Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-01-23

EF| The follnwing from the Reading Gazette
is in accordance with our own views. The pre-
sent liquor-law is failure, and meets with but
little favor from any quarter:
THE LIQUOR LAW.
"Among the important subjects 10 be consider
ed by our State Legislature during tho present
session, no single one will require earlier and
more specific action, Than the ques ion of amend
ing or repeating the liquor license law. Expe.
rience has proven that as at present constituted,
the law ist liberal, unjust, and totally inefficient
to carry out either the moral or pecuniary OBJ
jects intended in its passage, and instead of in
crcasing the revenue of the Treasury, or decreas-
ing the amount Of liquor consumed, it has in
either case produced contrary results.
The Bill had scarcely received the signature
OF the Governor, ,ere its peculiar inequalities were
observed by these most deeply interested in its
provisions, and in lieu OF rapid demand for Ii
censes under its requirements, portion only of
those parties dealing in the traffic, applied for an
interest in its fancicd benefits.
The few who were guled into an acquiescencc
| when toe late ascertaned that they were paying
for privileges which could not be granted, or in
other words, that the license they receive for the
sale of liquoI, gave them no advantage over
their brethren in the same business, who refused
! to comply with the law
Discomfort naturally arose at this result, and
the more sober thinking portion OF the communi-
! ty many of whom were advocates of Temper
| ance law, joined III a general cutlery against an
| Enactment SO unequal and unjust.
We heartily rejoice to find that the State
| Treasurer in his late report, has called the at
tention Of the Legislature to this important sub
cct and as he has expressed our own opinions,
but in more forclblc manner then we perhaps
could do, we give the following extract, heplng
| that its pcrusal will convince even the minds of
the most ultra advocates of Temperance, that
the present act is utterly worthless in It's benefits
to morality, and most ilberal and inequitable
to those parties who are willing to obey its man
dates
The Treasurer remarks, that 'lurge amounts
Of revenue are lost to the Treasury py the reGu-
sal ofpersons TO apply for tavern license. who
prefer to sell without license rather than pay
a tax which does not fully protest them against
competition from those who disregard the law
| 1t has boen estimated that there are three unli
censed taverns and eating houses in Philodel-
| phia to one which is licensed, and the same may
be said of some of the other cities of the Com
monwcalth. Justice TO those who are willing
and do pay the tax assessed by the law upon
their business, requires that something should be
done to protect them in the enjoyment of their
| purchased privilege, or to put them on an equal
ity with those who are allowed to pursue the
same business without taX. | would suggest,
a matter of revenue. if not matter of right
and justice, that lin the cities at leasO the law
should be so changed as to allow any person OF
good morrl character to have license for II tav-
ern, restaurant or beer house, upon paying the
amount which may he assessed upon the house.
A law of this kind, with severe penalties guard
ing the good management and conduct of the
house. and also against those who violate its pro-
visions by sale Of liquor without license, would
not, in my judgment, increase the number OF
houses of the kind, or the number of persons
who now frequent them. 1t would put all on
an equality, and the licensed would take care that
the revenue should not be defrauded BY the un.
licensed who would come into competition with
their business. In this way, all engaged in the
traffic would be under tie law and subject to it
penalties"