Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-22
ATTEMPTED UICIDE

Tho action of the retail llquoi
dealers, OF their friends, ~
%springing n resolution for n re.
duction OF license upon tho DUN
eli at It's meeting Monday night
was one OF the c~lcarcst eases OF at
tempted business suicide OF which
there Is any record. a reduction OF
the present saloon llconae ~ Albu-
auerque would lead 10 prohibition rs
surely rs effect follows cause, and the
most remarkable feature Of the Mon
fday night business Is the fact that the
saloon men. or their friends are blind
no that which IL as clear 10 almost
every one else as the sun OF noon day.
There are n very large number Of
the best temperance people who re-
gard high license as the best temper.
unCc measure that cen be adopted,
ana whenever the saloon interest
turna against his measure. there IL
no place for those who desire to mitl.
gate the liquor evil except In the
ranks OF the prohibitionists.
~ " WHY AtiiSl hNHiN Nnhi iilp0A
who were responsible for bringing
forward the resolution in question
could not see that the arguments they
used In favor OF lower license were
fhe very strongest arguments that
could be brought forward in Iavor OF
maintaining the license at its present
figure or making II higher. The fact
that ten saloons were forced TO go ont
OF busineas when the present high
lleonse law was passed, g. al un-
answerable argument ~ favor e. lee
ting the law remain, aad tAe statr-
mcnt that others VIII b. lorctd 10 -
out Of business next year, only acrvos
TO make The argument atill stronger.
The advocates Of lower license lose
sight OF the fact nat the saloon bust
ness II ono OF the lines In which the
people generally bcliecv In charging
all the traffic will bear n That Il
Is not Fan infant industry to be pro-
tected. The object with a very large
majority of the champions OF high
license Is 20 reduce the drink evil TO
a minimum. and they believe the high
license win do more In that direction
than prohibition. because of the great
difficulty that attends the enforce
mcnt of the intter policy. therefore
when the opponents of the high
license policy come forward with
facts To show that II has driven out
aC lngInaau ...af 80 tla .lt.t.r nan. I.n |
with which the town was for-
infested, they simply prove that
the policy Ia doing what 1t was in
to do, and II there are still
that can not stand the tax. the
proper course is TO let them go out Of
business, too. not TO reduce the tax.
The true policy for the city 10 pursue
Is 20 keep the license so high that only
4 few decent places can afford to pay
i. They can then he held TO q lire
" strict obedience TO the law, and
self Interest. at the snmc time. viii
them To assist the authorities In
preventing boot Logging" and holes
the wall"
The vote on the resolution Ia re-
the license was three nnd three =
Of the members being absent, II
nd both Of the republican members y
resent voting In the negative, This +
aadc q a tie. and Mavor Lester. very y
auch "a his credit. very promptly =
ave the casting vote in the negative. o
'hich sent the resolution to a special !"
ommittec. o
In this connection It must not he y
,rsotten that the present democratic W
'uncil was elected upon q direct ''
to let the liquor license remain ID
the present figure. but the members
nd hardly got warm II their seats Al
they had a resolution before 81
lem to reduce the license fifty per G,
nj This resolution was referred to I'll
committee. whore il still remains, tn
the force OF public opinion Will m
consign the resolution Of be
ondsy night 10 the same fate. Blu, ar
Is does not ancct the fact that one- tn
II the democratic members Of the la
uncii have voted on two occasions sci
deliberately ignore the pledge made IN
their party az the time thcy werc On
'cted. and had b not bccn that both ab
2 republican members co. the coun- no
were in their places. and voting th'
the resolution 10 reduce the license MI
uid have becn snoaked through on th'
'nday night. without notice. and ma
houf any knowledge on tho part Of V
public that any such trick was to tel
attempted. lou
here viii he a city election in
n. 1910. less han five months ..
ice. and IL win not be difficult for ait,
people Of the city u remember Tw.
important facts FOR that length the
line. yea