The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-09-23
LECALIzED EVlLS-.NO. II.
(written for the News-Democrst.)
BY JOHN DANNER

have always supported tax and IL
cense perties, voluntarily tell me that
the more they look at this vital ques-
ton the more they are convinced that
if We wish to perpetuate our free in
stitutions we must stop "legalized
etil'' in any form or at any price.
Sensible men who have the best in
terests of the people at heart cannot
arrive at any other conclusion. l am
fully aware that continuance in evil
will scar and harden our sensibility.
This is quite true in regard to the
legalization of the liquor traffic ever
since it was begun in 1865. A greater
crime than the open rebellion of the
south, was the taking of the liquor
traffic in partnership with our govern
ment by the internal revenue law on
not been passed, and the selling of all
Intoxicating liquors for beverage pur-
poses had been dealt with as an evil,
hundreds of thousands of lives would
have been spared and many millions
OF money saved to the people, which
have been sacrificed upon, this legal
lied monster.
The whole tenor of bible teaching is
to prohibit evil, never is the selling of
an indulgence to do evil countenanc-
ed, and Blackstone, the great author
of English law, has always said that
the human laws must correspond to
Gods law, If such law IS intended to
bene6t and uplift our race. Nowhere
fromGenesis to Revelation can SEN
tence be found that will sanction the
permit to do evil by the payment Of
price. Consequently all laws that give
a permit to the selling of intoxicating
liquors for beverage purposes are in
conflict with the bible and the best in
terests Of our fellow men.
No sensible men will undertake to
say that selling intoxicating liquors
for beverage purposes is not harmful.
The universal testimony of our best
teachers and moralists is against
liquor selling for beverage purposes.
This being the fact, we should say we
will not support any political party
that upholds the legalization of this
great evil at any price or in any form.
Il would appear that all good men
should see these things clearly but
they do not In our own much loved
state of Ohio, where we have prohib-
itory state constitution adopted by o
Democratic constitutional convention
aud ratified by the people. The Re-
publican party twenty years ago
needed .he clamors of George B. Cox
and tho brewers of Cincinnati, to give
them a law whereby they might ie-
gally carry on liquor selling and they
then adopted the Pond tax law which
was declared unconstitutional. They
then adopted a similar law known as
the Scott tax law, and that was also
pronounced unconstitutional Finally
the third effort was made by the Re- |
publican party alone, and they enacted
the Dow tax law, and it has been up
held by a partisan court from that day
tc this.
1t is common thing to hear |
preachers and deacops N the RepLbli- |
cen party speak of the "Whiskey |
Democracy" in Ohio, when the re-
corded facts show that the Republican |
party in our state has done much more
to please the saloons than has ever
been done by the Democratic party.
Our present rrohibitory state COR
stitution was given us by Democratic
constitutional convention fifty years |
ago. The first prohibitory state law
was enacted in Maine more than fifty I
years ago by Democratic state legis- |
lature. Our unconstitutional and un-
holy Dow tax law was enacted in Ohio |
about twenty years ago by a strong
Republican legislature. So that when
it comes to charging either of the old |
tax and license parties, it looks as
though both 'had their foot in it,"
and it is quite out of place "fr Tie
pot to call the kettle sack"
The more respectable and finely fur
nished saloons are much more to be
dreaded and feared than the 'loE
dives" The high toned and gilt edge
places will tempt our boys
and young men to take their first |
glass, but the "low dives" they will t
not visit.
To have truly successful temperance
reform, we should always begin with
the most fashionable and tempting.
~ they are wiped out the "low dives''
will soon bcnput out or existence.
All who are opposed to drunken.
pess should be outspoken against
"wickedness in high places" and such
Is every gilt edge saloon. whether
such saloon stands alone or in con-
nection with. the best hotel in the
country. In all places and at all times /
they are dangerous and should be op-
posed by all good citizens of what