Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-04

Keep III the pfOceSSiOu, anu wants "
do SO on moral grounds.
In Moline to meet the conditions
that would exist there contingent
upon the town going dry. Mayor Oh
son suggests the increasing of the
bonded Indebtedness of the munich
pality or the advancing of water
rates. Neither of these remedies.
Mayor Schaffer holds, is applicable to
Rock Island, as in the first place the
city is bonded to the limit and in the
second place waterworks revenues are
confined to waterworks maintainance,
and it has never been the custom to
apply them to other purposes.
In the city of Jacksonville, in order
to compensate for the loss of revenue
resulting from voting out saloons, the
lcity council has passed an ordinance
providing for vehicle tax which
levies an annual license fee of So
upon surrey, buggy, trap. runabout
or phaeton; SO for a one horse wagon
or cart under 700 pounds; 81 on the
same over 700 pounds; SIS on station
wagon, coach or hack; Sc on ambu-
i lance. hearse or bus; 81 on a carryall;
SIS on two or four horse wagons 1,4O0
pounds or under; $40 on the same
over 400 pounds, and $40 for an
automobile. This would shardly apply
| to Rock Island as the income would
not be sufficient to meet the exigen-
cies. while it would not prove fair
distribution of the burden. 1t would
! be the transfer of the license from
the saloon to the teamster, the auto
mobile owner, the vehicle owner, etc.
Every business institution can re-
trench where it is obliged to-. This
is the law of commercial and mercan-
tile as well as industrial pursuit. But
it cannot do SO without deprivation
somewhere unless the pruning kniIe
is applied to luxuries or non-essentials
The condition in Rock Island involves
public conveniences, public safe
guards and public essentials. 1t is 4
| condition as well as theory that pre-
walls in Rock Island.
And as to prohibition I'M theory. or
as the ideal in rectifying conditions
that are condemnatory in the highest
sense. one need go no farther than
Davenport, TO witness the practicable
side of prohibition in dealing with the
| liquor traffic. Under the reign of the
Iowa prohibitory law, Davenport was
pretty close to the worst city on the
map. 1t was without law governing
the conduct of saloons, and without
control. and SO defiant became the
/ liquor interests in the domination of
| the town, that it was the popular
opinion that Davenport would never
be controlled SO far as the saloons
were concerned. But when prohibit
ton was acknowledged to be a farce
in Iowa, and the present law of saloon
regulation was applied to Davenport,
notwithstanding that its structures are
in some respects the limit and are
working damage to the city in a gen
eral way, Davenport was forced to
yield and be good. The merit of the
main features are admitted and
praised by all law abiding people and
Davenport is being controlled People
are crying out against some of the
provisions of the law, and Davenport
claims to be suffering on this account,
but Davenport is obeying. as it never
thought of doing under prohibition.
| The wave of temperance reform
that has been sweeping over the coun-
try is bound to result in good effect.
1t only weakens its own effect when
those who believe, and always have
believed in temperance, attempt to
foster under its wing a policy that is
impracticable and which will cause
the beneficial effects of the wave to
react when the wave recedes.
The people with one accord pray for q
tbetter system of saloon regulation in
conformity with the laws of decency
But one extreme will not wipe out
the other-especially If one is de
faint and the other impracticable.
l.