Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-11-02
and
Its Conception

sent IN by y. L. watkins OF VAIL
Camp, is pertinent and should in
terest all:
First, you will probably ask
why make this nation one vast
saloon, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and from Canada to the
Gulf of Mexico.
Oh, You do not quite under
stand let us go quietly back to
the time when our Government
did not impose a tax on the dis
tiller and seller, when everyone
who so desired might distill whis-
key; yes, whiskey as harmless
as water and pure as the morning
dew. The saloon then was prac-
tically unknown.
AS you know, the saloon had
it's embryonic conception at the
capitol of our nation when a tax
was to be imposed upon its manu-,
facture and sale, which brought a
curse upon our fair land.
Did I not hear you say, Close
the saloon? Yes; and I say Amen
to it, but our neighbor says it
cannot be done only by forbid.
ding it's manufacture and sale,
but I say it can by repeating the
license.
Oh, then you say that his ma
ton would become a nation Of
drunkards. All, there my dear
friend, there is where you are
mistaken. | admit that it is true
we would yet have whiskey, but
it would only be whiskey pure
and simple and as harmless as the
cider or wine in our cellars, with
the result that we would have no
drunkards, less gambling dens,
bawdy houses and less horrible
crimes, also less cases for our
courts to prosecute.
Some say that the revenue de-
rived from the manufacture and
sale more than offset the loss to
the consumers; even this be so,
why not stop the loss to consum-
ers which amount to millions an
nually.
Who are the consumers? Why
fully 500 are those who have
wife and children at home, and
in many cases the home is only a
rented one which could be own
ed by the tenant if it was not for
the curse.
Yes, the poor wife and children
would not have to 60 to bed so
often hungry, have more clothes,
and of a better quality, and en-
Joy more of this worlds goods.
So many graves would not be
filled by premature deaths. So
many homes would not be broken
up, and the freside would be more
cheerful when father, mother and
children are all present, instead
of the father or sons spending
their time lounging around the
saloon or gambling den.
I could give you statistics to
show what a curse the saloon is,
but do not deem it necessary, as
statistics at best are only a dry
collection of figures.
Kind friend, just stop and
think for moment how these fig
ures might be changed, if we
were privileged to make and
drink our own whiskey in our
own homes.
Fathers and sons would no
longer come home drunk, drunk
enness would soon become a thing
of the past, prosperity and peace
would reign in our homes,
Dear readers, you who desire
to see the death of the whiskey
traffic, stop one moment and
think. Think what? Think, l
say, what a curse the whiskey
traffic as carried today is. Think
Of the fathers, sons and brothers
going down to eternal ruin; think
of the millions of dollars paid in.
to the Golfers of the mannfactu>
rers and cellars of the poisoned
stuff. I say poisoned stuff be-
cause we no longer get the pure
and unadulterated article.
Manufacturers and dealers in
order to realize the handsome
profits which they desire, after
paying the high license tax for
privileges, are compelled to
IL f,n,~, 70