The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-10-02

luton lnstructing Chief OF Police Bow
den 10 increase the present police force
twelve men. The action was taken on
account of the present epidemic OF
crime in the city.
The department was reduced sev
eral months ago on account OF threats
made by Assistant Attorney General
Trickett 20 TIE effect that IL the mayol
and council G'd not curtail the running
expenses Of the city enough tcs keet
within revenue income he would bring
lousier PROCEEDINGS against them. Al
the time Mr. Trickett argued that since
he had closed the saloons OF the city
there was no longer need for a big DO
lice department His theory was that
most of the crime was due 10 the ex,
istence Of the saloons However. the
many robberies and murders commit.
ted during The past two or three
months exceed IN number and vicious
ness any reign OF crime experienced in
the city during the days Of the dram.
shops"
Prohibition the Cause Of decreased
Taxation.
This alone is sufii cient 10 prove the
fallacy OF the prohibition doctrine. and
IL also disproves the oftrepeated state
ment that the saloon increases munici.
pal eXpenditur ;. As a matter of fact
~ is prohibit n that does il. II costs
more 10 watch the blind tiger than the
saloon. it takes more police to pre-
vent the Illegal than TO control the
legal ssle. Prohibition. besides. de.
prives communities OF the revenues
derived from liquor licenses. and so II
comes that municipal taxation is al
ways much higher IN dry" territory.
or l .13s towns. the average tax rate
on 800 in 1906 was s2.54 in 343 pro
hibiti1n towns and only sl.5s in SAC
license towns and the average per
capita Indebtedness OF the prohibition
towns exceeded Nv 1914 per cent that
of the license towns. besides which
public improve ments in the former suf.
fer in consequence of empty treasur-
les
The Moral Effects Of Prohibition.
This. however. is quite insignificant
compared with the evil moral conse-
quences OF the application Of the false
doctrine OF creating virtue BY law, that
is OF the temperance movement as a
political movement. As such IL is
used By crafty and why politicians. not
for moral purposes. but only to fur
ther their selfish political ends. For
this purpose the question must ever be
kept alive II matters not 70 them
what effect the law has on the morals
snd the welfare Of the people. II II
only ats into their political schemes
II the temperance question were set
tied the professional prohibition agi-
tator and Anti-Ssloon League preach
er would be out OF Job. So the Ques-
ton must never be settled. A good
and enforceable law that would put q
ouietus on the movement IL not to
their taste and not in their interest
The position on this question must re-
main q political asset OF the agitator
and the small politician. They want
TO keep their Jobs. Thus they make
a nefarious use Of the credulity and
the pious zeal OF those earnest and
well-meaning people who really be
lieve that they can cure evils by pro-
hibitive legislation.
What then is the RESULT
There exists IN the city OF New
York an organization under the name
OF The Committee OF Fifty" Its OBJ
ject is the promotion OF social science
principally by practical Investigations.
II consists Of such men OF prominence
as Seth Low. DR.. Felix Adler. Carroll
d. Wright. Prof r. T. Ely and others.
II is divided into subcommittee, each
working 10 a special field The com
mittee devoted much time and labor to
a thorough investigation OF the liquor
problem in all its aspects. and pub
lished the results in several volumes.
In one OF them. bearing on its title
page the following inscription: The
Liquor Problem In Its Legislative As
poets, by Frederic H. Wines and John
Koren: an investigation made under
the direction OF Charles W. Eliot, Seth
Low and James G. Carter. sub commit
tee OF the Committee OF Fifty TO In
vestigate the liquor problem" you
will find on Page the following refer
ence 10 prohibitive legislation:
The efforts TO enforce II during
forty years past have had some un-
looked for effects on public respect for
courts. judicial procedure. oaths, and
law In general. and for officers Of the
law. legislators and public servants.
The public has seen law deied, a.
whole generation OF habitual law
breakers schooled In evasion and
shamelessness. courts ineffective
fluctuations of policy. delays.
perjuries. negligence. and other mis-
carriages OF Justice. offcers Of the
law double-faced and mercenary. leg.
slators timid and insincere. candidates
for ONCE hypocritical and trucking.
and oficeholders unfaithful to pledges
and 70 reasonable public expectations
This Is indeed severe arraignment.
but its justice Is demonstrated by an
array of facts. and coming from such