Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-09-12

on a change of venue was brought before
Judge Artman who refused the applica-
tion. 1t is note worthy that the case has
never been appealed. lie said that he
based his decision in the well known
Saltau case on the proposition that gov
ernments are instituted for the promotion
of the welfare Of the people, and that
under the higher moral law, or law of
absolute right, the source of all human
law, no government has a right to per-
NIT or recognize any institution that de-
stroys or Injuries the public good and the
public morals. Therefore," he said,
''the statues providing for the licenses
are inconsistent with the purposes set in
that document for which the federal and
state constitutions are adopted, and CON
sequently void, or unconstitutional, since
the legislature has no power to enact
them"
Defining the common law, the moral
law, which he construed to be for the
advancement OF the public welfare, he
asserted that the saloon does not come
within that classification and is, conse.
quently, unlawful. THE saloon, lie
said, docs not advance the public wei
fare, and the well being aud moral adj
vancenent of the citizens. The object
of the three kinds of law mentioned
being the advancement and welfare Of
the people, it is plain to see that the
saloon has directly opposite effect, and
is therefore obviously an outlaw iustitu
tion.
There is a popular misconcepton
prevailing he asserted, in regard to
the granting of liquor licenses. A license
is not prohibition as is at times con.
tended. 1t is purchasing Of the per.
mission to sell liquor and cannot be coli
sidered prohibition, Under the legis.
latlve enactment the saloon is really un.
lawful, because the law provides for the
veal of the public and when liquor
license is granted for consideration 1t is
merely the suspension of the statute in
favor OF the saloon, and since the result
of this suspension instead of redounding
to the welfare of the citizens do just the
opposite, as you know. the exercising of
the so called right is virtually uuconsti-
tutonal, 1t is because the saloon exerts
such potent influence in our politics
that it has attained its present strength.
But for more than so years the public
sentiment has been increasing and the
people are beginning to realize what the
liquor traffic means. 1t is not necessary
to say that the existence of the saloon is
responsible for desolate homes, murder,
larceny, impaired intellects, insanity and
other unfortunate circumstances that
would not exist were it not for this
menace to our welfare.
I'VE can not but see, after considera.
ton that the privilege of selling liquor is
not a constitutional right, not a common
law right, not moral law right, not an
inherited right, not an inaienable right,
and not a privilege of citizen of a state.
Then what is IT. 1t is plainly unconStitu
tional, and in making this statement
am only framing what the decisions of
many courts have practically indicated "
Judge Arttnan is a strong type of the
big manly iIoosier well proportioncd
and standing six feet high, he is frank
and unassuming, yet dignifed, lie has
spoken in every western state, except
Nevada, on the liquor question, and is
now on a tour Of the big cities and towns
in the east. lie is accompanied by his
wife, handsome and attractive woman.
who manifests profound interest in the
stand which her gifted husband has
taken Woman National D1ily