The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1907-07-25
WINGATE'S IDEAS
Letter from Treasurer of Mime
sofa Anti-SaIOOn League
SALOONS DISCUSSED
Writer Takes Up and Answers Argu'
ments Advanced By Friends of
Drink DiSpensdries

w. s. Wingate, treasurer OF the
Minnesota Anti-Saloon League, who
recently visited Sank Centre and
spoke at the Congregational church,
sends The Herald the following
letter for publication:
Editor Herald: 1t was my privi-
lege to spend a recent Sunday in
your beautiful city, representing the
Minnesota Anti-Saloon League in
whose work many of your people are
interested. In discussing the various
phases of the beverage liquor traffic
with several of your citizens three
arguments in favor of the saloon were
advanced by men who protested to be
heartily opposed to the drinking
habit. First the financial argument.
AS I understand it, you have eight
saloons, paying a license of $1,000
each, or a total revenue OF eight
thousand dollars. l am quite conf
dent that sixty or seventy thousand
dollars is a very low estimate of the
gross income of these eight saloons.
Allowing twenty or twenty-five thou.
sand dollars for the running expenses,
would leave margin of some fifty
thousand dollars which goes into the
Golfers of the brewers. If this esti-
mate is considered high, cut it in two
and there is still wide margin
against the saloons. This money is
absolutely wasted, doing no one the
least particle OF good and is drain on
the community, sucking out its
financial life blood like leech. 1t is
money that belongs at home. If it
were not worse than squandered it
would go into legitimate lines Of trade,
into homes, the bank or some other
form of investment that would benefit
the community. 1t would seem that
from the standpoint of self interest if
from no higher motive, every merchant
in your city would fight the saloon al
he would pestilence. Many times
have inquired of those who advance
this argument, how a profit can be
shown in the face of these indisputable
figures without ever receiving salts
factory answer. There is no answer.
The saloon as a source of revenue is a
losing proposition.
The second argument most
frequently heard is: cit is better to
have licensed saloons than blind
pigs" as though it were a foregone
conclusion that either one or the other
must exist. With the saloons put
under the ban, "blind pig" reign is
no more to be feared than a reign OF
arson, stealing, murder or any other
crimes. All of these things are likely
to occur in any community but that
is no reason why they should be
granted special privileges. The
measure of the moral strength of any
community is the energy with which
it ferrets out and Furnishes offenders
against established laws. 1t is no
disgrace for a man to have a dirty face
provided he washes it at the proper
time. 1t is a disgrace for him to 60
day after day with dirty face, making
no effort to be clean. Put the liquor
traffic where it belongs, treat it as a
commercial outlaw, then elect officials
who will recognize its standing and
there will be no trouble in enforcing
the laws. Kandiyohi county is a
shining example OF the truth Of this
statement.
The third argument advanced was
the old time honored respectable
saloon. Make the saloons orderly,
permit no drunkenness on the
premises, no profanity, no loud talk
ing ETC. is the oft reiterated plea. Only
q short time ago one of the leading
liquor papers Comforts Wine and