Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-16
AGAINST PUBLIC SENTIMENT.

The recent action by the Rlchfeld
city council in granting license for the
saloon business was undoubtedly taken
in defiance Of public sentiment in that
city. Whether undue influence was
used by the liquor interests. 20 bring
about the result. is question about
which various opinions win be formed
But all will agree that a backward step
has been taken. and that public morali-
" win not b. improved by throwing
wide open a number of drink shops in a
community.
The usual argument ~, of course,
that intoxicants are consumed anyhow
and that the city may as well have
some revenue from the business. But
that Is a gross fallacy. We prohibit
the keeping Of opium dens. though their
absolute suppression has not. SO far
occurred. We do not license highway
robbery under the plea thtat the city
may as well have some revenue from
that business. Nor should we license
the saloon. If II is admitted that IL is
an Institution through which the bodies
and souls OF men are destroyed and
happy homes wrecked
There may have been some excuse
formerly for licensing saloons. when
the evils for which such places are re-
sponsible were but imperfectly known.
There is no longer any such excuse.
II has been scientifically demonstrated
that even moderate drinking is injuri-
Gus. SO that the evil Is not confined to
eNcesses This demonstration has been
so conclusive that alcoholic risks are
not wanted by insurance companies
pr Eugene L. Fisk, medical director
Of the Providcnt Savings Life Assur-
ance society Of New York has Just is
sued bulletin In which this fact Is
embodied. After taking up in success
sion the latest facts regarding alcohol
as an anesthetic, alcohol in medicine,
the testimony OF the business world.
and the testimony Of life insurance,
Or. Fisk declares that while alcohol IN
excess IL deadly poison. medical judg-
ment pronounces against even It's mod
crate use. we believe" he says that
the time will come as predicted by
Huxley. Spencer and others. when the
man. who deliberately throws away in
no good cause the splendid asset OF
sound health. shall be declared a social
enemy"
Some Of the other points effectively
brought out by DR.. Fisk are as follows:
ut has been conclusively shown by
laboratory experiments that alcohol
taken In so-called moderate Quantities
two glasses OF beer daily, reduces
mental and physical efficiency Those
who are disposed to question tho state
ment would do we'll 20 have themselves
subjected 10 "a test In some expert
mental laboratory, where the degree OF
impairment OF mental and physical
functions caused by alcohol can be
measured quite as accurately as yard
OF cloth.
Alcohol Is a good fuel. and oan be
burned la a certain kind OF stove with
out the formation OF clinkers. and with
out injury 10 the stove. II the stove
had brain. nervous system. kidneys
.nu aver. the results would be different
alcohol can be burned I'm the human
body, aud Will temporarily produce en-
ergy. also clnkers. but IL eNacts a
heavy ton FOR this service.
alcohol has been misnamed "A
stimulant. Its total effect is anesthe-
tic: therein lies It's danger The fancied
stimulation is merely a release OF the
lower nervous activities, by a suppress
sion OF the higher. causing narrowing
OF the field OF consciousness.
"our great railroad systems and
manufac.ur!ag Industries, whore skilled
labor. depending on accurate mental
proce sses. is employed. discriminate
against even the so-called moderate
driukor. Business instinct has dis
cerned what scientific experiment has
proven. viz. that the anesthetized en-
ploye is Improbable"
Az already remarked, there Is no
longer any excuse for tolerating an in
stitution that Is known to be an enemy
Of society and the Individual And