Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-09-16

under this cry of personal liberty,
Now in order that there SHALL be no
misunderstanding relative to the ques
ton that is going to come before the
next legislature, and that the people
may have ample time to consider it,
shall offer to the coming republican
platform convention the following
plank:
Proposed Liquor Plank.
I'VE believe that the low license
system governing the sale of intoxicaI-
ing liquors in this state has long since
become obsolete and inadequate to
regulate and control the traffic, accord
ing to the STANDARD and desire of the
people of this day and age.
THAT the brewery interests have
taken advantage of the low license re.
gime, and now own or control large
percentage of the retail business.
Operating the same under the hired
man system, a system which destroys
Individual responsibility, and ,propa-
gates a class of undesirable saloons
and unreliable saloonkeepers.
That the revenue derived from sa-
loon licenses has not been fairly and
Iimpartially distributed. Towns, vii
lagos and cities have received the Ii
cense money, while the counties have
been taxed for the largest per cent o.
| expenses.
That the voters of the towns, vii
lagos and cities legalize and control
the retail liquor business, receiving
and dispensing all license revenue, for
the benefit of said local government
while the burden of taxation is thrown
upon the entire county, making the
taxpayer of said county responsible
for the awful expense attached to the
j liquor traffic; taxed without voice Or
| vote for the prosecution and mainte
nance of criminals, the care and pro
| lection of paupers, feeble minded and
insane, traced directly and indirectly
to the use of intoxicating liquor This
lunfair and unreasonable license sys
| tenn should be stricken from the stat
! ute books and abolished from the
state, for it is eminently fair and just
that taxation should not be imposed
without representations that no Il.
/ cense should be issued that does not
carry with it financial consideration
of a deep and lasting Impression IL
those who engage in the business
hot Ii nIo -,
revenue, reduces the number of sa-
looms and makes men who operate
them personally responsible and more
careful. We therefore ask that the
next Legislature Of this state pass a
bill giving the legal voters of eacn
and every county an opportunity Of ex-
pressing their desire by ballot whether
the saloon business shall be conducted
in the counties or not. We also ask
that the next legislature pass a high IL
cense bill, relative to the sale of in
intoxicating liquors, with a mini
mum of not less than $1,000 in all
towns, villages and cities, not less
than 25 per cent of said license .ev-
enue to be paid into the county treas
ury Of the county in which said license
is grained, to the end that justice and
fairness shall prevail and the win OF
the majority govern
This, adds Senator Barker, is "the
plank and the issue. If this plank
represents honesty and fairness and
meets with your approcal, I appeal to
you as American citizens, regardless
of the land of your birth or your ma
tionality, to stand firm in support of
this plank and petition and labor
with your delegates to the platform
convention to work and vote for
the same and make this plank one
of the great principles in the platform
OF republican ideas"