The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-09-03
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
Should Alcoholic Liquors. as Bever-
ages, be Sold in Garrett County?

merous ones but 1T is the intention to
present some impressive statistics here
with, which should lead any one of a
fairminded disposition to answer vehe-
mently and steadfastly. No! to the
interrogatory heading of this. Ex-
perience is far more reliable than
theory and the statistics hereby pre-
sented are of exceptional value, be-
cause of their significance, the nearness
of contact, etc. Chaplain Kiplinger,
of the Indiana State Penitentiary at
Michigan City. Indiana, in his lecture,
The Remaking and Mending of Men,"
delivered at the Salisbury Chautauqua
at Elk Lick, Pa. this season, after
speaking of the more humane and i'm
provement working regime in vogue
in the administration of penal affairs at
the above named institution, spoke of
the factors which lead and led to the
undoing of men and which brought
them Imprisonment and hindered their
rise and progress after personal liberty
was regained. Said he, 81 know not
in the least what your position is upon
the dry and wet question, nor am |
here to deliver a temperance lecture,
but we endeavor to keep our paroled
and discharged prisoners from making
their homes III wet territory. because
such condition operates against an
ex-convict making good" Then he
gave as hrs personal observation as
chaplain of penitentiary having near
ly twelve hundred convicts, these sta
tlstics. Out of every hundred men pa
rolled seventy four are not returned to
prison; out of twenty-six men returned
tweDty-three are returned for intoxi-
cation. Ninety six per cent of the life
termers for murder trace their sad
plight to liquor directly. Over eighty
six per cent of the minor term servers
trace their criminal career to llquor d.
rectlY or indirectly. Of 226 men serv-
ing life sentences PIP trace it directly
to liquor. The counties of Indiana fur
nished their respective quotas of prison
ers in one year as follows:
20 dry counties, ........ SO prisoners
% wet counties, .... 1875 prisoners
THE WET COUNTIES HAD ONLY
26 PER CENT. OF THE STATES
POPULATION, YET THEIR QUOTA
OF PRISONERS WAS So PER CENT.
OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PRIS-
ONERS.
Was the liquor selling sentiment prev
alent in the wet counties responsible
for the high criminal percentage or
was the presence of and freer indul-
gence Of liquor? Either horn of the
dilemma points to prohibition of sale
of liquor as the safer and better way.
Those statistics show that from an
economic point of view to individual
and to community and from a moral
and spiritual view point and standard
the experience of Indiana in relation to
her penal affairs shows that alcoholic
liquors should not be sold IN Garrett
county and every one who goes to the
polls at this coming election should so
decree by ballot.
Yes, but, some one objects, the law
will not be universally and invariably
enforced or observed. Be this true,
then again your side is to blame, Mr..
Liquor-man, and no man mo really is a
man should be lined up with you.
have friend who has thus summed
up the situation by applying an axiom
of his own authorship as test. Here
it is ANY business which the more it is
patronized the more improverishes and
harms the patron, spiritually, morally,
physically and financially, is not a
legitimate one" Such should be sup
pressed and abolished like any other
common nuisance notwithstanding
harangues to the contrary about per-
sonal liberty so called. Now ION the
square" when such tests are applied
does the liquor selling business have a
mote of fousdation upon which to rest?
If this liquor drinking practice is an
honorable one, decent one, why are
the many excuses employed to cover
it? And even if some persons had SO
little respect for themselves as to act
as carpet baggers" to steal liquor
into prohibited territory, yet such
practice should not justify resumption
or continuance of licensed sale of the
same by public consent, any more than
occasional stealing would justify repeal
of existing statutes against theft. Be-
ware of the person who advocates
licenses and be wise Oft times the
advocate betrays his interest in the
cause by the tune laden breath which
he unconsciously blows into your face.
Sometimes little genealogical lnves-
tigation will reveal the why of his in
terest in the person of relative who
expects to gam some easy money by the
sale of liquor and is willing to engage
in trade in the birthright-for- mess-of-
pottage kind.
Think we'll and draw sound conclusi-
ons, friend, and when you vote let your