The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-17
r. WE WERE IN THE LIQUOR
TRADE.

IF WE WERE IN THE LIQUOR
TRADE.
Owing to the fact that the people
Of this community-every man, wom-
IN and child-are vitality interested
IN the local option campaign now
being conducted in this county, the
result OF which will decide tho fate OF
the saloons, the following editorial
which appeared in the Philadelphia
North American the past week Is ex-
tremely pertinent:
A man whose interests are such
that he feels called upon to defend
the present status and conduct OF the
makers and sellers of beer and whisky
has written a suggestive letter to
The North American.
His communication we find interest
ing for a peculiar reason. 1t is not
because we know that the writer Is
an honest, law-abiding, self-re speeding
citizen. There are many decent-liv-
ing, home-loving men, just like him.
in the wholesale and retail liquor
trade. And, like this man. they are
Just as narrow and short-sighted as
the well-meaning prohibition extrem-
lists, who would have sane men who
know their fellow-men believe that ev-
cry liquor dealer is devil incarnate
deliberately seeking to wreck souls
and bodies.
Nor do we notice his letter because
he rethreshes much old straw-recit-
ing the sophistries, flimsy arguments
and faulty logic which 1t has been
child's play to tear to tatters when
put forth. repeatedly by the press
agents OF the brewers and the Model
License League.
This letter interests us chiefly be-
cause OF its conclusion. For, though
not a woman's letter. what Is practi-
cally its postscript is the best part OF
it. And this is the passage that has
stirred us:
Clearly there is no way Of pleasing
such sanity critics as you except to
relinquish every safeguard against the
interference Of an irresponsible out
slider in private business.
You do not undertake to tell manu-
facturers and merchants Of steel and
nnen how to dispose Of their goods.
But you assume the right to tell us
that you know more about running
our lawful business than we do our.
solves.
Perhaps you will be kind enough to
step down from your destructive pose
tho easiest Of all to assume-and
say what you would do. in my place
II I were to turn over to you my bust
ness, which represents the honest en-
ersy and earnings, the toll and invest
ment Of the lifetime of = man Of mid
die age. who owes no man a dollar
who has a home and family that he is
proud Of and has no apology to make
for any act in his personal or bust
ness career.
Now. We shall not dwell upon the
delusion which the liquor dealers
share with the managers of railroads
and the heads Of other great corpor
ations, that any business is a private
business. barred from investigation
and regulation, after 1t passes the line
Of infringement upon the rights o.
others and the general welfare.
We choose rather to adopt the wild
" impossible suggestion OF the liquor
trade being turned over in its entire
ty to us to run. There is nothing
farther removed from the realm o.
possibility than the concentration o.
our energies upon the conduct Of &
single saloon, In or out of Philadel
phia, to say nothing OF the control o.
all Of Americas liquor traffic.
But the challenge to put yourself
In his place" always is fair one
And SO we accept 1t and say frankl,
what we should do il we were repu
table liquor notwithstanding all senti
ment and basing our utterances solely
upon cold-blooded, commercial com
mon sense.
The first thing we should do woult
be to insist upon the making and sell
Ing Of honest goods-honest label.
and honest contents Of every bottle
Jug and glass. We should insist upoz
no customer being poisoned by falls.
pretenses-receiving blend. COMPOUND
or imitation whisky. green and yeast
laden beer or imported" liquors ant
-. a.