The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1907-04-24
In Favor Of saloOns.


saloons in BsIleaire, Ohio. We
heartily endorse the writer's opin-
ion, for the closing of the saloons
in this town has had precisely the
effect predicted for BeIleaire.
Hundreds of dollars that should
and would be expended in Point
Pleasant, not alone in the liquor
traffic. but for merchandise Of
every description, now go to nearby
towns every day, The writer puts
the case in nut shell, and we de-
sire to go on record as endorsing
it from alpha to omego. Hereit is:
Editor of The Intelligencsr.
Dear Sir:-I want to raise my
voice in favor of the continuance
of saloons in BelIaire. No harm is
done by saloons when they are
properly conducted. and it is. of
course. the duty Of the authorities
to suppress those saloons that are
improperly conducted. The men
who conduct the saloons in Bell
aire ara, for the most part. good,
respectable, law-abiding citizens.
who contribute as much to the
good of the city as any Citizen in
any other line of business in the
town.
Surely there is not voter in
Bellaire who believe the closing Of
the saloons will stop the liquor
traffic. What will be the effect of
suoh drastic mover Will not the
men of Bsllaire desiring drink
have their thirsts slaked in Ben
wood and WheslingP
Like all other things, it is the
misuse and not the use of saloons
that make then Objectionable.
When they are conducted in an or
derby manner they do no harm
What of The oity's finances when
the saloons are suppressedP Are
they not tbs source of greatest in
come to the oityP The city now
receives $25, 900 annually from the
saloons How will this deficiency
be made up if the saloons are to be
4bolishedP Tnat $25,0 900 must be
forthcoming from some source
Tue taxpayers will be made pay
shis difference, and will not the
poor suffer theresat, for are they moi
the sufferers when taxes are in
creasedf
The arguments that could be
Cited in favor of the continuance
of saloons are manifold What do
some of our oocutry's greatest men
say on this question: 1 will cite
merely two:
Thomas Jefferson says: "Our
Legislators are not sufficiently ap-
praised of the rightful limits Of
their power; that their true office
is to declare and enforce only our
natural rights and duties, and take
none of them from us. No man
has a natural right to commit ag
gression on the equal rights of
another; and this is all from which
the law ought to restrain him;
every man is under the natural du,
ty OF contributing to the neoessi-
ties OF society, and this is all the
law ought to enforce on him; and
no man having a natural right to be
the judge between himself and
another, it is his natural duty to
submit to the umpirage of an im-
partial third When the laws have
declared and enforced all this, they
have fulfilled their functions, and
the idea is quite unfoundsd that
on entering into society We give mp
any natural right"
And here is what Abraham Lin.
ooln says: prohibition will work
great injury to the cause of tenn
peranoe. It lisa species of intemper
ance within itself, for it goes be-
yond the bounds of reason in that
it attempts to control a mans ap.
petite by legislation, and in max
king crimes ont of things that are
not Grimes. Prohibition law strikes
a blow at the very principles on
which our government was found
ed. l have always been found la
boring to protect the weaker class
es from the stronger, and 1 never
can give my consent to such law
as you propose to enact. Until my
tongue shall be silenoed in death,
l will continue to fight for the
rights of men,"
Sea the art ,laPdaniaPs af the