The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1907-11-30
TO LICENSE THE DRINKER.

TO LICENSE THE DRINKER.
To The Indianapolis Star:
The subject Of temperance Is oc-
cunving the serious attention OF many
people and many localities. Proaioi
ton seems likely to be well tried as
an experiment. We see II stated now
and then and here and there that GER
tain townships have gone dry. VIII
they stay dry? Let US hope so. But
for my part l have to hope against
grave doubts. The liquor interest Is
a big lion in the path He viii not
only growI, but he will bite, and bite
hard. Drinkers will have greater diff
ficulty in getting their drinks, but
they will get them Distillers and
brewers will have greater difficulty IN
reaching the consumers, but they will
reach them. one great objection to
prohibition is 1t compels persons who
do not abuse the use Of liquors to
suffer with those who do. There
are countless thousands Of people
who use liquor Of one kind or an
other and do not abuse It Many
families set beer on their table at
meal time and drink 1t as a part Of
their meal, and do not suffer any evil
from it, or cause any evil to their
neighbors. Such people regard pro-
hibition as an outrage and resent 1t
as such
Since the drinking interest II too
big to be absolutely run over by the
nondrinkng, is not some compromise
advisable? Both drinking and nom
drinking people are agreed that men
should not get drunk and do sthe
things that drunkenness inspires.
Both sides could unite to restrain
those who get drunk.
AS it is the drinkers who indirectly
pay the license assessed against the
vender of liquors, why not require
each drinker to take out q license to
drink? Say, 81 q month. This would
be only the cost Of twenty glasses Of
beer a month. For those who drink
three glasses q day there would be
left seventy glasses above the cost Of
his license. Let these licenses be re-
voked in case the holder shall become
intoxicated. Make It r1isdemeanor
with a heavy penalty for any person
to sell or give to any unlicensed per
son any intoxicating liquor. Let the
license be revoked one month from
the date Of conviction Of intoxication,
and two months from the date Of the
second conviction, three months from
the date Of the third, and 30 on TIL
the drinker would consume his drink
ing privilege entirely. .
Let the saloon keeper pay q NOM
inal license, and give bond to main
tain an orderly house and sell pure
liquors, with the right to sell anything
else beside liquor. This plan would
raise more revenue than any high
license plan.
When q young man was ON the
side Of free drinking. In 1852 I es-
poused the temperance cause and
worked at and for It for fifty years.
have circulated remonstrances against
granting saloon licenses. I have been
on committees to prosecute violators
Of our liquor laws. I have log roll
ed" In political conventions for and
against candidates who were for o.
not for temperance. II seemed 10 me-
that In the main my side got tn
worst Of the AghG Il e not time r.
, Try some new dsparture3 why shat
We continue to try over and owe
again the same ola failuref 'Tf q
first Jon don't succeed, try, Try again
has made more fools than any oths1
; motto / ever knew. Try what seems
J possible Of accomplishment, ana NO
ever that II something else WIN Dc
a. ven and require lsss trying. Do
not Be q ram butting q eats post
Il John I. Campbell.
Lafayette Ind Nov. 1S.
Prom the Star. Indianapolis, Ind.