The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-31

into deep water. Everybody knows
the internal fight that ragged within
the ranks of the party during the last
campaign over this question, and the
party cannot afford to have another
such fight next year. The local op-
ton law is on the books. Now let
it stay there. The enactment of that
law is closed incident, and there is
no need of keeping it in the campaigns
year after year. There are thous-
ands of voters in both parties who are
on both sides Of this question, and it
can do no good to make the local OPP
ton question an issue again"
High License Plank.
There has been some talk to the ef-
feet that an effort will be made to in
sert high license plank in the next
republican state platform, but this
proposition will meet with strong op-
position. 1t is declared that no good
can come from a high license law at
this time. A few years ago high IL
cense law was offered to the brewers
OF Indiana as solution for the de-
mand for strict temperance legislation,
but the brewers laughed at it and boot
ed the idea Of trying to enact such a
law to regulate their business. The
high license bill was defeated, and lat
er the legislature went long way fur
Their and enacted the local option law.
Now, the brewers would be tickled to
death to get a high license law on the
statute books in place of the local OPP
ton law, but the party that dares to
propose such thing will get the worst
licking it has had In many years. The
temperance people are well satisfied
with what they have on the statute
books and they are not asking any
thing more than that. There is no
demand among the temperance people
for a high license law. They count
the local option law much stronger
| and more effective.
Will Lose Revenue.
There is another reason why a high
license law should not be passed. &C
cording to the politician who was talk
ing. 1t is said that large amount
of revenue will be lost by the counties
that have voted themselves dry. be
cause there will be nothing received
from the saloon licenses. This, o,
course, is true. but on the other hans
! it is pointed out that the cost of con
Quoting thes county's business also viii
be much below what it has been witt
saloons in existence. so that the
shrinkage in revenues will be met b,
the decrease in the expenditures. Now
in every county there are taxpayers
| who always complain about their high
taxes. no matter whether the levy is
! high or low. They are chronic kick.
ers. They are not willing to contrib.
ute to the maintenance of the govern
ment if they can shift their. share Of
the burden to someone else. Such
tax dodgers are the ones who are clam
oring for high license. And it is
pointed out that the cause of temper
ance and of saloon regulation would
suffer at their hands in case a high
license law were enacted. for many ol
them would vote county wet in order
to get the saloon license money PAID
into the county treasury on the theor,
| that it would mean reduction of the
| tax levy. This would be likely te
happen in counties that otherwise
would vote themselves dry and drive
! out the saloons. Thus, it is feared
| saloons might be re-established in
many counties that are already dry
This danger is being pointed out BY
the temperance workers of the state
who are willing to rest on the loca
! option law, which seems to be work
ing so well for them.
From the BreWers-
II any proposition for the enactmen,
OF high license law is made it viii
come from the brewers-the very meI
who two years ago poked fun and
sneered at the idea OF having such .
law placed on the statute books. But
the democratic party cannot afford tt
endorse such a plan. for to do so viii
be to drive out the thousands Of III
members who have voted dry at thu
local option elections and who have
led In the local option fights. II thu
republican party gets behind such !
proposition it viii prove itseh tnsin.
care and two-fane1. T6eg00oro, III