Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-02-15
TO THE CITIZENS OF UTAH.


, higher aNcsg 10 vW bo profitable Co
know some of the causes of "a high tax
levy in our state lu discussing the
temperance question. D wish to bring
tho subject uu n such o. way as to
emphasize its relation to taxation. Tho
liquor problem has directly To- d1 with
che revenues of city. state and nation,
besides. as dll students and phuoso-
pliers know. iutemparluoe Dr. one off Jhe
chief causes of thc decay 0f the morals
| and health of states. and the decline
and fan of nations Let mc quote some
words from "a decision of The supreme
court of the United States In the case
of "Mung'er va. Kansas. le8 Or. S.. 305."
3 we cannot shut out of View the tict
within the knowledge of ali that the
public health, the public morals and the
| public safety is endangered by the gone
oral use of Intoxicating liquors. nor
the fact established by statistics ace
ccssihle t0 every one. that che idleuess.
| disorder, paupor.sm. and crime existing
iu the country .s largely traceabIo TO
this oVil'
Also. "No legislature can bargain
away tho public nelitu or tho public
morals Tho people themselves cannot
do &C. much less their servants stone
VS.. Miss. l0l, u. S SIG.
And again. $50 legislature can barr
gain away tho public morals, or the
| public health OF The public peace
! Phelau vs.. Va. Howard 1861
The supreme court of Indiana. in case
of Becbe VS.. State, Ind 5l2 says:
THAT drunkenness is au evil both Co
| the Individual and t0 the state an must
admit That It's legitimate consequence
are disease, and destruction TO mind
| and body, viii also be- granted That &c
produces four-uftLs t1 ulur-teuths of
an crime committed is the united tes-
tiWOuy of those judges, prison keepers,
shcriffs. and others engaged loo the ado
ministratiou of the criminal law, who
| have Investigated the subject That
| taxation 90 meet the expenses Of pau-
perIsm and crime tails upon and Is
borne by The people. follows as "a mat
/ ter of course. That its tendency is TO
/ destroy the peace. safety and well be-
/ ing of the people, tO secure which the
! first article bon the Din of rights de-
| cl3rCs all free governments arc 'usutut-
/ ed, i- too obvious to he denied
| Ry granting license to seu liquor, city
! and state derive money with which GO
! paw their expenses, and BOO this way
| reduce the amount collected by direct
/ taxation from the people. 10 U.s. easy TO
] show chat 81 there was 800 liquor used
/ by the people. their taxes would Dee
! lower than they are at present The
! taxpayers should notice the large sums
| Wt pay out annually to care for the
/ prisoners in our jails and t0 prosecute
| crime and vice. All observers agree
/ that the taxes are Increased very ma
! touHlly t0 pay for the prosecution and
/ care OF criminals resulting directly
from the liquor traffic. To we had so
/ per cent less prisoners TO care for DO
would make q material reduction lu
| our taxes; 20 say nothing of adding 20
l tho peace and happiness of the people.
| We have in Utah, about 400 insane per-
sons, who cost the state nearly $500 a
| day. Insane asylum records show th8t
] from 40 to 90 per cent of insanity is
| due directly or indirectly to the use of
/ intOXicauts. To stop the use of liquor,
| would reduce our taxes that go to
! maintain this more unfortunate part OF
/ our population 60 through the I'M
4 sane asylum, filled with wild. raving
! maniacs, or sad-eyed, sulien and half
| idi0tiC. mulanChOliCs. and say 10 your
| self nearly half of these people are
| here az the expense Of the taxpayer,
| because the state grants 90 men, for "a
| few miserable dollars, license TO sell
! whisky. Stop the use OF liquor, and
! your taxes viii be reduced very large
d. because there would be from 30
| 20 20 per cent less insanity. The m-
| spcdlWble horror OF insanity should
come before every man in discussing
I this subject Of raising revenue by tax
ing the sale of liquor Alcohol acts dl-
| rectly ON the brain cells. causing a
| hardening Of them, and crushing out
| their function. with the result. I'm many
| cases. Of wrong action Of the brain. or
| iu other words. insanity. But before
this stage Of brain injury is reached
there are many lesser degrees of dam
age TO the nervous system. The viii
power as weakened and the moral sens
| Utilities are blunted. men DO not hesi-
tate 20 swear, steal he OF even conn
INIT the grayer oncnses and murder it,
self. just because the brain has been
crippled by alcohol drying up its DELE
cate cells.
During my travels in the east this
time. I have oHdcavorod 10 get some
information first hand. ON this vital
| question. which our Taxpayers must
settle for Themselves. I feel cou-
| WINGED that vCu have the Intelligence
| aud The courage and manhood to settle
| 20 lu The right way. even m the las So
| lature does not DO DO This tima While
| iu Iowa last week. / was told some
/ very stubborn facts Ou this subject
| AIR. g.. s. Stewart OF Bristow. Iowa.
DIS "a general merchant. widely known
AN over the county where Dee resides.
! / asked him go tell me some Of tha
effects no had noticed as a result af
prohibition u this neIghborhood. Ho
said our county went dry 200 lss3. and
the people are more prosperous. ara
| moro Industrious. more cJuteutsl, ara