Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-11-13
LIQUOR TRAFFIC A PARASITE

There is no more enthusiastic advo-
cate of California Dry" than Lieu
tenant Governor Wallace. In spir-
tied address delivered recently in
San Jose, he pointed out with con-
vincing logic the reasons why the
liquor traffic is an economic blunder.
He said in part:
4 want the Igor business of Cal
ifornia entirely owe rthrown because
it is an economic waste; it is para
site; because the traffic is hinder
ance in the making of men; because
it is contrary to those principals that
underlie the organization of state.
Business is an exchange of commod-
tiles. 1t is buying and> selling, and
there must be advantage or gain in
the barter. For continued commerce
the gain must extend to both parties
to the transaction. If the resultant
advantage of business deal inures
to the benefit of one party only, there
is an economic defect. The buyer
must benefit by his purchase as truly
as the seller by his sale. The buyer
gets from the grocer, flour, from the
hardwareman nails, from the lumber
man lumber, and in each case buyer
and seller are benefited. The same
buyer goes to the saloon to get wine
or beer or whiskey. The dealer
makes profit on the goods sold.
But here is break in our business
principle. The buyer makes no gain.
He parts with his share of the barter,
and gets nothing valuable in return.
At every counter there was gain on
both sdies; here the gain was on one
side only. The transaction limps; it
is false to business principles. 1t
represents economic waste. 1t must
cease.
''It remains eternally true that
business to be legitimate must produce
gain to both parties dealing.
1.-THE economic waste becomes a
multiplied factor when the argument
is extended to liquors effect on the
purchaser who conumes it. The liquor
traffic is parasite. Any business
blood it has IS sucked from the Wig
orous body of healthful business.
1t contributes nothing, but draws
heavily. If traffic in lumber, gro
ceries, dry goods and other legitimate
business gave no more value than
liquor gives, and yet received as
these lines Of business do, and as
liquor does, all business would col
lapse. The quid pro quo would be
lacking. If town or city prospers
where traffic in liquor is allowed, its
prosperity is less than it should be by
just SO much as liquor takes. 1t
gives nothing and what it takes is SO
much subtracted from the general
gain. Prosperity may continue, but
it carries needless burden.
cit binders in the making of the
man. All admit that where it has
sway it spoils the boys as they are
being made into men. The boys be-
long to the state. They are its
greatest asset and they are endan-
gered. Whatever mars man in the
making can't stand the light of the
voters booth where conscience marks
the ballot.
"A state is brought into govern.
mental being to protect and help its
people. When a state authorizes tbs
doing of those things that injure its
people, it is traitorous. Because the
liquor traffic hampers business arc
burdens commerce, it must be elimi
mated; because it invades the home
harmfully it must be eradicated; be
cauese it Injuries men in the making
it is a menace to citizenship ard it.
disloyality condemns it; and, becaus,
it is hideously bad ard in rowis'
good, the state that exists to serve it,
citizens must, through its awakene,
voters, utterly prohibit it,"