The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-03-19
LIQUOR TRAFFIC
Most Gigantic Legaiized Evil
Among Christian Nations
Says Danner.

among the CHRISTIAN nations 'O1 the
world, is the liquor traffic for beverage
purposes. The Mohammedan nations
will not do 1t, and this seems strange,
that system of religion, that is not SO
high in its standard of morals, should
persistently refuse to give legal per-
NIT to this traffic. while all the chris
tian nations do legalize lit.
There are no reasons for this very
singular condition of things: First
Politicians have succeeded in making
the christian voters believe that high
license or tax is restraint or punish
ment upon the traffic; nothing is
further fr)n the tru,b. In Ohio 1t
soon got worse after the enactment #
the Dow tax law at $500 year, and
since they have got the tax up to $3.50,
the traffic has grown and became more
arrogant than ever before, in fact It
rules the politics of the state. Two or
three brewers in Ohio have more pow
er with those in Office, than have all
the preachers in the state; no man can
truthfully controvert this statement.
In Omaha, Nebraska. the license is
e. Her, the great distiller of chat city
advocates a $1,000 license everywhere,
and says 1t. should not be less. Dis
tillers and brewers know that high
license gives monopoly to few Of the
more responsible dealers, and therefore
makes them a better class of customers
for the purchase of liquors from them
All liquor sellers and saloon men are
in favor OF tax or license laws for their
infamous business and well they may
for they we'll know that the United
States supreme court has decided, with
out dissenting vote, that mo citizen
of any state, or no citizen of the United
States has an inherent right to sell in
toxicating liquors at retail.
With such decision all our saloons
could be dealt with as outlaws were 1t
not that they are protected by tax and
license laws. In Ohio we have splen-
did prohibitory constitution; but politi-
clans in order to get the liquor vote
enacted the unholy and Unconstitutional
Dow tax law, and thus far have succeed
ed in getting Christian voters to uphold
the party that protects the liquor traffic
Truly did Christ say, THE children of
this world are in their generation, wiser
than the children of light"
A debt for Intoxicating liquors cannot
be collected in Ohio. nor can the rent
of premises used for retail liquor sell
ing be collected in our courts. And yet
Christian men will step forward and
uphold political party, that gives
legal protection to retail liquor selling
How very singular all these things
| seem. ~ g.
Again, our good people are ready to
believe that local option" will remove
the evil; this is very great error. BY
upholding local option we virtually ad-
nit that the saloons have as good q
right to be protected as have the homes;
it is only a question of who has the
most votes. do not believe word OF
of this. the home has always the right
to be protected, but the saloon is an out
law, and should be so treated by all
good citizens. This l hold and prac-
tice, when the question of local option
is submitted, will always vote on the
dry side, and recommend all good cit.
| izens to do the same; but the saloon
| has no right to come in for the same
protection that our homes have. and
therefore local option elections are Q
deception; and furthermore, the ques.
tion Is never settled, every two years
the same contest can again be brought
up by either party.
Even our good friends the Anti-sa,
loon league, make the mistake to uphold
this deceptive plan, instead of insisting
that our political system must be puri
fed from this great iniquity, and vote
against all parties that uphold any sys
TEN Of tax or license for the liquor traf
fic. A few days ago / received letter
from Mr.. Hartell, of Smithville, Wayne
county, Ohio in which he says, Rev
Hare, of Canton, spoke here in two
churches, saying to the people, the.
should stay in their old parties. HI
also said the people should vote ou
the saloon by townships" This wa.
doubtless well intended but it is {
great falacy to remain in old liquor
ruled political parties. Such parties
will never learn to do right, as long al
good men support them in doing wrong
No party that seeks the saloon vote, il
entitled to the support of the Christian
voters; no man can truthfully deny this
Let us meet the issue without prejudice
Mrs. Carrie Nation has blazed the way
for this great political reform as clearl,
as did old John Brown of the Anti
slavery reform. Who is on the Lord!
side? Certainly no man who vote.
to legaliZe the saloon by tax or license
laws.
The time is rapidly approaching wher
men must stop talking against saloons
and then step forward and vote for po
litical party in power that caters t.
the saloon vote and in their state con
vention say, 1--WE point with just pride
to the Dow tax law"
Any party thatpoints with Just pride
to so unholy law as the Dow tax Law
in Ohio, should be Stunned by every
Christian voter in the state.
| JOHN DANNER.