New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-22
LIoUOR IN MASSACHUSETTS,.

LIOUOR IN MASSACHUSETTS,.
The State Temperance Society of Massachu-
sets held a meeting in Boston on the Goth
inst, and after deliberation, resolved to have
nothing to do with License laws or the License
system in any shape. Believing that the traffic
in Intoxicating Drinks is morally wrong and
practically mischievous, the temperance men of
Massachusetts will leave its regulation as well as
its authorization to those who justify the latter
and have faith in the former. The License men
have won a victory; let them ENJOY and
improve it. They have won by assuring the
People that Prohibition Gggrdrdtes Intemper-
dnce-that there would be less Tipping, less
Drunkenness, under system Of License than
under one of Prohibition. 1t is but fair to all
parties that they should be accorded the fullest
opportunity to make good their assertions, and
to verify their sanguine predictions. III the
Prohibition minority in the new Legislature OF
Massachusetts should unite with the more mod
crate and conservative advocates of License III
framing and passing a stringent Excise act, the
devOtees of Free Rum will claim that their
system has had no fair trial, aud will refuse TO
be concluded by the results of the new expert
ment But let the Temperance men simply
stand aside, taking no part whatever in shaping
the details of the new Liquor law, but quietly
voting against its enactment, and the License
men will not be able to swear their bantlng
upon us. If Peter Brigham and the Parker
House are allowed to sell at discretion,
while Mrs MulrOOney and Hans DOus-
terswivel are not permitted to sell at
all, let it be distinctly understood that we
Dpaltt Inf
for the invidious discrimination. And if the
new system shall result-as we are confident
it within the opening of ten thousand drunk
ard -factorcs throughout the old Common
wealth-some Of them selling legally, others
illegally-some open on Sundays and all night,
while others affect decoum-sOme the fayonte
haunts of thieves and burglars; others patron
lied only by those who as yet, affect decency
and respectability-it is but naked justice that
those who inaugurate the change shall enjoy
tie full credit of their dOings
For the concurrence of Prohibtionists in the
License system will only serve to expose 1t to
reprobat0n and active hostility from the other
side. We speak from recent and chastening
experience The License act now operative
here is moderate in its scope, and liberal IN
this City and its suburbs, is $3.50; and illegal
selling is very nearly suppressed within the
sphere of practical operation Of the Metropoli-
tan Police act. The dealers can better Afford
To pay the $3.50 than to have everybody selling:
50 that while the City receives nearly SlOWOOO
wear from this source those who pay it OBJ
tain full equivalent. Liquor and Lager
abound, and can Dc had on almost every block
save on Sundays and between midnight and
sunrise of other days. If the Liquor Traffic Is
To- be legalizcd but restrained, we defy any one
to frame a better act than we now have. Yet
the clamor against this act the votes Cloth
legal and fraudulent polled for Us overthrow,
were quite rs formidable a. could have been
rallied against stringent Prohibition. " No Ex-
else" was the popular cry at our late Elcc-
ton and "No Excise y will be the practical
result of the triumph therein achieved, though
the swiudling prctense of framing and passing
License law, to be openly and generally dis
regarded, may be resorcd to- Let our friends
in either State wash their hands Of the whole
business, and constmin the Liquor men to frame
and pass their own act, and be judged by its
practical working and results.
The Liquor men have carried Massachusetts
by promises which experience must redeem on
expose. If. under the system they are about
To inaugumtc, there shall he less lntemperucc,
less Pauperism, less Crime, than there has been
under the sway of Prohibition, they will be
entitled to credit therefor; and, should opposite
results be realized, they will be held to a stern
accountability. Let Us, then, accord them the
fullest opportunity to make their assurances
good; and, if they do it, let lis frankly say so,
and govern ourselves accordingly. But first, let
them frame and pass such Il License act rs
they are willing to abide 10y.