Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-03

there are to be found many conpro.
misses. as in the practice of permit
ting the sale of liquors only at dram
shops conducted by the state itself
as found in South Carolina Or in the
local option law tried in many states
whereby the voters of municipaliti"j
or counties may permit or prohibit
the sale under such regulations as the
majority may determine. Or as seen
under the high license system where
by saloons are tolerated generally bur
only on payment of a very heavy tax,
assessed on the theory that such
places entail such an expense on the
community as to make justifable such
impost as shall be reimbursive of the
criminals or paupers by the saloons.
Another system is that of the author
iZation of such traffic in q community
when a certain percentage of the vo-
tiers residing in the community shall
sign a petition giving consent thereto.
This latter system being now in oper
alton in Iowa as to cities having a
population between $500 and 5000. Or
again there is known the system COR
responding to our mulct law, where.
by III cities of 5000 or more inhabi-
tants the traffic shall be tolerated
when majority of the voters shall SO
signify by a statement OF consent and
when the applicant pays the mulct
tax Of $500 in quarterly installments
and also such other tax as the city
council may impose, the saloon to be
operated only in accordance with the
conditions imposed by the legislature
and by tho city council, with
a view to make it a place for the
purchase of liquid refreshments and
Knot ole for gambling. amusement, i'm
morality, or a resort for children or
drunkards. 1t seems 10 be the pres
| ent policy of the state that such traf-
tic should not be tolerated in any town
or city of less than $500 Inhabitants.
/ The mulct law is the result of a
compromise between the radical pro-
hibitionists and the free license par
! ties, each of whom have been unable
to see their theories applied The
democratic party by its recent plat
| form demands repeal of the rece 1t
/ 1at Ia1 w ON hp mi rf a, In.
cal option law prevailing throughout
the state, the result OF which would
be the thrusting on the tax payers in
communities where the local option
law was adopted, the expense of the
traffic and at the same time deprive
| the community OF the revenue now as
Isessed under the mulct law, which is
levied not so much to restrain the sale
OF iiGEor as to reimburse the aoHamun-
ity for the expense its use entails on
the taxpayers. The republican party
is not in favor OF abolishing the mulct
law or Establishing local option gen,
orally, feeling that all the various
views on the subject cannot be recon.
ciled that the existing laws are the
result of arbitration between the va.
rious factions interested, and which
: compromise has been secured only at
ter the work of years and at the eX
ipense offhundreds of thousands of dol
liars spent in campaigning, legislation
, and litigation to solve the question.
At the time prohibition was a state
issue along in 1889 and prior thereto
the present republican nominee fol
governor, A. B. Cummins, then in the
state legislature, opposed the prohi
bition policy of the republican part,
at that time in the courage of his con
viction that prohibition in Iowa ha,
proved ineffective. At the same
time he was not in favor OF free trad
in liquor, nor that traffic therein
should not be taxed or regulated.
The attitude and position of the re
publican party, on the liquor questio,
e (Which is sought to be intruded int,
7 the present campaign by the demo
Il cratic party TO serve as blind t.
cover their free silver platform) i
: this: That the present mulct law an,
l other regulative provisions of the trat
: fic now in force are the result of cor,
: promises Of various views sustaine, b,
J different parties throughout the state
that it should stand as it is witho,l
, serious modification"
If the voters wish the liquor traffi
extended throughout the state, its sal
made more easy, it's use more genera
its evils even more apparent, exper
sive and demoralizing than they nov
!, are, they should pin their faith to tII
implied promise contained in the lat
: democratic platform.
81 If the citizen is not in favor of lei
q ting down the bars now surroundin
! this traffic, and deems it better to Ell
In IA. :