The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-11-05
IoHN HENRY WRITES.

JOHN HENRY WRITES.
Dips his Pen in Gall, and Spares None
His View Of Option.
Editor Times: We desire to sub
NIT few thoughts on the pending
question of local option or rather
prohi ibition in Benton county.
1t is not question of what con-
ditions exist IN Kansas, California,
Texas or any other state, but how
it will affect Benton county and the
City of Corvallis:
1st. They say there will be
more drunkenness under local option
than under present conditi ons.
The argument is not rea sonable,
for if they believed it, all liquor
men would be for local option, in
stead of generally against it. If
the man who advances this stock in
trade delusion believed he was tell
ing the truth, you would hear him
change his mind and whoop it up
for prohibition.
end. Anti-optionists say intox-
icants that would otherwise be sold
in saloons, will, under local pro-
hibition, be sold in drug stores. If
that be true, what then? Can an
intoxicated man go to a drug store
now and get liquor? Could he do
| it then? Can minor get
liquor at drug store? Could he do
| it then? Neither now nor then.
could either get drop of intoxi-
cants at a drug store, because drug g.
gists dare not take the chances in
volved in such transactions. If,
therefore. option is to transfer the
business to the drug store. that
would be a help for boys and drunk
ards q
/ 3rd. And last they say it is
none of the country peoples busi-
ness how the cities have to raise
revenue and they should not be
1 given a voice in the matter.
/ This may be true over in Lincoln
or down in Marion or Multnomah,
4 but it is not true in Benton.
+ Seven eighths of the inmates Of
| penitentiaries and large percent
age Of the inmates OF the asylums
jails, reform schools, and poo1
farms. are there because of drink
and these places have to be main
tanned by public taxes, Of which
: the farmer pays his share. The
: trials, examinations and proceed
ings by which the inmates are sen
to these institutions, are paid for by
public taxes, of which the farmel
! pays his share. Yet, it is tn.
towns and cities alone that get q
revenue from the sale Of intoxi-
cants. Why is it that the matter i:
!. none of the farmers business?
Besides, the county court of Ban
: ton county bought a half interes
in this question when they contri
buted recently to m n u
!, ment. ,
In this the court did its duty bu
: how is it with the city of Corvallis
Her laws provide that salooi
man who sells liquor to a minol
shall forfeit his license. After The
dreadful tragedy enacted in Cor
wallis, last April two Of her saloor
men appeared in open court and en-
tered a plea of guilty to the charg'
of selling a minor the booze which
cost him his life and recorded II
Benton's S history one of the sadd
est pages it has been her misfortune
to have written.
Did the city authorities do theil
duty? Was the law sustained
: No! But why not? Will some
one in authority at Corvalli:
: answer. ; VI e@
f We can imagine we hear some
staid old city father shy1y answer
!, "No! We did not revoke theil
: license, but we did better than thai
i. we fined 'em 6fty dollars apiece
and paid our half of the monu
!. ment fund and had money, left,
f see!"a o5
: A large per cent of the voters O
the county who drink liquors and
| do not deny it, are in favor of Local
i option and will vote for, it. They
realize that at least $40, 900 Of their
, money annually goes over tht
: counter of Corvallis four saloons
E and that after the paltry sum o
] Sc. 900 is deducted for license, ther,
4 remains the neat sum of $38, 90,
:, balance against them. These met
: are anxious to remove this monste
e that is sapping their hard earne,
f money and casting blighting in
y huence about their children. Talk