The daily tribune., 1909-03-17

| :,
| other laws until In many case Grim
inai has been developed. 1T doel
develop and create bootlegging
"blind pigs" ''speak easys.' th,
'deep pocket and all the othei
places and manners Of transferring q
commodity that those who want te
buy will buy. either within or with.
out the law.
| Under prohibitory alw. the ven
dor is sometimes engaged in other
business and sells the liquor as a side
line, because with no license to pay
it has large profits, and sometimes he
Is of the lowest dregs OF humanity.
But no matter to what class he be :
longs the stuff is sold and In violation
of law, and without regulation, with
out regulation, without compensa-
tion to the city, and to any one who
can buy. These have been the facts
and conditions in every town where
the writer has had an opportunity to
observe it, and the opportunities have
not been limited by any means.
l assume that like conditions would
prevail in Floreuce-can see no rea-
son why they should not-aud if they
would can not 5ee wherein this
city. nor any of its inhabitants, would
be benefited by having abolished the
legitimate saloon. can foresee that
some seven or eight thousand dol
lars of the citys income would be
lost at once in the saloon licenses; !;
| this however, is a small sum as COM
pared with the other loss of income
that would follow. We all know
that the cost of running the city
would not decrease, and, we all know
that the shortage would have to be
made up by the taxpayers who are
already burdened, in some cases, al
most to the point of losing their prop
erty.
Is there any one in Florence who
| is trying to maintain business, and
| thereby gain a livelihood, and finds
it almost impossible 10 pay the neces-
sary help and other expenses Or is
there anyone here who owns home
and depends upon wages or salary to
supply food and shelter and clothes
and schooling for u family and finds
remunerative employment scarce and
his earning capacity tried to the ut
most? Suppose taxes are Increased
an income lessened would that be a
desirable change of conditions, from
your view point or from that of your
family?
1t would be the utmost folly to
believe-and certainly there are mono
the saloon would increase opportunity
for employment or income, or bust
ness; or that 1t would lessen taxes or
other exnenses
So what would be gained by such a
mover The man who drinks would
continue to drink; he would buy In
larger quantities and of an inferior
quality, or probably under cond itions
that would make him party to
criminal act; 10 part Of the revenue
from the transaction would find the
citv treasury, and in no other way
would society be benefited. Some
time In the future, IL Florence fnan-
cial conditions would warrant the try.
ing of an experiment that has caused
much loss elsewhere. 1t would look
less unreasonable to take n plunge,
but at this time with business de-
pressed; with property deprecated
with the saloon conducted in proper
manner. closed at nights and on Sun
days; run by responsible men who
obey the law aud insist that others
obey the laws relating TO their busi-
ness; when we have just begun to
get some relief from heavy taxes at
this time 1t seems most unwise to
bring about change Of affairs that
would be decidedly bad, or take n
Glance of bringing about conditions
that would Increase the evils and the