The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-03-24

writer's. contributions VIII appear In
the order received
TIMOTHY NIcHoLsoN's REPLY.
NOTE-Owing to space limitations
the statement of Mr.. Nicholson was
unavoidably crowded out OF vsater-
days issue.
Editor of The Palladium:
Yesterday afternoon l received by
mail circular letter of over 400
words with the heading ITO the Tax
payers of Richmond" and signed
Committee of Business Men" It was
probably prepared by their publicity
agent as he has repeatedly used all the
salient points of the circular-and the
chief question, rs it the part of wis
dom from the standpoint OF a tax
payer to close the saloons and the
brewery" has been answered in the at
firmative by the testimony of mayors,
manufacturers and merchants of vari-
GUS dry cities in Indiana, Ohio and I'LL
nois, to say nothing of those cities in
Kansas and other prohibition states.
1t has been shown that as rule taxes
in dry cities are less than in wet cit
les and in the exceptions a satisfac-
tory explanation has been given. Now
for the claimed Commercial assets"
Of the Sc saloons. The license fees of
$4,000 are more than offest by the
city's share of Wayne county's ex-
pense for board of prisoners, the thou
sands of dollars expended by the town
ship trustees for the poor, the cost of
the poor farm and of the cOunty's in
mates in our state institutions, the
cost of criminal court trials, etc, at
least Is per cent of which, as has been
declared by numerous judges Of our
courts. Archbishop Ireland, a distin-
guished Catholic, and other reliable
people, must be charged to the sa-
looms.
The $211.64 paid by Sc saloons and
the brewery (see circular letter. less
than $500 each-soon after the sa-
looms are closed in June-these Sc
rooms will be rented at a greater rent
than $1,000 per month for respectable
businesses and the taxes they will pay
will probably be not less than on an
average of $4,000 each, or total of
$168, 900, or a city tax Of nearly $1,70O
eight times as much as the saloon
keepers are paying, according to their
own circular letter.
The new merchants will not use so
iiluSi CiCStiiS hShI, iSO anu AuSA &C
they will be open not more than II
hours per day instead of IS hours by
the saloons. AS for the $35,364, the
cost of meat bread and very salt
pretzels Ito increase the thirst for
more beer an equal or greater amount
would be used at homes with their
wives and children by the present
customers.
AS to wages, the $50 men would
soon find employment at more than
$16S per day. which they now receive.
and there will be no necessity for them
to leave the city for any wet city. The
closing of the local cigar factory Is
a joke The patrons of saloons will
probably use as many cigars as ever
and if they prefer homemade cigars.
the cigar stores will be compelled to
provide these for their customers and
this dsposes of the 45,927 for cigar
industry.
This circular ignores the 100000 or
s1,OOO,00O annually expended by our
citizens in the saloons and which,
when the saloons close, will be dis
tributed on other enterprises in the
city AS to the saloonists themselves,
they do not need our sympathy. Many
of them are rich, have nicely furnish
ed houses, and expensive automobiles
and might comfortably retire from
business as others Of this class in our
city have done. We should give our
sympathy to the families Of the men
who have been robbed not only of
their property, but of their manhood
and health.
So much for the circular letter,
which, I think. must have been sent
to me by mistake, as no we'll informed
business man" could imagine ! could
be induced to vote mo"
Now wish to say few words to the
legal voters O. Richmond. If any In
telligent man has read the Item edi-
torials. and the facts presented by the
Citizens Committee, and the asser-
tons of Bennett Gordon, honestly be-
lieves that saloons are a good thing
for our city he ought to vote No" on
the Gath instant If he Is In doubt in
this matter as in other moral ques-
tons he should give the poor drunk
ards and their distressed mothers,
wives and children the benefit Of the
doubt, and vote yes"
Our mayor, prosecutor and chief Of
police declare they will see that the
laws shall be enforced and with a
committee Of citizens and it's large
guarantee fund to actively aid the
county and city officers we need have
no fear of blind tigers and bootleg
gers, as the law provides for these
both fines and imprisonment
If there be any voters who are in
different in this vital conflict and
hence decline to vote, they cannot be
called good citizens" II there be
any who hesitate to vote yes" be-
cause it will after 80 days cause the
saloonist and their employees to seek