St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-01-04
NOT FOR PROHIBITION
DR.. Warner Explains His
Position ON the Sa-
loon Question.
Liquor League is to Fight
Prohibition. The
l4-FOOt Canal.
DR.. Warmers Views,
From Times-Democrat.

Ivy APAoNoPoA SAA01 SAl1 4lcIIC Vic 1Ol-
lowing statement to the Times-Demo-
crat regarding his attitude in the mat
ter of high license and prohibition:
"Apropos of the article which ap-
peared in your issue Of last Saturday,
concerning the appointment of a COM
mittee by the Louisiana Liquor League
to inaugurate reforms in the liquor
traffic, beg to say few words.
''In the articles referred to it was
stated that all the reforms advocated
by DR.. Warner will be considered, and
the committee will attempt to draft a
set of reform measures that will eff
feet a compromise with the reformers
''This refers, suppose, to the plat
form adopted by the Retail Grocers'
Association which a committee dis
cussed at length with me, among
others.
II must say that any one who
knows my position on the liquor ques-
tion need not be told that the platform
of the retail grocers by no means
contains a statement of all the re-
forms advocated by me.
In most of the comments on that
platform, it seems to have been as
sured that the question of high license
was given up, and that the union of
bar and grocery under one roof was
accepted as permanent condition.
The truth is, that at the meeting
with Committee, I stated in positive
terms that | was an advocate of a IL
cense of at least $1,000, and believed
it would be brought about in a years
time. Those who conducted the cam
paign last year, however, had tacitly
promised not to go before the present
Council again, if the license should be
raised to $3.50.
Although I was not party to the
agreement, | thought it but fair and
just to all concerned not to press fur
ther the matter of high license until
this councils lease of life has expired,
thus giving two years fair trial
to the increase Of 1906. In my judg-
ment prohibition for New Orleans is
unwise, inadvisable and impossible. If
it should be forced upon the city by
the State, we would have an unregu-
lated traffic in the hands of the baser
sort, and our last state worse than the
first.
'tAll the influence l possess will be
enlisted for a policy of high license
with a revocation of license clause
for law-breakers on a second convic-
ton.
Gas to the bar and grocery, my po-
sition is identically whatit was year
and more ago, when I said publicly
more than once that the union of bar
and grocery was an unholy alliance, a |
menace to the community, and cause
of depravity and trouble.
my position with the retail grocers
was that the grocery that needed
bar to enable it to pay expenses was
not an economic necessity as a gro
Gerry and vice versa.
care there any thinking people who
believe that the grocery and bar must |
be divorced in this city for a year or
so, considering the interest involved, |
the capital at stake, the long immuni-
ty from public censure, and the social
and political influence of the liquor
men?
"If such divorce is unlikely, main
tain that while they are under one
roof the solid partition clause agreed
to by the Retail Grocers' Association
is better in all ways than movable
screen or a few empty boxes piled one
upon the other.
''The salon-grocery must undoubt-
edly go. But in attempting to regu-
late institutions of long standing,
even those we believe to be evil, we
must go about our reform in fair and
same fashion.
sThe owners Of saloon groceries
have their money invested in a busi-
ness which has been accepted by the
great mass of our people for several
generations, and is protected by law.
1t would be grossly unfair to turn
them out in night.
Il do not believe, then, in the prac-
ticability Of immediate effective ac-
tion in the separation of bar from
grocery. | do believe, therefore, that
we should insist on as much protec-
tion as possible for the women and
children who patronize groceries with
bar attachment.
''Thls is a temporary expedient,
however, and not permanent atti-
tude.
Therefore, it win not be the part
Of wisdom for any organization to
proceed upon the assumption that the
bar and grocery are to be perpetually
joined together.
Many good people who are in ear
nest about abolishing the evils of the