New-York tribune., 1870-04-09
LIQUOR LEGISLATION-THE DEMOCRAIIC

Ethan was doubtless trying to hit the aver
age opinion of his prospective constituency
and, if they are like other folks. he came very
near his mark Most men like strong drink,
but have horror of drunkenness. They like
| to have a bottle within reach, but do MT like
| the vice. crime misery and taxation, which
follow in the train of tipping, moderate and
! respectable as are its usual beginnings. 80,
| like Ethan, they sail very close to the wind,
| and combine the occasional indulgence OF ap-
petite with general depreciation of the grayer
consequences whereto such indulgence nat
urally leads.
| The Legislature of our State was moved, some
four or five years since, to pass special Excise
act for this City. There was no principle al
| frmed in that act which was not already en-
| bodied in the laws of our State. For time
whereof the memory of man runneth not to
the contrary, it had been unlawful TO retail
| Alcoholic Liquors in this State without
license, OF to deal them out on Sunday whether
with or without license. But the Liquor
traffic had gained here popular ascendency
and influence which enabled it to set the laws
at defiance. Our magistrates our municipal au-
thOrities, were creatures of the Rum power: so
they remembered their creator and forgot the
respect due to the laws. The Excise act by
committing its own enforcement to State
Board, secured measure of respect, both oiii-
cial and popular, which it could not have COM
manded had its execution been cOntded to any
municipal or local authority.
Our Democratic politicians saw their oppor-
tunity and improved it. The Liquor interest
was strong here, unscrupulous, most effective
| in politics. and willing to pay money freely II
| it might thereby be enabled to make more
money. Most of our sellers, with large
majority of their customers, were of foreign
| birth, and grossly ignorant of our laws and
| institutions. AS the Republicans had a majority
in the Legislature which passed this act, it was
| easy to make them believe that the Republi-
cans were sour, puritanical bigots, who had un
dertaken to restrict at once their profits and
their customers pleasures. UncOmpromising
resistance to radical legislation" was pro-
claimed and the Democratic treasury thereby
filed with the rumsellers' shekes, and the
ballot boxes with their own and their customers
votes.
So long as the Republicans controlled the
Executive or either branch of the Legisla
ture, the game was a safe one; yet 1t was
dangerous to play, in view of the fact that it
then its hypocrisy must come to light At
last the hour has struck when duplicity and
trickery can no longer avail. We have a
Democratic Governor (no matter how chosen)
with Legislature Democratic in either branch;
so a Liquor bill must not only be introduced
and advocated, but passed and signed. Of course
:, bill that would serve its end admirably in
1860 Eould not answer at all in 1870.
Our City members brought id o sweeping
measure of repeal. The Sunday, German and
other journals which are mainly circulated
through the grogshops and lager bier saloons
were unanimous and vociferous in its support.
Our City delegation doated on it. The Senate
passed it by party vote; the Assembly de-
INJURED and amended it. The simple truth
was that many Democratic Assemblymen (Of
whom at least twelve represent Republican
dstricts) dared not pass such bill.
Hence caucuses and consultations, and con-
ferences, ending in the passage of a bill which
satisfies nobody and disappoints especially those
who have freely bled, and striven, and sub
orned repeaters and miscounting canvassers.
expressly in the interest of Free Liquor and
Free Lager. The total net product of this law
is a reduction of the cost of Liquor Licenses
by fully one-half-probably much more. This
will incite a large increase of their number; so
that, though more Liquor will probably be
drank, and more persons abstracted from pro-
ductve industry to assist in its dispensaton,
there will be no more profit in the business
than at present. In fact, we are confident that
an increase of the Lcense-fee would have
cOnduced both to the respectability and the
profit of the Liquor business; but then two
thousand tipping houses would not turn out
nearly so many voters as ten thousand will.
OF course, there will be more impunity for
illegal selling, whether without license or at
times forbidden by the law, than there has
been F; but this is the result of Democratic as
tendency, not of the new act. Henceforth, the
grogshOps will dispense liquors all nights and
all Sundays whenever their owners may see fit.
But they will do this, not in accordance with,
but in defiance of law, as they have done
We doubt that there has ever been a Sunday
whereon a sober, apparently respectable man
could rot get all the Liquor or Lager he
wanted, and drink it where he bought it, with
very little trouble. lie can do the same here
| after. The Sunday traffic will be little less
private than it has bcen-that is all.
The Liquor interest has been sold That is
the naked truth. Ii has been freely used to
put the Democratic party into power, and-that
end being attaned-it is now virtually told
that its beneficiary cannot afford to fulfill his
part of the contract. 1t is like "a seduction 10y
one who, being brought to book pleads that he
cannot fulfill his promise of marriage, because
he has a wife already. The plea is conclusive,
but not satisfactory. Hereafter, the Liquor men
will be likely to mind their own business and
~ =. IL. l..