The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-01-20
LOCALIZED EVlLS--No. 70.
Cwritten for the News-Democrat.)
BY JOHN DANNER

| FOR many years the politics OF our
government has been controlled by two
great political parties, and the policy
OF both OF these national political par
tics has been to ''legalize" the liquor
trafic by means of TAX and licenSc
laws; on the money question tariff,
and many other issues these parties
have always taken opposite sides, but
on the question of giving legal per
nit to the liquor traffic for beverage
purposes, both these once grand par
ties have taken the position to legal
lie this traffic by tax or license laws.
This is quite true in our national af-
fairs, and very nearly SO in the several
states. All the way throughout the
several states, the attitude of both the
Republican and Democratic party TO-
wards the liquor traffic has been
friendly. Therefore when either of tn,
parties are in power, they are ready
and willing to legalize the traffic by
means of tax and license laws. In a
few states the will of the people has
established prohibition laws in def
ance of both parties, for the legali-
zation; of said traffic; these political
parties are not in sympathy with the
principles of prohibition for the traf-
fic and favor as far rs possible the null
LITIGATION of the prohibitory laws.
The whole history of both parties
for the past forty years, proves most
conclusively that the two great ma
tional political parties in the United
States are under the control of the liQ-
uor power; all the liquor sellers, dis
tillers. brewers and saloon men with
their million of investment in thistraf-
fc are supporters of either the Dem
ocratic or republican parties. And both
of these political parties are constantly
courting the liquor vote; no man can
truthfully deny this being true. We
must make up our minds that If we
would dethrone the saloon and protect
our homes, we must do one Of two
things.
First, we must induce one or the
other of these great national political
parties to throw overheard its former
policy of legalizing the traffic by tax
and license laws, and declaring for
State and national prohibition Of the
traffic; land If this cannot be done
we must decide to put a new political
party in power that stands pledged
against all forms of tax or license for
the liQuors trafic. Our churches
throughout the land have declared that
"No political party has the right to
expect, nor ought 1t to receive the sup
mort Of Christian voting so long as it
stands committed to the license pol
icy, or refuses to put inself on record
in an attitude of open hostility tolthe
saloon"
Christian voters of every name, both
Catholic and Protestant should heed
the above declaration and positively
!, refuse to vote for any man so long as
he upholds political party that op-
poses prohibition and courts the sa-
loon votes.
If We continue to "legalize" so great
an evil as that of selling intoxicating
liquors for beverage purposes, we can
not fail to produce an abundant Lror
OF suffering and woe that otherwise
would be avoided. The most reliable
and authentic reports gathered from
our statistics show that over one thou.
sand million dollars are annually vast
ed because Of this legalized evil, and
that fully two thirds of our crimes and
parperism are the direct result Of this
monster evil, which has the protection
of our government, both state and ma
: tional. Satan never told greater false
hood than he does when he persuades
Christian men to vote to tax or IL
cense this traffic, and thereby get Q
revenue from 1t.
The facts are, that for every dollar
TINS got from the trafIlc, 1t costs thu
people sixteen dollars to take care oil
the paupers and criminals produced by
= the traffic: and the degradation and
woe resulting from the use Of intoxi
: eating drinks as beverage. are be-
yond all accurate estimate A mora
9 wrong should never be given a lega
right.
We do not act SO unwisely in dealing
3 with thieves and counterfeiters ani
: grant these no permit at amy price
q and why should we grant license
s or permit to sell intoxicating liquors
:, for beverage purposes; all: statistic'
q and facts show beyond shadow o
u doubt that liquor selling for beverage
o purposes has produced more harm THAI
all the stealing and counterfeiting evel
produced.
: A little common sense applied to thi
3 question will convince. all good citi
zens that the only true way to dea
with the liquor traffic is to prohibit /
and repeal all tax and laws wher'
y by the ruinous traffic obtains q le