The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-09-23
TUCUMCARI AND HER SALOONS
BY ]. l.. Campbell

IL the people of Tucumcari desire
TO be rid of their saloons they need
not hesitate because Of the allegation
that a town cannot get on without
license money paid by the saloon, and
that prohibition does not prohibit.
The revenue bugaboo finds no sup
port in the experience of dry munich
palities. Seventy-seven per cent of
the national area containing fifty-fve
per cent of the population and thous-
ands of towns and cities, has no sa-
looms and no liquor revenue For
thirty-three years Kansas has receiv-
ed not a dollar Of liquor revenue. Her
municipalities are clean. happy and
prosperous. Her schools are second
to none in the nation. Her people oc-
cupy the front rank in education and
general well being. From Main to
Oregon and from Dakota to Mississ-
ippi, the evidence is conclusive that
a community can manage its municipal
affairs and discharge its duties with
u revenue from saloons. In view of
the record, mere reference to which
IS a complete answer, an intelligent
man ought to be ashamed to affront a
community by accusing it Of being
helplessly dependent on the tainted
money Of the liquor traffic. IL only
those who believe that they cannot
get on without such help voted for
the saloons, there would not be a
saloon in the nation. Villages, cities,
counties and states ere daily demon
strating that they are not and that no
community need be in any way de-
pendent on the saloon.
The reason is plain. The saloon is
a parasite on wealth. AS an institu-
ton IL never produces a dollar and
never %proftably employed one. The
alleged help which it gives the city
treasury through license money paid
for the privilege of ~debauching the
community is, in fact, a handicap.
That license money is a small percent
age of the money which the saloon col
iects from the people. A community
so raising revenue is pursuing waste
full and burdensome methods. II the
people of Tucumcari will abolish their
saloons and pay direct into the city
treasury all the money they now pay
over the saloon bar, Tucumcari will
have more money in its treasury than
any other town of its size in the world.
II they will abolish their saloons and
pay direct into the city treasury as
much as the saloons now pay they will
save "A lot of money for beneficial
uses. For every dollar it pays in rev.
enue the liquor traffic collects many
dollars from the people. The saloon
does not pay the revenue. The people
pay IL through the saloon, and much
in addition. They cannot escape the
operation Of economic law by deceiv-
ing themselves into believing that the
saloon pays their bills. For example.
IN the Tucumcari Sun of September
10th a statement is printed on the first
page under the caption what the
Saloons Of Tucumcari Pay, amount
ing to $43,966.O0. Now, the saloons
Of Tucumcari do not pay that. The
people pay 1t. The saloons got the
S43,956.00 from the people and a great
deal more than that in addition. The
direct cash cost Of the saloons TO Tu-
cumcari is several times $43, 1855. 90.
In paying the caloons several times
that amount, the people of Tucumcari
received nothing Of value in return.
On the contrary, they received much
that is harmful.
In deciding what they shall do with
their saloons, there is only one ques-
ton which the people of Tucumcari
need answer as the basis for proper
action. IL the saloon a good thing or
q bad thing? II bad, II should be
abolished. Its abolition will take no
money out Of the community, and It's
death will decrease the producing
capacity of no man. Neither will il
increase the cost Of running the mu-
nicipality. Testimony Is universal
that the death of the saloon increases
bank deposits. Why not abolish the
saloon, pay your taxes Ia clean money
and increase your bank account?
The allegation that prohibition does
not decrease the consumption of liquor
was sired by the liquor traffic and Is