The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-02-25
LECALIZED EVlLS--NO. 56.
BY JOHN DANNER.

In the Repository of Friday January
"a, 1902. was quite lengthy article
headed, Full house." which went on
to say that every cell in the city pris-
on had been full the night before, the
result of drinking. And the very next
day, January 25, was another article
headed, Liquor Traffic" showing how
the traffic has grown in the state and
nation the past few years, And this
information was given from the cen
sus reports and is verified as true.
There is no fault to be found with
the articles, because they were strictly
true. But do say without fear of sue
cessful contradiction that it is burn
ing shame that an intelligent and pro-
gressive people as the American people
are should consent to be in part
nership with the liquor traffic, and
continue to give the saloons and IL
quor sellers a legal permit to con-
tinue their destructive and demoraliz-
ing work, whereby 100000 of our citl-
zens are annually sent to drunkards'
graves, and over twelve hundred mil
lions of dollars Of the peoples money
is squandered without the return of
dimes worth of benefit to any one
except the liquor sellers. ..-.-----,--..
Every revenue law whereby this un-
holy traffic gets protection, is u re-
proach to civilized people. The in
ternal revenue act, adopted by our ma
1
the fioodgates for this great iniquity.
Our several states, with very few ex-
ceptions, have fall IN in line and en-
acted some system cf tax or license
laws, whereby this ruinous traffic may
have legal existence. Here in Ohio
the Republican party took the lead to
trample upon our prohibitory constitu-
ton, and the best interests of the
people, by enactment of the Dow law
and ever since this inlluity wa1 I'M
posed upon us said political party, in
state conventions, assembled, had the
audacity to say 1--WE point with just
pride to the Dow law, w,"which.sentiment
was loudly applauded by said conven-
tiOns. George B. Cox an the brewers
of Cincinnati and other liquor inter-
ests of the state demanded that such
q law be enacted, and vouched for by
the Republican party, and it was done.
They are the ruling spirits in the af-
fairs of beth dominant political par
ties in Ohio today.
With all these facts which no honest
man can deny, is II not strange that
men who profess to be opposed to the
saloon should continue to uphold tax
and license parties. No man who
votes a tax or license ticket should
utter word against the saloon. be-
cause his ballot says protect the sa-
loon II they pay the tax or license
fee. Politicians have learned this fact.
Quite number Of excellent men in
Canton in both parties at one time
were active in temperance work, but
when said parties adopted platforms
favoring tax and license laws to le-
galize the traffic, then the politicians
ceased to attend temperance meetings
and never uttered word against the
saloon. Their own habits are all right,
but they dare not. as in former times,
talk against the traffic.
While all this Is undeniably true
we have preachers, deacons and ell
ders that talk against the saloon as
in former times. but they walk right
up to the polls and vote same tax and
license ticket that the saloon man,
brewer, and hummer votes. Every
honest man sees the Inconsistency of
such voting. II the saloon is good
enough to get the Christian ballot in
support of tax and license laws, It
should not be traduced by Christians
and preachers who are voting to give
the traffic a legal existence.
Christian brethren stop long enough
to think five minutes on this question,