The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1907-12-21
The Liquor Traffic.


traffic that important representatives of the traffic.
heretofore found on the firing line of opposition,
are moving, in concert with the forces of prohbi-
ton, for the enforcement of laws for the regulation
of their business.
In almost every State of the Union, dealers in
intoxicants have resisted the application of such
laws unwisely of course, as they now understand,
but with the encouragement of lethargic public
sentiment that gave them some excuse for the law
breaking attitude they assumed
Meanwhile powerful organization of temperance
workers took counsel with wisdom and instead of
appealing to human emotion, began working along
the line of its statutory rights 1t said the laws
fairly good, but they must be enforced
And they have since been enforcing the laws and
correcting them here and there, developing their
flaws and prevailing upon legislatures to apply the
remedies, which experience enabled them to suggest
Practical work was substituted for discourses and
"awakenings" and very soon sluggish sentiment be-
gan to stir itself. 1t awakened to interest and
then came to the aid of the champions of the law.
Thus strengthened the temperance workers adj
vanced their lines and developed the full plan of
the campaign. They are bringing State after State
into the prohibition fold and at this important juno
the liquor interests manifest appreciation of
the fate that is in for them unless they
mine the mine of the enemy and destroy all evil
dence of opposition to laws that undertake regu
late their traffic
The New York Wholesale Liquor Dealers Asso-
citation has declared in a series of resolutions that
the business it represents Should be so regulated
by legislation that those few dealers who by per-
sistent violation of the law contrive to bring upon
our business odium and criticism, may be denied
the privilege of further continuing in business"
The association expresses the belief that ~the deal
who violates the law is the greatest menace to
the welfare of our business not even excepting the
banded 1egions of prohibition workers. Violators
of law are bringing judgment upon their own heads,
in the clarified vision of intelligent observers
gagged in the traffic.
A great brewing establishment with an extensive
plant at ST. Louis has recently issued circular let
ter to the agencies through which its products
Handled in which it takes strong position in favor
of the enforcement of laws for the regulation of
the traffic 1t says: eve do not propose to reform
society or find cure-a11 for social ills But we are
determined to suppress, far can, every
saloon that must be regarded as a menace to peace
and good morals" Continuing the letter says, and
the language is significant '"The public mind is
KEEN and it would be mistake to permit this time
to pass without doing what to bring all our
interests up to the proper standard"
The agents of this brewing concern are directed
to report conditions in the territory in which they
operate, that steps may be Immediately taken to
purify the business by retiring all violators CT
State and local enactments for the regulation of The
sale of ntoxicants.
More than one-ha1f, probably, of the places where
liquor is retai1ed in the United States backed
by the money of the brewing interests many of them
being established and owned by the manufacturers
of beer. When so powerful an influence enters the
field for the enforcement of sumptuary legislation
the effect will come along without much delay and