Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-13
SCORES
LIQUOR TRAFFIC
ORGANIZED SOCIETY BOUND
TO PROTECT ITSELF
SALOON oUTDoEs ALL FORCES
OF EVIL COMBINED
Hiuh License Denounced as Most
Subtle and Deadly Foe That the
Prohibition Movement
Confronts

DR.. Roach Straton preached at the
Auditorium last night on the subject.
"a Sick Devil" discussing some
phases of the present anti-liquor fight
in America. His text was from the
third chapter of Luke's gospel: 1.-THE
ak is laid unto the root of the trees:
Every tree therefore which bringeth
not forth good fruit is hewn down and
cast into the fire." The speaker said:
"In these words John the Baptist
stated the fundamental principle OF
moral progress, economic development
and social advancement. Organized
society will protect and safeguard any
thing that serves it's interests. But 1t
will finally destroy anything that has
been found to retard progress and hurt
| civilization. Upon this principle duel
ing was abandoned, slavery over
thrown, the Louisiana lottery destroyed
and prize fighting outlawed.
Upon this principle the American
saloon and the organized liquor traffic
| is now in process of final and complete
destruction. The day of its doom has
! sounded, and its final overthrow can
easily be foreseen in the not distant
future. The liquor traffic is the most
insidious and deadly foe of our modern
civilization, and the American people
have found it out 1t is the mother of
every iniquity and the fountain head Of
every crime Its red hands are dyed
with the blood of a million murders. 1t
knows no law except its own foul self
! interest. 1t has debauched our poll
tics and prostituted the youths of our
country infinitely more than all other
forces of evil combined.
From the standpoint of economic
waste its destructiveness can never be
measured. Every dollar that crosses
the saloon bar is a dollar withdrawn
from the channels of legitimate trade.
If the saloon did not exist the dollar
would go either into the savings bank
or to some merchant in legitimate lines
of industry. Maine has enjoyed the
blessings of prohibition for many years
now, and she is the only state east OF
| the Mississippi river that has more
home owners than home renters.
prohibition Maine has sc per cent
more owners than renters. To every
one hundred families New York has
seventeen home owners and the sa-
loon. Massachusetts has eighteen and
the saloon. Connecticut has fifteen and
| the saloon. Maine has forty-six and no
saloon Maine has in her savings
banks $95 for every inhabitant. Pro-
hibition Kansas has $500 for every In
habitant Contrast with this the record
of some liquor states: Illinois has only
3d. Pennsylvania SIG, Ohio $40 and
Kentucky less than S."
Saloon Arguments Reviewed
The speaker next took up some of tht
objections to local option and prohibi'
ton that are often urged. He said II
this connections: Though the liquor
traffic is doomed, it will not die with
out a hard fight. The leaders of it:
| AIx chr
taught in the Bible that on occasion
the devil can transform himself into
an angel of light When he does this
it is always a pretty sure sign that he
is in close quarters. When the devil
is sick the devil a monk would be-
His Satanic majesty is the worlds
greatest lightning change artist. And
the liquor devil of today, under the
stress of losing fight, has suddenly
assumed a most virtuous and respect
able air. The liquor men have been
| holding conventions recently to organ
ize Model License leagues Law En-
forcement bureaus and 'Crusades to
destroy the dives and make the saloon
respectable One of the speakers at
the recent liquor convention in Louis
willie, KY, referred to the good saloon.
like the Indian, In one particular at
least-the only good saloon is dead
saloon.
'The LIQUOR devil assumes the role of
an angel of light again when he pleads
for high license in opposition to local
option and prohibition For years the
liquor forces opposed high license. But,
foreseeing speedy humiliation, they are
seeking to compromise now on the high
license cry. Let us beware of 1t. 1t is
| the most subtle and deadly danger to-
day to the prohibition reform move
ment. It gives the saloon a stronger le-
| gal standing and a more respectable
air. 1t entrenches it economically.
1.-THE enormous revenue derived from
high license is really bride to the
public. After such an income has been
established in a municipality it, be-
comes exceedingly difficult for a future
administration to give it up, however
desirable that may be upon moral
grounds, because it necessitateS a COM
plete change in the revenue system.
Worst of all, high license builds the
saloon power into stronger political
ring, and thus tends to perpetuate
it's Ubiquitous influence indefinitely. 1t
does not permanently reduce the num-
! Der of saloons or the amount of liquor
sold, as has been conclusively demon
strated in Nebraska, Chicago and else
where. Besides this, license money
comes at last out of the pockets of the
people.
Criminals and Insane
"The criminals of America cost us
over $50, 100000 every year, and statts-
ties show that at least rs per cent OF
them became criminals through strong
drink 1t costs over $40. 100000 to care
for the insane of our country and
large percentage of insanity can be
traced directly or indirectly to strong
drink. 1t costs more than $7,000,OO0 to
support the inmates OF our almshouses,
and three-fourths of them are there
directly or indirectly through strong
drink.
"The liquor traffic gives us annually
so, 900 tramps, 100, 900 insane people, 20O,-
900 criminals and 100000 drunards. 1t
costs three times as much as meat
ten times as much as our public
schools and fifty times as much as the
preaching of the gospel; and yet there
are some who are foolish enough not
to see that the enormous taxes which
we have to pay to care for the crimi-
nails and other dependent classes which
the saloons turn out are hundred fold
more than the licenses which they pay