answer All that IS necessary Is to elect met
for tha Office Of mayor and city coun III who
are bott capable and honest and who viii
lnyk after the city's interest as they would
thar own and sec that the revenues OF the
citv are not wasted, men who viii see that all
apDoiptive officeFa perform their duties. Let
ne0ne know that IL IL safe to invest their
money there. that II they do they viii not be
robbed . see that yonr tewn Is free from OBJ
iectionhbIe characters, and make u saie lor
ladies and children 10 be on the streetA ab al
hours. and YOU have solved the problem ]
don't know as any special credit Is une me-
simply enforce our laws that L have sworn
10 do and the citizens Of Fargo stand ~ my
in so doing II they did not. could not doit.
The question may be asked, If the city
of Fargo can be so economically rln as
outlined in its mayors letter, without
any revenue from the liquor traffic,
why cannot the city of Yiroqua 1e so
rum Let her citizens again and again
ask themselves that question from now
on until election now near al hand, and
then decide that her fair name shall no
! longer be compromised by licensed sa-
looms in her midst. w. A. e.