La Junta tribune., 1911-02-11
7 7

- ARGUMENTS lnaI are olttu
successfully used TO induce us to
vote ourselves into bondage. In the
present campaign. for instance, We
are told that 1t is impossible to
prevent the Illicit sale of liquor in
dry territory, that II is being sold.
and that We would be better off II
II were sold legally, rather than H.
legally. answer to this. first. that
the men who are now selling Illegal
ly, are seeking 10 be permitted TO
sell legally. and 80 do not come into
the peoples court OF equity with
clean hands am not deeply i'm
pressed by this reiterated cry that
the local option law is continually
violated Abou, all the laws in the
statute books are violated. and men
are moved to their violation by the
same hope OF Illicit gain that
moves the yiolntors OF the local op-
ton law In La Juuta answer. sec.
ond. that man living In dry terri.
tory can legally buy and keep In his
own house as much liquor as he can
pay for. and that the object OF the
local option law is no, to prevent any
man from legally buying and keeping
liquor. but TO do away with the
open saloon, whenever the majority
OF the people living in any political
subdivision mentioned In the statute
come to believe that the open sa-
loon is menace 10 their moral,physk
cal. financial and political welfare
We are told that the continued II.
licit sale OF liquor In dry territory,
induces popular disrespect for Law,
because OF It's failure TO prevent such
sale We are 10 remember in this
connection that the passage Of a
local option law by Legislature, Is
usually secured by the pressure Of
popular opinion. against the cor.
ruptinE Influence Of the brewers, dis.
tnlcrs and wholesalers OF liquors.
Laws thus passed do not often carry
complete provisions for their enforce
mcnt This Is true OF the Colorado
Law But We are further 10 remember
that In state such as this where
the people have in their hands.
through 'he Initiative and referendum.
the power to Iegislate directly, the
failur, OF law does not produce dis
respect for Law, but rather an Inquiry
as TO the best means To remedy the
defect And In this present instance
this inquiry will likely result In
such amendments to the local option
Law as will make II so effective that
no man will thereafter darc to Illicit
~ sell liquor In dry territory
We are told that when the major
ity In this city voted 10 make II dry
territory they iuterfrrcd with the
personal liberty Of the minority, and
with their right to have a saloon
conveniently al hand. IL Is the set
Tied Law OF the land, settled before
prohi, itIon or local option wcr"
even discussed that traffic IN intoht
eating liquor is subject 10 regulation
aud restriction by the police power OF
the state. aud is permitted only by
suffyrancc and license 80 that no man
ever possessed the right to have an
open saloon conveniently at hand On
the other hand iJ may With reason be
urged that no man has right for the
sake OF his mere convenience, 10
place before his urighbor aud his
ugiEhburs boy the open door Of a sa'
loon Beyond All this Is the fact
that this most absurd claim would
set at nauFhl the fundamental rule
vital 10 free government, and vital to
the personal liberty Of every citizen,
that the Wtn Of 'he majority must
prevail
We arr told that under present con-
ditlous Ne are losing the revenue
the saloons would produce, while H.
quor is being ulicitly sold In our
midst and the money OF those Who
buy liquor is being largely spent In
s~ink Thi, brings us TO the vital
point In this discussion, which ls
tn. question Of community profit In
the business
\ simpl. arithmciieAl computation
must convince any man. open to con
sictson that the saloon " an economic
blundcr Il Is estimated that the
money paid over the bars OF the six
saloons OF this city las, In opera.
tlou reached . total annual sum Of
100000 Except for an Insignificant
portion spent for alcohol and liquors
Tor mechanical aud medicinal pur.
poses. the sp~ad.rs OF this vast sum