The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-09-15

Wnen you have sudden attack"
such records are kept, proves conclu.
siyely that prohibition is a comp,e e
failure because the people do not want
prohibition, and because 80 per cent
OF the men who vote for prohibition
eyade the laws If they are adopted,
and II this be true land believe tina
the intelligent press and the intelli-
gent people OF this country know that
it is true) then the only solution o.
what is known as the liquor problem
lies in constructive regulations along
excise lines.
Il am fully convinced tha. in all
centers OF population the saloon is
a factor Of very great importance, be-
cause it furnishes a club for the
masses, and |, therefore, believe that
in such places the saloon is the
best means for the distribution of al
coholic beverages.
81 am also convinced that the saloon
can be regulated as easily as any 9TH
er business enterprise, If society will
treat it fairly and at the same time
provide severe and mandatory penal
ties for the violation OF law.
ITO properly regulate the saloon
society must place it on the basis that
the eating house is p,aced-that is,
the man who is licensed to retail liz.
uors must be given license, not for
one year, but for life If he desires it,
provided the people do not by their
votes prohibit his business.
"A license of this character would
take the saloon-keeper out of politics
because it would take him from under
the domination of the political boss.
1t would make the saloonkeeper a
free man, and it would develop a de
sire on his part to conduct his bus.
iness properly because it would be a
permanent business.
This is the way in which the re-
tailers are licensed in Europe and
the effect Is most salutary.
In the next place. the saloon-keep.
er should be treated fairly in the
matter of taxation. The man who
caters to those who drink is as much
a public servant, and as deserving of
public consideration, as the man who
caters to those who eat, and ] can
not understand why the ealoonkeeper
should not be taxed with the same
idea of fairness as other men are
taxed who supply the demands of the
public.
The number of saloon licenses
should be limited in proportion to the
public need, as is generally done in
Germany, and |, therefore, believe that
saloon licenses should not exceed one
for each 500 of population, and pcs
sibly one for each 1000.
A license of this kind would be
very valuable and, of course. the hold
er would be anxious to preserve it, and
here is where society can insure obe-
dience to her laws providing a man
datory penalty under which convic-
ton by a jury of the violation of law
would suspend a saloon license for
thirty days, and a second conviction
would cancel it, and prohibit the hold
er from engaging in the business
again.
'l say that these penalties should
be mandatory because where discre-
ton is left with the judge the pen
alties are so minimized as to make
them non-effective.
Most of these ideas have been
adopted in Texas, Iowa, Michigan,
Connecticut and Louisiana, and the
effect has been decidedly beneficial, |
but the first idea has not been adopt !
ed, and | consider it the most import !
ant. mean that the license should re-
new itself as long as the business is
Iegalized, and when the various states
and municipalities adopt that idea IN
with the others, they will /
find, in my opinion, a solution-and |
the only solution-of problem that
has vexed this country for nearly
one hundred years"