New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-03
TEMPERANCE AND EXCISE LAWS.

Travellers through the Eastern States, who stop
mainly in the larger cities and at the great hotels,
are likely to be misled with regard to the preya-
lence oflquor selling and tipping in those States.
Thus in Boston, in Providence, in Newport, and
few other cities much requented bystrangers, there
is superabundance of selling much of it open and
defant but the case is quite otherwise throughout
the villages and rural districts of those States We
know, from recent personal observation, that there
is very far less tipping in New-Engand than there
was even twenty years ago. and not one open grog-
shop out of the chief cities where there were for
merly dozen. There is, of course, some clan
destiDe selling just there is clandestine gambling,
lewdness, and other vice; but We are sure the evil
is far more restricted than it was twenty or thirty
years ago.
In our own State the existing Excise Law has
proved inefficient for good wherever its execution
has been confided to corrupt, unworthy, shameless
functionaries, who have been bribed to nulify or
pervert it. This was to be expected. Bad men in
Office can render the best laws pOwerless. If Com
missoners of Excise are appointed whose chief
study is How Not to Do it-who secretly conspre
with law-defying rumsellers to screen them from
Justice for base lucre or party adyantage-the law
can do little good within their jurisdiction. If
prosecuting attorneys are appointed who make
their office mere source of private gain, extOrtDg
hush-money of those they should prosecute and con-
nivng with them TO divide the money honestly due
to the County, they will of course bring the law
into disrepute, though the fault is wholly their own
The Commissioners of Saratoga County-a
County wherein Liquor, for obvious reasons is
more influential than almost anywhere else out Of
the great cites-havs just submitted their Annual
Report which we commend to general attention.
1t is as follows:
To ae Honorable The Board Of sEperri'o" If the CoUa'y Of
In accordance with precedent Of last year herewith
submit report Of our proceedings since the former
denquents has led the beneficial results both in
HS 9o Of he b. oss 70
has caused greater number Of applications for license than the
provisions Of the law and regard for the good Of society author
ICED grant We believe however that license ha bee.
refused here ne Of The public required should
and groceries have been granted in the County for which
About thirty o Of the lave hsTe BEEN snf indicted
three Of whom have been convicted aud fined in the aggregate
In action. against the yio4tors 81 this law for the peunary
Penalties they have incurred We have COLLECTED ed By iud
have paid bills for services and disbursement, for
amounting in al the Of S5l7 81 Also OF fund
s IN the hands of A. Pond Attorney
Saraioga SPRING. who has bin for services. The balance
amounting to the Of 2s 49, has been paid into the
TO reeapuste The obtained through the instrumental
y the Excise Law and paid into the treasury support
ofihe poor,
For Lieen.e'.... ss,42o 90
40 %
Balance OF Penalties. 129 80
4
We have also judgments obtaned in the Supreme Court against
offenders to the OF O only Of these proba
bly, coleesble. We likewise hve suits pending In The