Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-08-21
A Civic Sermon in Stone.

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While at Willmar last week, the
writer visited the inebriate farm,
which the state Of Minnesota is bene-
violently getting ready for those who
can't stand the pace. An elegance
surprising that Of all other state in
situations characterizes the build
ings which are being constructed.
The construction is not only substan-
tial, but expense has not been spared
in providing Kasota marble, hard
wood finishing and other things which
pertain to architectural beauty. The
institution will be open about Novem-
Der for the reception Of it's first pa
tents, and at that time will accom-
modate only fifty, but contracts are
already being let for additional
buildings to be completed as rapidly
as possible.
The reason that this institution is
SO we'll provided for is that it re-
ceives its support not from moneys
appropriated by the state. Legislature,
but from a special tax levied by the
state upon every liquor license col
lected by any municipality in the
state. The fund thus created is for
the specific purpose Of building and
maintaining this institution. The
fund comes from the cities, which in
turn get it from the saloons, which
get it from the man who drinks.
The purpose Of this institution is
to provide treatment for those who
have become useless to themselves
and to society thru the over-i ndulg-
ence in Intoxicating liquors. The an
cient homily that intoxication leads
to poverty, degradation, disease and
death has been modified by the state
Of Minnesota to read it leads thru
poverty, degradation and disease to
the state institution for inebriates,
where luxury, health and comfort
abound. The state says to the man
who drinks that he may drink a little
but it will heavily tax the place where
he drinks, drink more and it will ar
rest him for intoxication, drink to ex-
cess and it will transport him to a
home Of elegance where shattered
health and wasted usefulness may be
regained.
The state says to the citizen that
he may undermine his health and de-
stroy his usefulness as much as he
likes but he will get no assistance
from the state unless he "goes the
limit"
And then there's the ugly logic of
the contract between the state and
the community which permits saloons
solely for the revenue which they
bring to the public treasury, in which
the state says that it will permit the
community to destroy the efficiency
Of it's citizens if it wishes to in re-
turn for the revenue thus produced
but it must hand over to the state
two per cent Of the revenue thus pro-
duced for the purpose Of redeeming
the waste products of the process.
But of course the state should
maintain just such an institution and
it is we'll enough that it raise the rev.
enue in just the way that it does, but
what a tissue Of Inconsistencies is
thus revealed,-society attempting to
restore the individual from the evil
use of that which society itself per-
mits.
We may pride ourselves that in
our day, society is doing it's full duty
in the many institutions for the edu-
cation Of the deficient, the assistance
Of the weak and the restoration of
the fallen, but when We once strip
off the veneer, We find that such in
stitutions as the one at Willmar but
point out the Inconsistencies of our
civilization. They are but mile
stones on the path Of progress, not
monuments to full accomplishments
Morris Tribune.