The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-03-26

the rooms were crowded and have
usually found that more than three
fourths of the occupants were nom
taxpayers. Skiing up the individuals
and going back over their records,
we find most of them are men who
had every chance to become tax
payers II they had not given up their
earnings for booze and riot0us living.
In many instances they are men we
have known for ten or twenty years,
and others who had no better chances
or qualifications but who left liquor
alone and avoided the saloon associa-
lions, have become the tax payers.
The first are growing less and less
competent to make even living, and
never can become property owners
while following their present course.
TO continue the old system Of selling
them liquor In order to wiring an in
direct tax from them Is to cut of all
possibility Of getting direct tax or
OF their ever becoming useful citi-
zens. 81
The town is full Of them and new
ones are adopting their ways every
year. The country Is full OF them
and their faded horses can be seen
tied up to hitching racks about the
streets at sunset when others have
gone home. When they bring their
families to town, their wives and
children can be seen standing
around street corners as evening ap-
proaches. waiting In uncertainty for
something they do not care to dis
cuss. and knowing ones take in the
situation o. they pass, but can offer
no relief.
The Montpelier Examiner quoting
the Wallace Press, has the effrontery
ito say In its rehash Of the subject.
Their only contribution to the sup
port Of the government Is paid when
they buy q glass Of liquor. II they
stop buying liquor, as the prohibi-
tionists would have them do, they
will cease contributing even this
much to the maintenance of public
institutions. Will some other way
be found to levy a tax upon this
class Of people, or must the addi-
tional burden fall upon property
owners who are already overtaxed?
This uestion is not only pertinent,
but is very properly addressed to
those who advocate prohibition of
the liquor traffic"
In dealing with this subject, the
Examiner and the Press stoop to
the lowest and weakest level of the
whole question that of finance
passing the moral side as If 1t were
admitted to be lost, which it Is.
But taking 1t on the question Of fl
nance alonge, the experiment has
been carried far enough to convince
all observers that this class can pay
no tax until after the drain and ruin
of the drink habit is cut off; they
can be of little use to society in pro-
ducing anything until that is done;
and no hope is entertained of remov-
ing the cause Of the greatest amount
of crime which makes high taxes a
necessity, until the drink habit is cut
off. While the army of drunkards
is increasing, taxes must increase,
both because there are fewer to do
the actual work and because there
are more to be supported in jails,
asylums and prisons, in courts and in
idleness On the outside because they
are unfit to work or because they
have got so they won't work.
The ordinary merchant charges
more to profit and loss accounts
each year than they pay in taxes, and
most Of this loss comes through men
spending the money for drink that
should have gone to the support Of
their families Cut out the drink
and most of them can pay their
debts. If Editor Bradley will call
the Montpelier merchants together
on the matter, he will find that they
would rather pay the taxes Of the
drinking class themselves If they
could by that means get somebody