New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-11-09
The Question ro-Day.

written authority
The Question To-Day
"a very grave and Important question comes
before our people to-day for their decision
whether licenses shall continue to be granted to
coffee.houses, as before, or whether they shall
be withheld.
We agree with those who complain OF the
great number of cabarets and drinking saloons
in the city, and sympathize with every effort 70
rels,ce che amount Of drunkenness and dissipa-
lion 10 prevalent in all Of our large cities. If
there were any means Of ending at once and for
ever the consumption Of spirituous liquors, we
Wouldbs foremost in its advocacy and hearty in
it's support The only question that presents
itself to us concerning the present measure 49,,
whether the withholding Of licenses win operate
as q check to the evil 50 largely complained Of,
or mot.
We arc aware that many true and conscien-
tious temperance men think denial of licenses
viii operate as stoppage to the sale and use Of
liquor, and effect the object they 50 sincerely
desire. But We are also aware that many
equally sincere friends Of the cause doubt the
efficacy Of the measure, and believe that the
passage Of the proposed law would result only in
increasing the evil. The Maine Liquor Law,
far more stringent than the one offered here, has
only succeeded in driving liquor selling from the
bar to the garrett from public to private re-
sorts. 1T was adopted in Portland with very
limited success, and in Boston with none at all
Ifsthe severer means fail, what is to ensure the
w
are unable to find any evidence that the stop
page Of Licenses is to work b stoppage Of liquor
selling or drinking here more than in other
cities.
We have examined the laws Of the State con-
+ corning liquor selling with great care, and
given some attention to the probable results o.
suoh action as the friends Of No License hope
to make successful We do not believe that
under our existing laws. the people can legally
close the coffee houses or forbid men from sell
ling liquor, OF fine them for not having licenses
when licenses areinot granted. we do not be
lieye that in the event Of their apparently
closing every coffee house in New Orleans, the.
would lessen the amount Of liquor sold an,
drunk, or make temperance more general thai
it now is They may drive the traffic out 9
sight. They cannot Danish it from existence
We 4sincerely hope that in case Of the passag
of the No License principle the friends Of th
cause may be able to realize their most san
guine expectations We should place far NOR
reliance however upon some moderate measures
similar to those advocated by the Bulletin, who
We append. The Bnlletin says
It ID ouy deliberate opinion that any plan calculated
do away with these awful evils is worthy the profout
consideration Of all good that the best pla
should DO adopted. The Temperance men contend tn
prohibition ID the only and certain remedy. Pc
haps 1t is, But there are others who think derentl
good temperance men at that as good as the bestwl
nasntain that aelioraon Of the license system
do more good than total nbrogation regarding 1t
fearing the growing up Of destructive habit Of prva
dissipation They would graduate the price Of csns
to make the number Of coffeehouses about onesix
what Ii now compel tho keepers give heavy BOZ
and security ensure faithful obedience to the law
Stata snd municipal and secure tho payment OF whs
ever penalties might be imposed for their infracon
each house there would necessarily be two or three
most likely more partnars. Here, at once would be
body OF 1870 1850 policemen, ten times more eice
than the city could hire to put down and keep
unlicensed traffic Sci Interest would prompt them
sefnter2st Is the most powerful Of prompters Pcayu
cofee-honses and cabarets would entirely disappear,
they could not pay the license neither could they no
detection hay attempted to yend their poiso
when the Sons of Temperance, the regular police, a
some two thousand Interested parties continue
watching them. As most of the evils Of intemperar
dow from these low groggeres, no one will dispute u
their closing would be productive OF great deal Of goot
would accomplish large beneficial results