The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-11-12
TRAFFIC
ls Responsible for q Vast In
crease in tho Consump-
ton Of Liquors, Says
John Danner.
(LEGAIIzED EVIL, NO. 4s.)

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This can clearly be seen in regard to
the liquor traffic. In 1861 our national
government went into partnership with
the liquor business by the enactment
of the internal revenue tax, and has
kept up the partnership to this day,
and most of the states have endorsed
the same by the enactment of tax or
license laws for the liquor traffic, and
the result has been that said traffic
has flourished and prospered as never
before in the history of the nation. 1t
has now got to the point that neither
OF the dominant political parties dare
to raise their voice against this grow
ing evil for fear of defeat. Before the
enactment of tax and license laws for
the liquor traffic this fear did not ex-
ist Then some of our leading politi-
clans would go out and make temper
ance speeches, now none of them can
be induced to do this for fear of losing
the liquor vote, and without the liquor
vote they are sure of defeat. This
proves what great harm has been done
by the enacting of tax and license laws
for the traffic.
'hC cNii VI HAS Dteu lcStl-
lied In Baden Baden, Germany, and
other places, and wherever legalizs
this evil has grown and prospered. In
Paris and France the evil of bawdy
houses has been legalized for many
years, and history proves that no city
in the world Is more cursed with this
evil than is the city of Paris. Some of
our American citizens tried it for
awhile, but finding the evil to flourish
under tax and license laws. most OF
them have given up the practice.
The widest suggestion for the legal
ization of evil lately made appeared
In the Literary Digest, published in
New York, October 26, 1901, in which
the following article was published:
Among the, many proposals made
during recent months to remedy the
evils of lynch law and mob cruelty,
probably none is quite so frank and
startling as that of Mr.. Edwin Lehman
Johnson, Memphis merchant, who
writes advocating the legalization OF
lynching. Instancing the recent case
of brutal murder In cold blood of. a
wife and mother in the presence of her
children by an incarnate fiend at Win
chester, Tenn.," and the subsequent
burning alive Of the man in the pres
ence Of two thousand citizens, he de-
clares: Il do not hesitate to say that
this fiend fully deserved his fate. His
punishment was no greater than his
crime" Mr.. johnson continues:
I'm all our states there Is only one
way to meet all the conditions, includ-'
ing the state of public opinion among
our own people. and with all due re-
spect to opinion abroad. That way Is
to make lynching legal, to enact lynch
law which will permit to be done
legally in modified form with certain
safeguards and without barbaric ac-
compartment and degrading publicity
just what was done at Winchester.
When the cry Of Lynch him! Lynch
him! means only the application of q
special and carefully framed law to
meet the conditions surrounding such
crime and such state of public opin-
lon, then and then only will the shame,
the disgrace, and the injury which Is
brought upon our state by such unlaw-
full, such cowardIy, such brutalizing
conduct as took place at Winchester
be removed from us and made here
after an impossibility.
IF the state constitution stands in
the way of it, we will soon have a
chance to change it. If the national
constitution stands in the way, and IL
1t Is not found possible after honest and
determined effort to change 1t to meet
the conditions which now exist here
among us and which did not exist when
that constitution was framed or amend
ed. then l say, with all reverence for
that noble instrument, but with great
er reverence for the women of Ten
nessee, let US, the people of Tennessee,
originate a new, uniform, and unwrit-
ten law that will meet the conditions
which shall help us to prevent brutal
murder and rape and punish 1t when
committed, in such way as shall de-
ter others from committing like crimes
without demoralizing or brutalizing
the public. Neither the present laws
on the statute book nor mob law meet
these requirements. 1t is probable that
some features of the present law and
some features Of the present practice
must be combined to meet the case"
Liquor sellers have been making the
same plea and politicians have needed
1t. The fact Is that before 1861 when
this legalization of liquor selling was
adopted, THE consumption of intoxicat.
Ing liquors was Az gallons per capita,
Now under tax and license protection
1t has grown to TN gallons per capita.
Is 1t not time to call halt, and stop
giving a legal protection to the evil Of
liquor selling for beverage purposes at
any price, or any terms? Oppose all
political parties that cater to the liquor
vote and that uphold tax or license laws
for said evil traffic.
The proper use of a freeman's ballot
against this evil is the only one where
by the saloon can be got out of poll
tics. and our homes be protected from
the evils of the legaltzed saloon. Vote
against all tax and license parties.
JOHN DANNER.