The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-07-31
THE FELLOWS
That Wouldn't Go Into
the Ark
Because It Wasn't Built
| On Their Lines.
The Same Old Third Party
SOphiStrieS Advanced
By Mr. Creamer. the Third
Party Candidate for
| Governor.

Rev. Mr.. Creamer, the Prohibition
candidate for Governor, spoke from
the steps in the front of the Court
House yard, Wednesday evening. b
is a good talker, has a fine voice
for outdoor speaking, and made y
good impression as a speaker. But
his address was the old third party
argument, gone to seed. that a tax
is license, and that if you can't do
everything don't do anything. The
church and the Republican party
were denounced because they were
dominated by the saloons; and the
Anti-Saloon League was doing little
or nothing.
The fallacy that taxing a saloon
licenses it, has been so often exploded
and confuted, it is strange that
any intelligent gentleman could come
before an intelligent audience and
repeat it. Yet Mr.. Creamer built hi:
whole argument upon it, and hi:
whole denunciation of the church
and the Republican party was based
on this false premise.
If he is correct, then the highesi
courts of the country, state and ma
tional, are wrong If he is correct
all the taxes should be taken of sa
looms, no fines should be assessed
against them, and they should bs
favored above all business men by be
| ing free of contributing anything t,
support state and national govern
ment.
Suppose we would repeal the Dov
law, would the saloons continue t,
exist? OF course they would; ther,
would be nothing to preventit- The
they do not exist because there is o
is not Dow law.
To support the state and munici
palities, we tax people, we tax thei
property, we tax their business. W
tax franchises as well as property
But a man does not get a right L
keep a store or run a factory, o
print paper because ne pays a tar
for he has that right where and whel
he pays no tax. So the saloon mar
if the Dow tax were taken of, woul
go right along with his business; TO
in Ohio, under our constitution, som
saloons cannot be licensed and other
denied it, but all are fr, e to run til
their busin, SIS is prohibit: d by law.
But If the saloon keeper doesn'
pay his tax you sell him out and clos
his saloon. Not necessarily. If b
has other property that can be sold
he need not be compe led to close hi
>aloon. But if he chooses to let hi
saloon be sold to pay his tax, that
in the interest of temperance, i
makes one saloon less. and it is
matter of his own choice. So tn
grocer is taxed, and if he does no
pay his tax his grocery will be sol
out to pay the tax If other propert
is not seized. But the tax has moth
ling to do with his right to carry o
his business; il only limits his abilit
to do it. and that surely is not
license.
The third party Prvhibitionist say:
But what you want to do is to pre-
hibit the saloon"
Suppose We did this, and did not eI
force it. The result would be an ur
restricted traffic. Wouldn't that
licensing it? But he will say. 90
but we would erforce it" Pray, no,
would he enforce it? He would fin
the liqucr seller so heavily, that hi
business would not pay. But wouldn'
that be taking the price of soul
from the saloOnkeeper to give hin
his liberty? Wouldn't it be accept
irg Blood money!"
There is nothing possible but par
tial prohibition. Even in States wher
it has been enacted and placed il
State Constitutions, it has been en-
forced only where there is publ,
sentiment back of it. Why therefor,
denource Temperance people, be
cause they seek to move along prac
tical lines and secure the best posi-
BILE? For few to set themselves VI
as judges of what is practicable AMI
| denounce the many who houestl,
differ with them, shows, to say the
least, an unwarranted conceit and /.
censoriousness that is not begotter
of intelligence nor infallibility.