New-York daily tribune., 1854-05-01
TIE LAST YEAR OF LICENSE.

This day all licenses for the sale of Intoxicating
Beverages expire throughout State, and the traffic
is henceforth illegal until re-icensed and except where
il msy be re-censed. Whoever hencefortb within our
State legally sells that which puts enemy in the
mouth" of tie buyer TO steal away his brains, y
does so. not on the strength of some musty permit
granted in I'm age of comparative darkness, but by
virtue Of lew and special authorization, emanating
from the present municipal authorities of each city
township, chosen at their very latest elections re-
spectiyey.
There is 10 existing difference of opinion as TO the
la1ity and viciousness of past Licensing Those who
most widely and bitterly dissent from views the
subject ire urgent and loud in their proeamatons that
il is TO the widespread abuse not the legitimate
Of that system that the prevalence OF drunkenness
and crime are be attributed. They say that if only
= reasonable number of Licenses were granted, and
these to such men as the law contemplates aud pre-
ecribes there would be no ground of complaint and
cali for radical revision of laws governing the
sale of intoxicating Drinks.
Our own conviction is known 10 differ radically from
this. We believe the evil inheres in the thing done,
not in the mode of doing it. We believe that the
drinking of Alcoholic Liquors is wrong per Sc, at all
times and under all circumstances and that the only
Legitimate of such Liquors and this very one
is Il medical one. Is to any good which may be
made OF Alcohol mechanically deny that it should
be prepared and sold for such use in the form of
potable liquid. Let Alcohol be Manufactured and sold
by tself like Ether Aqua Forts that, if any on
xiii be fool enough to swallow it, he may know jus
what poisoned and low il poisoned him. And we i ,
not believe viii ever be possible to confne the issu
I af Of GOOD moral cha 10
such men have better business and because the
aid OF bad must he invoked to uphold the Iicens
system and they will not submit TO be forever shaking
the bush in order that some else may catch the
bird. Said a poor Hibcruian applicant, when ques-
toned rather sharply by Board of Excise as to bis
moral fitness for the trust ~ which he aspired All
sure il isn't much moral character man needs tc
sell Eum"-srd We think he was entirely right il
that point.
Nor Will it ever be.possible to suppress the In
licensed trahe 30 long as therss Licensed counter
part to cover and uphold IT, Pass the Maine Law
, and everybody who knows where LIQUOR Is sold as
beverage viii know tina, il is there sold Illegally; bu
20 long medrunksrd-manuiactories are licensed
VIII be morally impossible for the great mass 10 ss
i which axe and which not. We pass hundre
grCgshoPs daily, and neither know nor eca know ho,
r many of them poisoning their customers sccordu
10 law. We have general idea that the best-ooku
p among them, which present the faires show OF white,
i seIulcher rcspectabty, have the documents on han
y and poisoning their customers according 20 law Il
: TX days of each week, and Only neurring tweut
j. shilling penalties Tie seventh. while good part
e tie .habber sort sre law 10 Themselves but h
Is is al euess-vork. and tie tumbe-iown rocker
e wherein old bIui.ers are madd,ne I'D ripenei t
every exhibition Of oalhscme deprsyity st hreepen
y z svis nay be Just well provided with legal indl
:. eences Sc tie suuvueus palaces wherein ley ge