Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-12-27
1T aGhingtan s tandard
OLYMPIA, WASH.
rBlnAI MORNING. DECEMBER 20. 1907.
More About the Temperance Issue.

More About the Temperance Issue.
The Dr9unft0 IN Il recent ,~>Uc con-
tanned an editorial concerning III"
significance" Of the present agitation
"l ,i., temperance question through
nu: III" United States particularly
in tt,. Su4th and West. 1t noted
huW u,I krnturkY. which contains
III r-4uti,>. - of which have gone
dry .'-i.r the local option law. not
Wit standing that this Old cuiunpnn-
wealth. }au enc hundred million dol
..:~ Invested in The liI."r traffic and
lit from timc iiumcinurial been rc,.h
om"d ,,S 4 WiiSk,y state. 1t claimed
there is a strong underlying cause
for such active public sentiment. and
that il brhnuV..S the men and inter
cSt> engaged in the traffic to cooper
al" with the temperance elements in
complying with the law. if they wish
la cu1Int"r:.ct the effect of this tenn
inrtnce wave.
\ recent press dispatch announces
that the brewers of Ohio in cOnvcn-
1i"n assembled have taken the stand
to sell n" beer to dive-kecpers, have
appointed agents and employed de-
tcctivc> to assist in carrying out such
purpose.
The STANDARD is of the opinion
there is one phase OF the question
which has been pretty generally over
looked and may come to the surface
later on. While it may appear a
moral issue on the surface, there is
at the bottom the economic question
which has the more potent signifi-
canoe. Many wealthy men are Civ
ing their money To assist in the
propaganda, while the preachers and
orators do the talking. These finan-
cial magnateS feel they can get more
and better labor out of a sober man
than from one who imbibes freely;
that with improved machinery and
processes goods are manufactured too
rapidly to be worked off on foreign
markets in which competition is be-
becoming more and more intensified;
q greater home demand for these
commodities is desirable. If the wage
earners and consumers spend less
money for drink, they will have more
cash with which to purchase Ordi-
nary merchandise; thus the parties
engaged in the liquor traffic in GER
tain communities will be competed
out of business, and in others their
profits will be greatly reduced. if the
agitation shall actively proceed.
Hence, we observe mems moral i'm
pulses are governed largely through
their economic interests. The Puri-
tans, in old colonial days, manufac-
tured rum, equipped ships for the
purpose of engaging in the African
slave trade, sold slaves to West In
dia and Southern planters, but when
this slave traffic was prohibited and
became improbable, those same Pur-
itans soon became convinced the
traffic was immoral.
TRUST DOMINATION. "A few months
ago, the STANDARD in discussing the
car shortage problem. stated that
there was reason to believe the large
timber-land interests are in collision
with the trans-continental railroad
companies operating in this coast
country, in endeavoring to freeze out
our local lumber and mill men, and
when this result shall have been
pretty generally attained, these COM
binatiOns could then get complete
control of the lumber business in the
West. In q recent investigation be-
fore the interstate commerce CON-
mission at Washington, d. c., it ap-
peared the Weyhaueser Land Com
pany had purchased all the timber
land accessible to the line of the
Northern Pacific Railway Company,
for which it had expended Sc, 900, 900,
had sold one section out of its one
million acres for $4,000. Our lum-
bermen ought to lose no time in con-
sideration of these matters before it
shall be too late. No Daniel is needed
to interpret the trend of affairs of
this character.
SENTIMENTAL FINANCE. Now comes
Thomas w. Lawson, of frenzied fin
ance fame, who claims the present
panic is sentimental, and therefore
the cure should be sentimental; that
President Roosevelt should take the
matter in hand, appoint commits
sion consisting of such men as Gov.