The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-04-29
ferry cordially,
VIM. V. MARSH,
Supt. Canton District.
The Basis of Our Contention.
By LDL.

The enemies of the saloon are con-
stantly met by the assertion that an
ti-saloon laws, whether general pro-
hibitory laws or local options laws
are unjust to the saloon and deprive
| the liquor men of rights which they
have in common with other lines of
business. The enemies of the saloon,
| being generally conscientious people,
are predisposed to hear and heed
every claim of right ard justice from
whatever source it may come, and,
because of their high character and
moral convictions, are sometimes
| thrown into confusion in the face of
! the enemy. The saloon men neces-
sarily have no concern about the
moral effects of their own or any
other business upon the character of
their patrons Or upon the public well
! fare. On these points they have no
convictions to which an appeal can
be made. Their own selfish love of
| gain is their only law. The cry of
| the widow, and of the more unfortu-
nate wife who is yoked to a drunken
husband, falls upon deaf ears, when
they plead with the saloon keeper
that his business is unfair and un-
just to them. When the Minister of
the Gospel and the reformer hold up
ITO public view the social and politi-
cal evils of the organized saloon pow
er, the answer is, not that the sa-
| loon is a great moral and patriotic
institution, fully justified by its
fruits, but that it has certain rights
of which it should not be deprived.
| 1t offers no proof of those rights Of
which it should not be deprived. 1t
offers no proof of those rights, how
ever, except its power to maintain
them at the ballot box. The only
right which the organized saloon has
is its might. The purpose of this ar
! ttcle is TO put the temperance work
ers of Stark county in possession of
facts and sound arguments on the
alleged rights of the saloon.
Religious assemblies, political CON
ventions and reformers' societies
have, by oft-repeated resolutions,
made the whole world acquainted
with their beliefs and convictions in
regard to the liquor traffic. But
these representative bodies express
| ing only beliefs and convictions, nei-
| ther make nor declare laws nor es-
tablish rights, and serve only to agi-
! tate, not to settle the questions rails
ed But we have in this land trib-
unal, neither religious, political nor
lreformatory, which is not occupied
| in raising and agitating new ques-
tions, but whose business is to set
tie such questions as are properly
brought to 1t by contending parties.
This tribunal is the United States
supreme court. It's testimony is con-
elusive, and its judicial declarations
form the supreme law of the land in
regard to all rights, public or pri.
vate. 1t is the anchor that holds the
Ship of State safe at her moorings
when the storms gather and the
waves beat.
The liquor traffic has urged upon
the court every argument which the
ablest lawyers could invent, but the
court has brushed all these argu
ments aside and has held that the
moral welfare of the home and OF
society is supreme, and, accordingly
has established by many and vari
GUS decisions the following funda
mental propositions, viz:
1. On account of the character OF
the saloon and the liquor business
there is no inherent right in a citi
zen to sell intoxicating liquors by
retail.
2. The safety of the people Is the
supreme law. Under its police pow
ers, each state has an undoubted
right tc regulate, restrain or prohibits
the manufacture and sale OF intoxi
eating liquors for beverage purposes
8. Laws regulating, restraining ol
prohibiting the manufacture and sal,
of Intoxicating liquors for beverage
purposes do not impair any mans
constitutional rights of personal lib
erty.
4. Laws regulating, restraining o.
prohibiting the use of property 70
the manufacture and sale OF intoxi
eating liquors for beverage pufposei
do not interfere with any mans con
stitutional rights OF property.
5. Tho payment Of revenue O
special taxes TO the government b,
way OF license OF tax does not en-
title these engaged in the traffic I,
any vested rights OF special priv
leges.
6. Independent OF any statute law
the saloon has been enjoined as
common nuisance when set up an,
run In a purely residence community
The temperance warrior need new
er be routed in battle II he carrie
with him this shield of judicial au