The Holly chieftain., 1908-02-28

CSt0-tuCy iCHIAlu ~ uOio th~
sack. Now, is this not fact?
Look at this matter from a bus
mess point of view. The closing
of saloons will not estop the max
ing or the consumption Of whis-
key. II but means that the ship
ping revenues of the railroad will
be increased. In the meantime,
and to properly keep up the mu-
nicipal government the property
you own will have to meet tire
taxes now paid by the saloons. If
there is no income from them
you will have to bear the burden.
And pretty soon along comes the
probable investor in your proper
ty. As a wise man, before buy
ing, he looks into the rate of tax
alton, the amount OF insurance,
etc. Then he figures on the prof
it to him of his investment after
all these expenses are met, and
he passes on. How many of our
people stop to think Of these
things?
| do not write to support sa-
looms. But l do write to support
the town of Holly. 1t is an old
axiom that you cannot legislate
for morality. You can control
vice by proper regulations, but
the very minute you say man
shall not do a certain thing, right
there he will proceed to do it, as
the prevalence of the negative
spirit is rampant.
If prohibition would prohibit,
Mr.. Editor, it would be all right,
but is it not better to have sa-
looms, amenable to the law and
properly regulated, as Mr.. Wiley
says rather than lot of blind til
gers that do not contribute to the
town and making nothing but
sneaks out of men and drunkards
out Of children.
Over in the western part of
the state is town by the name
of Fruita. 1t is close to the
Utah line-about as close to that
state as we are to Kansas. 1t is
a prohibition town, and it is an
actual fact one-third Of the income
goes to Grand Junction to pay for
liquor. The railroad there has
bigger returns from its shipment
of jugs than from any other
source. And likewise a large
number of towns in Weld coun-
ty, not far from Greeley. In the
meantime these towns have no
funds to hire marshal or inn
prove streets, or do anything
else. But the records Of the local
courts in these districts show
that the absence of liquor saloons
does not stop drunkenness.
These are facts that are capa-
BILE Of proof.
Having been a resident Of Gree
ley, which was incorporated by
the honored Horace (peace be to
his ashes) with the prohibition
provision expressly and precise
ly stated, and actually saw the
whiskey agents selling liquor on
the street to minors, women and
men-in short to any body who
had the price.
On Sunday morning the old
county roads leading to Greeley
from neighboring towns are
strewn with whiskey and beer
bottles. And the whiskey vendor,
commonly known as the bootleg
ger" is perfectly happy. He is in
his element, and things are COM
ing his way.
BUT-who pays the freight? !?
The taxpayer-nobody else.
The successful community is
made up of those who drink and
those who do not drink. OF those
who go to church and those who
do not go to crurch. But no one
class has right to say what the
other shall do. Every property
holder and every man, woman
and child in the community has a
right to his opinions and the
right to have them respected and
protected.
AS | said before municipal gov
ernment is business-it should
| ~,0< ~ e..k@~-oI a. 49,. r