The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-07
AN OUTSIDE VIEW.

] Recently the Liquor Dealers Asso-
citation Of New York adopted a resolu-
ton that they would not sell any
liquors TO "disreputabie resorts" The
Brooklyn Eagle doesn't think II at all
likely that dealers generally will allow
themselves governed by the action of
the association. and II lie undoubted
correct. The business of selling liquors
at wholesale Is just like any other
business. and the dealers in liquids Will
be governed by the same considerations
that control other merchants. As has
often been remarked. business is
business" and those who have COM
form themselves as to the financial
standing OF their customers. and not
trouble about their manner of conduct
ing their business. One mans money
or custom is as good as anothers to
the dealers.
As to that matter. how can q whole
sale dealer assure himself that a pros
pective customer is keeping a dis
reputable resort?" The wholesale
liquor dealers of New York. when a
man brings or sends an order from o
distant State, cannot take the trouble
or the liberty to investigate the stand
ing and character OF his customer and
will not undertake It, for that matter.
Then. again. who IL to decide whether
the customer 10 or 10 not keeping a
disreputable resort7 The question
might perhaps be easily settled in some
| cases but in others there would hardly
be found any one who would take the
liberty of giving an authoritative opin-
ion on the subject, and opinions would
be pretty sure to differ. as they do on
! other subjects.
Some Of the comments OF The Eagle,
though principally referring to New
York. are worthy copying. 1t says:
But the suggestion shows that some
OF me liquor dealers understand the
prohibition movement which IL hurt
Ing their business in so many States.
The prohibition movement OF twenty
years ago was based upon the notion
that II was wicked to drink, and was
closely allied with total abstinence.
Prohibition on that basis has failed
But second and more successful
movement has been started with the
idea of suppressing the saloon as the
breeding place for vice and crime
Thousands OF people who drink wines
and liquors are hearty supporters of
ern States, because they say that the
only way to check crime and vice in
their neighborhoods Is to close the
saloons. In the South prohibition is
largely a device to keep liquor away
from negroes, but in the West 1t is
an effort to close the meeting places
OF criminals and the vicious.
II the manufacturers and wholesal-
ers OF liquor and beer should reform
the saloon" they would end, or greatly
weaken, the chief argument on which
prohibition Is spreading. The differ
t theI When prohibition was most gen.
eral before is that there Is now be-
lief in the pOSssih1iilitty of. Of saloons in
cent restrictions The old-fashioned
prohibitionist believed that the more
decent a saloon was the worst 1t was.
some at least, nf the present converts
are willing to tolerate decent saloons
| n thew ran have their possibility dem
onstrated.
The Eagle is correct in saying that
many men who drink wines and liquors
are prohibitionists. and some of them
are not exactly consistent in their po-
sition. They are able to buy and keep
on hand all the drinks they want, and
to drink II as often as they please, but
would prohibit others. Is that being
exactly fair? But all of us who have
kept informed on such matters know
that the prohibition movement has been
much strengthened by the saloonists
Themselves. We can freely admit that
many of the places where liquor is sold,
and especially in and near the cities.
are "disreputable resorts" in the full
est sense of the term, and tie evil