The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-26
REV. DR.. PADEN
TALKS ON 0P TON
Sermon on Liquor Election De-
Iiyered at First Presby-
terian Church.
DISCUSSES RIGHTS
OF ALL THE VOTERS
Takes Ground That Persons
Have Right to Vote as
They Please.

The Rev. Dr. Padcn discussed local
option in connection with the ensuing
liquor election. ut the First Presbyterian
church Sunday morning, saying in part;
On next Tuesday many OF us
VIII be called upon TO declare our choice
TO the timelincss OF the option. but We
cannot differ es 10 the fact. and as Pro-
lessor James has suggested. wherever
an option is forced. il il is important II
becomes live issue OF course there
are those who would forever deny the
people OF community To exercise such
an option II Is ono OF the Inconsistent
r!Hs .; some who talk most about per
Sonal liberty. that they would deny us
any option or freedom OF choice as TO
whether Che sale of intoxicants in special
urlhSilC places should or should not be
,orni There[Grs n1t1n,; ! believe in the right OF
toN'cants In special drinking places.
Moreover. experience has shown that no
method OF dealing with The drinking place
EVEN where the option is forced. IL makes
public opinion: il tests public opinion and
cannot be fairly opposed by those who
stand for government In accord with the
free votes Of free mon.
Now we have been called 10 exercise
such an option The saloon or no saloons
TINS. as | take It, is the option upon
which We ar called 10 register our votes
"r express ovr wills. The question is
not whether 1t Is in itself wrong to drink.
hut as ;c whether II would or would not
re for the best interests OF the con-
inrnitN II there were no places licensed
. 10 encourage and foster the drinking
habit The question Is not whether II
is in itself wrong To sell intoXicants hut
as 10 whether Il would not be better for
inc community In forbid the sale Of In
tnNicants b. retail. as special business.
The question i'm so far as our present
option is concerned is The question as TO
Thing
saloon
Special Perils.
That there are special pcris 10 the
community which are Inherent in the
saloon business. nobcdr now denies. Pub
l'c opinion rs registered in our laws lndi-
Gates that experience has shown that the
sac 80 intoSicanls as a beverage. when
rursre as business. and the seller an
thnri""d ip encourage the drink habit in
l"Ealized drinking places, is especially
open 10 abuse: and likely 10 promote law
IesSrc&s .nsohriety and their attendant
evils. Experience has therefore forced
us to wcra even cur license laws as if
VIC wero dealing with a business which
6 always pcrlors and especially open to
alliances With vice ard crime.
Tut even without such experience as
oi;? present laws Indicate, We might we'll
Ia license men for The specific purpose
oi creating. or at least fostering. n de-
nanh for 2. dnnEcrous drug Such q
specific business becomes douhly dan
ferrous when men find ,ha, there is money
In II. and that In order to make il pay
they must mako spccial efforts 10 create
demand for their goods. Therefore we
90 n"; permit The sale of opium as a
srecia' retail business We prohibit
cniam tiointss.. There is nothing in Itself
wrong IN tnJi'ne n morphine tablet. Yet
suppose We legalzed special opium shops
-rcr know what would hanpen. Men
finding the busincss profitable would
lnE licensed they might advertise or fill
ihcir show windows with various seduc
tive types of their special drug-wine OF
opium. vinegar of o0ium or black drop.
r1regoric elixir, ecstacies Of De Quincy.
Chinese content. hvpodcrrnic quietivc,
etc, or ronrse public opinion would soon
outlaw such business. WHY? Chiefly
because ii Is not safe to allow men To
make money bv cploline a dangerous
drug or fostering dangerous habit
Policy Attacked.
Now We contend tha; the legalzng
OF shops for the specific purpose OF en-
alcoholic stiinulant. as a money making
proposition. Is not II wise public policy.
II gives legal standing to business
temntation. II makes a lot of differen &c
10 The temptablc man whether he has 10
hunt for his liquor or whether the liquor
Is evcrlastingly hunting after him.
chances To drink have much TO do with
mating sn drunkards. -, Too often means TO
OF course we cannot expect TO abolish
any evil or neril by legislation Law can
only make II easier to DO the neIghborly
Wise thing. and more dlfficul, 10 do the
unmeiehborly unwise thing. Ii is espe-
cally hard TO enforce law where those
who break IL arc in colluson. This is as
for no license; as true II YOU vote for
regulated sale In saloons II you vote
The saloons. out OF all legal protection
We bave tried regulation and know that
regulation only partially regulates. We
have tried compromise and have had no
cDd Of trouble
th(. Dfh 81,
one can only say you had better or better
not 20 into or STAY out OF the saloon
business. or you ought or ought not 10
go into or. stay in the saloon business
But when IL comes TO law which has TO
60 with the civil conduct Of those under
Its authority we are often obliged to say
To most men the moral appeals, "You
:, ought" or You had better" are suffl-
care 10 use here. But as citizens we may
and arc often obliged 10 go further for
there are those in every community to
whom the only cffectual appeal is you
must. or must not" So while as a min
ister am ready to say, You had better
not 60 into the saloon business. or even
ness. or YOU had better not or ought
not 10 frequent Saloons yet when as a
citizen am asked TO register my opin-
ion as to whether the saloon must or
mus; not bc lndorsed as essential TO the
social welfare OF the men, women and
children OF this community. I cannot AZ
ford 10 directly or Indirectly give my in
dorsement "A citizen to a business
which. as a man. / consider 10 be al
once unnecessary. demoralzing and peril
Gus The option being forced upon me 10
decide as to whether the sale as q special
business OF intoXicants as beverage,
must be permitted or must be prohibIted
! must vote for the prohibition. Other
wise what / advise what / wish and what
7 register my will can hardly be said
10 hc consistent What ! want and what
/ will ought 10 be in harmony.
Few Frequent Saloons.
Only small minority OF the 90, 900 in
habitants Of this city frequent our legal
izcd drinking places. or would be ncon-
,eHicnccd were the saloons all closed
Indeed The law which will 90 into effect
II you vote for license. prohibits the ma
jority OF our population from going into
saloon. The wording is clear: "Nc
female shall be employed on the place
no woman, minor. drunkard or intoxi-
Gated person shall be allowed in the
room" In other words. We are asked tc
legaIize ;hc exploitation Of intoxicants by