Middletown transcript., 1907-11-02
THE sALOONl MAY / ASK !?
BY cHARLGs scAN1.os.

II more liquor is sold where there are
no saloons than where there are, wonld
brewers, distillers and wholesale dealers,
who own about seventy five per cent. Of
all saloons. pay license, rent, taxes, in.
surance, attorneys fees, and contribute
large sums of money to influence the
press, to publish aud distribute literature,
and in other ways to obtain license, all to
lessen the amonnt Of their sales? Would
the liqnor men now be maintaining five
national organizations, at heavy expense,
to oppose all prohibitory measures, il
they did not interfere with the traffic
Would they keep an expensive LIBBY at
the national capital to urge the restoration
of the canteen or army saloom, if they
were not financially interested?
Are beer wagons aud speak easies"
and "blinI pigs" fnl Hqnor agents
ALONE, worse than all these evils PLUS
the open saloon? DI not the records OF
hundreds OF towns sliox that saloons do
not lessen these nlisances, bat afford
additionaLtemptation TO drink ,,and is the
spawning place of the most degrading
vices
How do saloons help townf Do they
make better fathers, husbands, sons or
brothers2 Dlthey make mothers, wives
and children comfortable and happy ?
Do they help to build up churches and
make it easy for parents to keep children
in school
Do not saloons mean drunkenness and
does not drunkenness mean less steady
and less skillful labor2 Do not sober
men work more and retain their earning
capacity longer than drinking men2 Do
not life insurance companies say that an
abstainer is from 30 per cent. to 40 per
cent. better risk than a drinkerP Will
not the business OF town be determined
by the amount Of goods which its citizens
can buy and pay for 2 Is not the pur-
chasing capacity OF man limited to his
earning capacity? Do not sober men as
rule earn more than drinking men, and
do not their families consume more and
therefore help business? Is the credit OF
a drinking man as good as that OF an
abstainer, if not why? Do not all polit-
ical economists agree that the morals Of
bread-winner are fully as important a
factor in his value to the community as
his physical and intellectual qualities +?
Can a man buy beer and beef with the
same money? Who pays the license and
all other expenses of the saloon keeper :?
What would 90 with that money if it did
not 90 for liquorP
If it is such disgraceful thing to sell
liquor that you do not want to associate
with the man who does it, is it good
thing for you to vote for him to do bad
thing? IF IT IS A BAD THING TO
BE A DRUNKARD Is IL A GOOD
THING TO LICENSE MEN TO MAKE
DRUNKARDS? If a saloon is a good
thing who do those who patronize it de
sire TO O0 SnlelQ6Q ITOHl view Dg ScFeSnk
while they do SO, and why must it be
kept away from churches and schools and
out OF residence districts?
Is it right to vote for thing which no
decent man ought to defend
Is not the license system the strong
tower to which the traffic doth resort in
its every time of need? l. it not "the
revenue which it pays" which is always
mentioned by the trade" when this evil
is oil trial for its life? Is not liceuse the
most dangerous and deceptive expedient
yet tried to defer or defeat the overthrow
Of the traffic? II thing is so demoral-
izing that it must be prohibited on Snn-
days and election days, and so dangerous
that it must be forbidden in case of riots,
fire or other occasions OF great excitement,
ought it to be permitted at any time? II
Mayor Jones in Minneapolis, and Gov
ernur Folke in Missouri can IL Ise the
saloons on Sunday, is it not proof that
other executive officers can enforce the
law il they will to do so?