Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-10-12
THE LIQUOR PROBLEM.

liant and versatile editor of the
Cosmopolitan. prints the following
article as his leading editorial in
the October number of that maya
zine:
Bishop Potter's very brave.
though l think ill-advised, presen-
tation of his views on the liquor
question has served one purpose.
which every manly stand taken
in behalf of what a man regards as
right must always accomplish. 1t
makes other people consider seri-
ously the same problem; and out
of a multiplicity of thoughtful
counsel comes wisdom.
The result of many years con-
sideration of this very difficult
problem leads me to the belief that
1t Is entirely possible for the most
extreme radical in favor of tenn
perance, and the liquor-drinker
most conservative of his rights. to
unite. | will try to stste the prob
lem in a simple form.
/. In the United States there is
expended annually for liquor the
sum of over $500, 100000.
ii. In the United States. each
wear, there are made some hun
dreds of thousands of drunkards.
filling asylums, bringing misery
into homes, and causing semi-idi-
otto children to be born into the
world. All, without exception.
acknowledge the immensely of the
evil of drunkenness.
III. In addition TO the money
expended yearly for liquor. the
United States annually loses
through inefhciency of Its citizens.
caused by liquor. sum that NAV
roundly be calculated at three
hundred millions of dollars.
~. Many men are not disposed
to put on their neighbors the bur
den of absolute prohibition. They
concede the right to drink liquor.
'. All men, except those en-
gagged in the business of selling
liquor, desire to restrict the evils
Of the liquor traffic. These evils
are:
The corruption Of youth.
The baneful influence exercised
upon our political conditions.
The deprivation and suffering
caused to women and children.
The loss Is national wealth.
The question then is:
What method of procedure will
grant the liberty demanded by GER
tain citizens, and at the same time
prevent the corruption of youth.
prevent the corruption of the citi-
zenship of the country, and finally
the waste of the country's re-
sources!
The answer to all this seems to
he In one direction, and one direc-
ton only. Absolute prohibition is
condemned by considerable por-
ton of the community: unrestrict-
ed license is condemned by a still
larger portion of the community.
The mean between these two lies
IN turning over the liquor traffic
to the government. as has already
been successfully done in a number
of states.
All liquor should be sold from
state depots.
1t should be sold only in pack
ages to be consumed elsewhere
than in the saIesroom.
No sales should be made 70
minors.
The liquor sold should be Of the
best quality.
The prices charged would be
more reasonable than those made
at the present time; they would
still be large enough to give the
government revenue several
times that now derived from the
sale of liquor.
This plan being carried out. the
public secures the following results:
First, The temptation to youth
to drink in saloons located on every
convenient corner, and to treat
their friends, and in turn be treat
ed acknowledged to be one of the