The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-03-29
BROKEN LINKS
ny VandeHa Nanan Thomas WeiEknown
DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Shall the federal government con
tinue in partnership with a business
that the state outlaws? Shall. it con
tinue in partnership with a business
that the county or city or town has
ojItlawed2 These are questions thai
the temperance people have asked
over and over again, and to which the
deadened conscience of the public has
given no reply. In fact, even the COCO
people do not seem to realize that the
greatest bulwark of the liquor traf
nc is its assurance of protection BY
the federal government This pro
lection can be purchased for SIS
the federal government This pro
hlbrtiVe Georgia, 1t is the same-$25
will make saloon7keeper or a boot
logger a law-abiding citizen, SO far as
the general government is concerned
You will notice the United States of.
fcials never run down a blind tiger
Why? Because the man who is hand.
ling that stuff on the sly, in defiance
of local authorities has tight hold OF
Uncle Sans coattails and your uncle
never goes back on his proteges
Every fellow that pays him $25 comes
under that head
] have seen some very wise and re-
spectacle people vince under a plain
statement of this fact. They say it
is not a license" it is a tax 1t is
not permit but a sum given flor
the Use of a permit" In earlier days
there was a certain disease that
troubled certain grades of society, the
younger members in particular. Some
called it "erysipelas," and some a Gu
taneous eruption but whatever it was
called it was the same old seVen-year
plague. And whatever name may be
given this, whether tax or license, it
is the same old connecting and pro
hibiting link between the government
and the liquor-seller There are
thousands in every state that take out
this license with the one purpose OF
plying an illegal trade in "no-license"
territories. If the truth were known
there is hardly a prohibition town
where one or two or more of these
permits are not sent. Never think
for a moment that your t'jOintest' has
not made his peace with the internal
revenue men. He would be nabbed
before night if he dared to defy them
for minute, and ''nabbing" by the
government is a game in which only
one wins.
Now the sensible and hopeful step
has been taken by a, representative
of Mississippi, in introducing a bill
in congress to prevent the issue of
internal tax receipts in communities
where the sale of liquor is prohibited,
and Senator McLaurin, in the senate,
has another bill compelling the appli-
cant to state under oath whether or
not he proposes to use it in no-license
districts and if SO. if it is to be re-
fused. Another feature of the bill
compels the internal revenue office to
file with the criminal clerk in the dis
trict where the sale Of liquor is pro-
posed the name of applicant and eX
act location of his business. While
this would have little bearing in IL
censed communities, it would greatly
simplify matters in prohibition dis
tricts, the possession of this tax re-
ceipt being prima facie evidence
against the law-breakars. In short,
no one would venture into any bust
ness with all authority, high and law,
pitted against him.
Lecturer Lamar said, the other day,
on the ohautauqua platform that the
reason the south is so much in ad-
vance of the, north ON prohibition is
because here we place manhood above
money like to have it reported that
the south is in advance of the north,
for it makes us feel good, and 1T stirs
UP the northern brethren and sisters