The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-15
ILLUMINATING DOCUMENT
ON LIQUOR QUESTION

Editor Trlbune-The letter OF tho rector
OF st. PdulS church which appeared In
Tuesday mornings Tribune lis an ilum-
mating document proving the venallty OF
many Judges elected by popular vote. SO
long as legal sanction and protection ar"
given by tho state or city In consideration
money the liquor problem will for all time
be difficult of solution. Revenue raised
by the impoycrishmcnt and demoraliza-
tion of the citizens must ever prove dls-
Crcditablc 20 the Legislature CountenancIng
II.
But assuming the whole traffic to be
injurious TO the morals Of the people ana
discrcditahlc TO n community which snnc-
tiouE IT, how Is the state going TO sup
press it.? Against the Will OF the people
a government is powcrlcss, People de-
fond their Vices and are welded TO theh
as much as to their virtues. The gov
crnmcnt is powcrless TO suppress, Grad
icate and In many cases. even To alheD-
CRATE fanallclsm. superstition; Ignorance.
perjury wllful lying and numbcrless eNilS
which are injurious To the mental phys
icaI and moral welfare OF the people Tor
whom II legislatcs.
But does the fact that the state can
not suppress an evil condonc Its participa-
tion in tie profits produced by inc eVil
vice? If the sale of liquor, wholesale
or retail tends 10 produce GENERALIZATION
in a community, or be an cv!l per sc, now
can a government defend itself wlne
supporting or promoting the evil solely
for the revenue derived from lt2 | con
partnership imposed upon the licensed
vcLualer by force. partnership forced
upon the weak by the strong. the state
which invests nothing and lncurs no RISK
practically says TO the saloon man:
admit your money Is tainted, that I'm many
instances il is the property of the "lle.
the mother and her children, bui must
have some OF il. say twelve hundred or
two thousand every year. or VIII not
license YOU"
Now. look into the dilemma OF the sa-
n.ai l,r,N
money for himself and the state. or the
civic corporation. He can only do this by
selling more liquor or BY adulteTa ,lnG
the liquor with water and cheap cheml-
Gals which work havoc on the stomachs
Of his patrons. II the saloon be an in
centiNe 20 crime, fraud and dishonesty
If it be an occasion of. and encourage
mcnt to. drunkenness. 10 physical. men
tai ana moral dcgcneraCy. then the state
or city which issues license and com
ncls the liquor man to stand @ ana ac-
Why does not the state demand a per
ccutagc Of the profits OF bakers. clo,hlers
and butchers? Il VIII be said, Because
But " the business OF the saloonman be
Ilegitlmatc and immoral what right has
the state 10 insist upon share OF me
mate and immoral? AS ! understand II.
the object Of civic government Is the
impartial administration Of laws framed
for tho protection OF life, property and
personal liberty: or. as Chief Justice
Chase defines it. The object Of civic
government is 10 protect the lives, prom
crty and prosperity OF the people. and TO
enact such laws as will make ii easy
TO do right and difficult 10 do wrong;
When government grants saloon II :
ccnsc for "A consideration OF. say, $1,000
and issues 500 of these licenses in city
Of less than 100. O0o people, is II making
it easy TO do right for these 200 mon
who arc hampcrod i'm their business by
bv Jaws, provisions. enactmcnts and the
like which make il impossible FOR these
men to live honestly and pay the gov
crnmcnt its share Of the proceeds Of the
traffic? Gentlemen Of the legislature.
either reduce the number Of saloons in
our CITY, demand smaller share OF the
profits OF those now retailing whisky. or
take over the whole business.
w. X. HARRIS.
Chaplain Judge Mercy.