Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1880 — Poverty and the License System. [ARTICLE]

Poverty and the License System.

BY REV. J. L. WELLS.

The business enterprise and health of the people of aby nation promote both civilization and happiness. Therefore all law SfrOuW contribute everything possible id their direction. A law that is contrary thereto Is denationalizing, anti-civil-jeiog qnd oppressive. It, undermines the sociaT fabrfc.andvitiales the compact Poverty t# dm element of weakness and helptessnes*; Its legitimate effect is a burden on the strhny iJbe- strong are h in/lered, worried, and weakened oy bearing it Each one is supposed to have enough to do To take card of himself. If another be added the burden is doubled. His time, strength and materia] are taxed to their , to take care of the two. The third resource—property—-fails; burdens Increase; strength wanes; want and woe prevail. 7 The license law is just that evil law thpt impoverishes one:.and burdens anofjier. Under it, money is worse than, wasted for drink; time is lost, the system is Weakened, the means of a livelihood are gone. J The arinket, his wife, his children areleft as pamper burdens on his neighbors. Taxes are heavy. Many have property on their hands unpaid tor; others have just', Started in business life. They could pay their taxes with staggering, and keep on their feet; but the poortax proves to be the feather that breaks the camel’s back, and they fail. To meet all claims, many work hard, overdo, break down in health, become poor, perhaps die. This traffic of license is continually burdening the ueople, yielding neither food or rest, ana is annually bequeathing 100,000 paupers to be ; supported by the country. The poor-houses are filled, while tramps' throng -through the thoroughfares to be fed and clothed by the sweat of other brows, iu order that a horde of heartless venders may live in luxury, and that the nation may receive its revenue pittance from the trade. The burden of 800,000 paupers, by the traffic,: rests on the hand and .toll 4Df 5,900,000 tax payers, at the. annual expense ot $80,000,000. Each one of an average, ! is poorer by sl6, whi«h must bb-'regarded as an! ioffering exacted in homage to she ram power by the license law. Of the 800,000 paupers thus Bupported ( but for the prevailing traffic, 200,000 would goon be able to.support themselves; 100,000 might help fapport the remain! ag 500,000; and bear their ahars.of other public expenses. Were the traffic to cease now, a generation would pass away before this burden wo.uld cease. But, if it continue, the number of paupers will continue to increase.