The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-03-27

II Gney nau never mao any liquor
legislation at all. if the traffic hac
been allowed to run it's free and
natural course.
But the prohibitionist refuses to
admit the truth. He has deliber-
ately sacrificed the truth in order to
simplify his problem aud support
his falIacious argument. He has
made the liquor question a simple
clear cut question of right or wro ng.
Total abstinence is universally
right, the use of liquor universally
wrong. There is no middle ground.
The rule admits of no exception.
To the prohibitionist the word
Moderation" is like red rag to a
bull. He has never learned the
lesson that in every department. of
life the true path lies between two
extremes. AS law is the happv
mean between anarchy on one hand.
and tyranny on the other, so is
temperance the happy mean be-
tween drunkenness on one side and
total abstinence on the other. But
the prohibitionist wants nothing but
extremes. 1t is obvious that legis
lation based on this utterly false
theory must be unsound in principle
and vicious in it's effect.
Now for this time we will let this
be enough said in regard to the
policy of the prohibitiohists. An
attempt is being made to close up
the saloons in Washburn, and the
majority will be the judge to decide
this case. tits therefor we'll to stop
and think awhile before we 90 and
vote on it. The first question that
arises is, have We got enough money
in the city treasury to take care of
the municipal, affairs without going
further in debt then we are? The
license money amounts to about
seven or eight thousand dollars. TO-
gether with the personal property
taxes that each saloon pays, and
this amount OF money will not come
into the city treasury if the saloons
are voted out. What have the Drys
got to offer to Offset this decrease of
income? Cut down the expenses?
Ii so, OF what nature should they
be? The argument of the prohibi-
ZIONIST is, "We would then discharge
the police men, we would close up
the Jail. we would abandon the
courts. and consequently there would
not be much of any kind of expense
for the people" Now, any man
arguing that way is fit subject for
an insane asylum. Only thieves and
scoundrels are in favor of getting
the police, courts, and iails out of
existenSe.
Come let us reason togetherl You
ought not to try to drive the saloon
keeper. out Of business. because he is
doing more good for the city than
any other business man. He is
collecting from non-taxpayers $500
a year and de p0sits the money in
the city treasury before he has
collected them. You should not sit
down upon the individual who
patronizes the saloon, because he is
doing more good for the people than
any prohibitionist would do. Every
dime that he spends in the saloon
of which certain per cent goes to
make up for the license money, is a
free contribution to fund that
otherwise would be non-colectible.
Now, let us see what this fund is
used for. The most of il is appro-
priatsd to the school-fund, The
rest Of it for other public expendi-
lures. Should the license be voted
out. the only thing the city has got
to sacrifice 10 order to adjust itself
to the limited amount of money in
the treasury, is the high school. We
must have schools of some kind, but
the law does not compel US to have
\ high school. Now. could you
tiously 60 to work and vote
put revenue from the city to such
IN extent as to ruin such grand
institution as our high school is, for
The sake of some selfish idea? This
question is TOO important to settle |
due deliberation. There
or, stop and think.
(Signed) A Taxpayer. Adv.
w. J. Maitland spent few hours
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