Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-12-29
Continued from Second page.

profit. In some instances there is a
profit of nearly % per cent on the
retail sales of liquor. Allowing that
this, which is high figure, would be
true of the sales, then there must be
S24O0.O0 worth of liquor sold in Iras-
burg in year to support the saloon
keeper. But if we tax that man
$780, in the form of a license, if he
is like any other business man, he
will try to increase his receipts as
soon as his expenditures are so
greatly increased. To pay for that
license he will have to sell 100000
worth of liquor each year. Or he
must sell at the very lowest at least
81 10000 worth of liquor in order to
secure what he would call even a de-
cent income. And for the privilege
of taking this from the community he
returns $4,000. Looking at it from
the purely financial standpoint, is
this a good investment for any
community? And yet we are told
that the license system would de-
crease taxes. It is unfortunately
true that many would consider such
man great benefactor, because he
helps so much in the taxes.
But we need to remember the
additional expense incurred as the
result of the licensed saloon in the
community. DIR. Conland, one of the
leading advocates of high license in
the present legislature, in arguing
before the temperance committee in
favor of giving part of the license
to the town in which the saloon is
situated, used these words; "Addi-
tional police protection would natu-
rally be necessary with licensed
saloons" The city of Monmouth, Ill,
decided to have saloons. Six saloons
were licensed at 81, 900 90 each. Thus
$4,000 90 was at once paid into the
city treasury. But the next week the
city council appropriated S., 300 90 for
additional police protection, and at
the end of the first year the city
authorities stated that as the direct
result of the saloons in that city, the
city has paid out three times as much
as had been received in licenses.
How does the licensed saloon decrease
taxes? And in this we have made no
account of the cost to individuals in
money, of the cost in suffering, in
poverty, in homes broken up and
hearts crushed. If we consider it
from the financial standpoint we
must take into account all the factors.
The mayor of Farso o, N. D., states
that his city is growing very rapidly,
that it is spending an unusual amount
In improvements, such as water, gas,
pavements, etc., but that in spite of
this increased expense the taxes are
25 per cent lower than when the city
had the licenses from saloons. And
yet in spite of this obvious fact many
men, after the saloons are once es-
tablished, will consider only the
money paid in taxes, and will never
vote so as to lose these taxes, no
matter how great a saving this loss
would be to the comm unity. Many a
time in the state of Ohio I have seen,
not ignorant men, but leading bust
ness and Christian men, fighting
against the effort to drive the saloons
out of their town for the sole reason
that the town would lose the taxes
The few hundred dollars received in
taxes il greater in the eyes of many
such men than all the additional ex-
pense, public and private, and all
the suffering and woe caused. This
needle to be considered by those who
are ready to try the open saloon as
an experiment.
In our efforts to do away with crime
we need to remember that the sa.
loon is the most prolific source o.
crime in any town or state in oul
country to-day. We have been told
that we need to try the license sys'
tenn to purify our state politics. But
l should prefe the testimony or sucf
man as our president. Wher
police commissioner of New York
city he said, "When the liquor mer
are allowed to do as they wish, they
debauch not only the body social
but the body polite also. The saloor
forms the natural club and meeting
place for the ward leaders and heal
ers.'" He made this Statement
during the most strenuous fight o
his life, in his effort to make the
saloons of New York city simply obey
the law. In this effort he was opposed
by not only the liquor men, but BY
all the politicians of the city ant
state who depend for their power OF
the saloon.