New-York tribune., 1866-12-27
THE EXCJSF JdIT

LEE EAtIOL Inn
Tho history of the Excise Law Of the metropolitan
District since it went into operation, May o. aiords
irresistible proof of its value to the public Yet 1t
has not had fair trial 1t was met at the outset by
the bittorest opposition from the rumselers and they
hayo never relaxed their efforts to nulfy its best
provisions. These men. well described by
Mr.. Schultz, the President of tho Excise
Board, as "a great trade. long accustomed
"tO disregard and defy the laws" as early aSMay
organized LiquorDealers Association rioh and
influential enough TO make direct issue with tnc
Legislature and defy the indignation of the public
The law was enforced but fow weeks in this city
before it was made imperative by the decisions Of
Judge Cardozo whose mil in howOrds Of the District
Attorney, before the Brooklyn Supreme Court ground
out injunctionS at the rate OF twenty minute re-
sraning the Police force from interfering with liquor
sellers. In Brooklyn, however, where Judges gilbert
and Lott. Of the Supreme Court, Of Kings County
decided in favor Of the constitutonay of the law,
tho violations Of those sections prohibiting the selling
of LIQUOR after midnight and on Sundays. have been
within the power Of the police to report. But IN
Now.York, where the law most needs to DO rigldly
enforced, it has been practically nullifed.
Yet with this victory which rum and beer won over
law and morality the statistics show that so far as the
Excise act is of just revenue, much has been
gained by its passage. In 1860, in New-York and
Brooklyn, there were 9.27O places whore liquors
were sold of which but 75i wero licensed.
and the excise fees for the year were
but S5455O. This ptiful revenue bore an
utterly insignificant proportion to tho Thirty Millions
Of dollars annually spent for rum. In 1864, neither
l.. 4 -.
tho drinking nor the number Of tayerns had been re-
duced, vet the revenue was but $l2.45O As soon as
the law went into operation this WAS all changedi
from MAY to june Q, 1000 were received for
licenses. and in the annual report Of the Police
Commissioners the total number of licenses issued
has been 5697. for which Sl,lOS,92i have boon re-
ceved In this respect, seven months trlal oi INC
law has been sufficiently satisfactory. OF the total
amount paid for licenses Ncw-York contributed
S3i6274; how much more should have been received
we can only infer from the fact that not ono OF our
Police Courts has fEod single dealer for selling
without lconse, and that Judge Cardozo alone has
granted 7O4 iDjunetons.
For the first few weeks in which the law was en-
forced on Sundays it, benefits wore unqnesiionabie
The streets were quiet. the tayerns almost doseIted
and il can be justly said that the arrests for drunk
cnness and disorder were diminished one-bsli
But Judge Cardozo, Judge MoCunn, and Re-
ccrder Hackett speedily restored 70 intoEica'ion
its license and to the rm5ellers their privileges AS
result the total number Of arrests IN the year was
81 SEQ most Of them for drunkenness, or crimes hay'
ing their occasion in rum while had tho law been en-
forced by the Courts the number would probably
have been loss than $4,000. Tho Police Com
missionors affirm that ~ tho law. as IL was
passed osn have fair and impartial trial for q
"year or two, il il believed that tho Tosult
"will Justify the experiment. and provo to the Pubh0
81, the value Of the system" But IL does not need ad
ditonal trial to prove tho law one OF mmeasurable
bspeGt the nguros We have cited are sufficient owl
dence; eyon the tremendous opposition It has mot Is
further proof, for if tho law, crippled feitcred,
distorted could do 80 much for the city wha, may
not expect from IL unrestrained operation
The Board Of Excise now rests almos! inactive
awaiting the decision Of tho Court Of Appeals II Is
needless to reopen now the question Of tho constu
tonay of the law the right Of our run protecting
Judges TO forbid the police 10 execute its mandates
Whatever may be wanting, we trust the Legislature
will speedily supply, and especially urge that 1t will
defeat the combination OF agerbeer sellers 10 escape
from tho control tho Board. From tho day in which
VIC succeed in enabling tho Board Of Excise TO carry
out the plan they mstured last May, reform in
New.York politics will begin. Then they resolved
10 execute the laws forbdding tho selling Of liquor on
Sunday retailing it by grocer5 or druggists OF the
employing women in drinking saloons, they reSolyed
to shut up every Bar at midnight to prevent cgmiuas
from obtaining licenses, and TO socuro the punishment
of every person guilty Of selling without licen.e'
These reforms are destined TO 10 established, and the
time is speedily coming when shall look back upon
the present condition Of the liquor trade and wonder
how it could have been permitted TO disgrace and
degrade The metropolis.
We ask the Legislature to stand firm, and TO defend
its own law from tho schemes 70 doieat it AT least e'
tho system have fair trial. a powerful Lobby will
90 to Albany next week; dcteTmipod to obtain
the repeal Of the important aerh"@; d
the Excise law, aud armed no doubt with potent
Weapons than argument. Ne Legislator can
vote for repeal on the ground that the act Il
not benefit, after tho exhibition Of its S9sk
ings in the report Of the POLICE Commissioners;
none can iutelgently question its constitutoDalty y
after the decisions Of Judges Gilbert, Lott and Bar
nard. There is absolutely pretext for any intor-
ference with the law, and tho people demand that II
shall stand 1t can only be improved by making it
moro stringent.
Mr. McculIoch says in his report 1t il this nOOss:
"sty fOF paying balances in coin which regulates the
m