The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-09-30

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Eor they have not brought any of the
benefits 80 eloquenuy and persistently
promised oy the orators and writer's
of the Anti-Salooa League.
The reason that prohibition does
not prohibit is because it does not for
bid the purchase, possession or use of
alcoholic beverages, and in conse-
quence, the very large majority of the
Ipeople who live in prohibition states.
whether they voted for the law or
against it, provide themselves with
wine, beer and whisky. and in this
way become violators of the spirit If
not of the letter of the law and this
fact renders the enforcement of such
laws a practical impossibility.
An investigation of conditions in
prohibition territory reminds one of
1.-THE story of the negro who was tried
for stealing a sheep, and who was
cleared Notwithstanding overwhelu-
ing evidence as to his guilt. On his
attorneys expressing surprise at the
verdict, the darky explained that
eleven Of the jurymen helped MIN to
steal the sheep.
Should Oklahoma vote to retain pro-
hibition those who want liquor for
beverage purposes will continue to
order 1t from a bootlegger or through
a mail order house, and those who do
not want it for beverage purposes viii
order 1t as in the past, as a matter of
precaution for medicinal purposes.
and the result will be that the con-
sumption of liquor in Oklahoma will
continue to aggregate a greater
amount under prohibition than II
would under the license system.
The only solution of the liquor prob.
lem lies in regulation along the lines
recently suggested in an interview by
Judge F. M. Simonton, of Tampa, Fla,
in which he says:
1T is well known that the saloon.
keeper, like men engaged in other
lines of business, will violate the law
when 1t is profitable to do so, and
whenever he finds that violation Of
the law will result in irreparable loss
to him, he will be as law-abiding as
any other citizen in the community.
1T seems to me that the number of
saloons should be limited to one for
1000 or 1,500 people in the community,
and only one license should be issued
to one individual, and that to the man
who actually conducts or has charge
of the business. When man either
sells liquor on Sunday, or sells to
minors or to drunken people, or in
any way violates the law, his license
should be suspended for ninety days,
and let his saloon be absolutely clos
ed and locked up by the sheriff dur
ing that time, and upon second con-
viction of the violation of law, let his
license be Cancelled and him be for.
ever denied the privilege of having
another license in the state.
This will result in making the busi-
ness more profitable, and in improving
the character of the men engaged In
the business. 1t will eliminate the
divekeeper and lawbreaker in the
business, or make him a law-abiding
citizen"
These suggestions from Judge
Simonton correspond almost identi.
cally with the suggestions that the
Model License League is making to
the various states, and which have
been adopted in five or six states and
in great many municipalities.
If a saloonkeeper violates law it is
because he finds it profitable to vio-
late law but it is an easy matter to
prepare a saloon license under which
1t could not be profitable to violate
law.
We think that saloon license should
renew itself after being issued as long
as the holder obeys law, provided the
people do not forbid the business by
a local option or prohibition vote, be.
cause this would make saloonkeeper
feel that his business was a perman-
ent one, and he would feel disposed
to conduct permanent business on a
very much higher plane than he would
a business that he was only temporar-
lily engaged in and which he is liable to
be put out Of at the end of any fiscal
year.
We also think that licenses should
be limited so as to make them valu-
able, and we are decidedly of the opin-
ion that penalties for the violation of
law by the saloonkeeper should be
We do not think that any discretion
ought to be left with a Judge or a IL
censing board, but in a saloon license
It should be distinctly provided that
a