Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1853-10-19

The precise agency Of alcoholic drinks
as the occasion Of any specific damage
cannot generally be asceriained with the
precision required by the rules of the
common law. This law excited wonder,
made noise, and passed away. 1t took
effect in Jan'y. 1850, and died like ali in
FAINT, before ii could lisp its fathers name.
Read its melancholy end in the SUI
preme laws of 1850, page 100. Its
successor was a twin brother. But
the latter, in 1851 (See session laws of
that year page l63, was overlsyed by
the huge, unweldly carcase of a new
license law, some Of the rotten rem
nsnts OF which, with many alterations,
constitute our liquer code Of the pres
ent moment. What shall be the Prote-
all form of the next moment. we cannot
tell, unless the Maine Law shall at once
abolish this fruitful source Of law and
vain law suits. f-
In 1851, Mr. BiDDLEceME of this
county, being in the legislature, made a
pair OF ''leather breaches" for the skel-
eton OF the license law, and babe the
people OF this state to worship the beast
that was "wounded unto death, and
whose deadly wound was healed. p
Nothing new under the sun. EDWARD
BEEcHER says that mankind are but act
ing over the scenes of a preexistent
state. The license system must have
flourished before Adam. We drop into
it, however OBVIOUSLY we wander.
Mr.. Biddle comes law did not
survive year till spontaneous de-
composition began. The legislature Of
1852, MANNED it. The law speaks in
plain English, yet It's authors quarrelled
about its meaning the very hour after
it was enacted. The ambiguity Of the
law is as favorable to law suits as the
frogs of the Mississippi are to the fever
and ague. Shades of Story, Of Kent
and Webster, why did you leave us, ill
the dark enigmas of this statute were
Interpreted? To unravel it, would be
job that would employ your disembo-
died powers throughout eternity. All
Lord Eldon's doubts environ it, thick
darkness and "muddy clouds" The
first section OF the act says the super
visors Of town sc "may grant" hcen-
ses. Says the unsophisticaled reader,
swell then the Board has discretion in
The matter, and may refuse to grant any
license at ALL" But the lawyer comes
forward with his analogles anu dielc-
tics, and says that the statutes read that
justice of the peace may issue"
summons. Ii means, he must do it, if
sutton applies, tenders his fee, ant asks
for it. Every clause of the law is e.
qually treacherous its surface breaks
through with the tread of firm, common
sense. Judge Jackson decided that the
Town Board could refuse a license
But 1t will cost many lawsuit and
hundreds of dollars, in all probability,
before the Supreme Court OF this state
shall settle The meaning Of the word
''inay" in this law. No body can draw
up judgement under this law, even if
he obtains one. See sect. II. The law
as is the case with all license schemes,
has lost all its virtue. The traficker
In intoxicating drinks may spit upon lis
impotent provisions. Oh all license
schemes ever devised, it is the most
wicked and most W eak, and vet hypo- |
critically gees further thaD ann other law
ever did, IN coujexsino the Wiekeun.ss
of the traffic. Among The evil con,e.
ouences arisino from Ibe use OF iu,oxi-
RATING drn,l,s soo,;on 10 ennn.r.,as
miss mend rr estate and nrnner.v snth,,
the dfunkard exposes his family TO want
and the town to hazard iulurIup and |
erd.,nceri,,o i alb, sd u
"''"' a'u vac Pc S'" =,
r,,o;(,. H. :rH NJ ~ "'''."' -
bard r.a,;a - VIC t'i1''I' A1a" - $40 go
onnr ,rsfra ! ,oo , ~" 49,, 49, a.. ~" t
H. arL n;,h ~ ',J I;. e"IS' ,'i' w ,''
in lis m"n,h RI i., t @nta y, nI
cu,areS tbat tho hn,;'as. $50. ,r;l
erdaroer ,ha ,;,a' ~ ,'',. ,e -, h,,.
wilh - nohla bnar .s w.. - Ean DIy
yarson. If iit,ta a,.l. ,.'..;'n ga
belIess az ,,rerfla g., W., ;.as
and ch;|dreE no .'n,n. =, n,niaa,;nu !,
the helnIess P,,, Ston Iha Ma;aa law
will ,nake hard raaI f'op' n", - f'',il;as
bn, toward thnso . ebs b',d;a ma s"' ,rb%
OUGHT TO earn tbe;r nv hraad !, nrotn , v
industry not hv soll;" n ~ maNnass
- 'Niii''S 'i", "'""i''''