Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-27

Liquor Law Agitation.
The much vexed subject of the liquor traffic is
again introduced into the legislature. Neither
the strict prohibitionists nor the advocates Of
what they call "liberal legislation" are satisfied
with the law as it stands. On the one side
bill is offered to repeal the law authorizing the
sale Of fermented and malt liquors, and on the
other are the bills introduced yesterday by Mr..
Colby and Mr. Tarbox. Mr.. Colby's bill pro-
poses to authorize cities and towns to decide for
themselves whether intoxicating liquors shall be
sold within their limits, the towns by vote in
towa meeting, the cities by a vote of the city
council: the state and town agencies to be abol-
ished, and, If the vote Is against the sale, no
such liquors are to be sold for any purpose; if
yes, they may be sold under certain restrictions.
Mr.. Tarbox has a very different scheme
His bill proposes in the first place to authorize
druggists and apothecares to sell liquors as
medicine on physicians prescriptions then
licenses may be granted by the secretary of the
commonwealth TO sell in any city or town. The
applicants for licenses must bring certificates
from the mayor or sclectmen that they reside in
the city or town and are citizens of the United
States. Several classes of licenses are contem-
plated. One for inn keepers, not authorizing
them to keep bar. One for retail dealers in
ale, &C., and one for brewers. Penalties are pro-
vided for transcending the limits prescribed in
the license, for selling aduterated liquors and
for selling liquors without li.ense and no per-
son may sell to intoxicated persons or minors.
The city or town authorities may enter the
premises of licensed dealers, at any time, and
take samples for analysis.
These are the leading features of Mr.. Tarbox's
bill. 1t is, perhaps, little more stringent than
might have been expected of him, but it would
be far from satisfactory to the people of the
state What is wanted is law which, not only
In theory bat in practical working, will reduce
the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage so
far as is practical, and no one would anticipate
any such result from the bill in question This
was not the purpose which its author had in
view We wonder that somebody-not Mr.. Tar
box, of course-has not before now offered q bill
with some such general provisions as the follow
ing: Abolishing state and town agencies and
authorizing persons approved by the mayor
and aldermen or seectmen to be licensed
to sell liquors for the same purposes,
and those only, for which agents may
now lawfully sell; requiring all inn
keepers and yictuallers to have licenses
for carving on their business, which
licenses shall contain the condition that their
places of business shall be at all times open for
inspection and search by the municipal authori-
ties and the police; let them be permitted to
sell fermented and malt liquors, as under the
present law, or not, as the Legislature may deter
mine, but under no circumstances to keep bar,
and require the authorities of the city or town
70 cause every place licensed to be thoroughly
inspected periodically-say once week-with-
out notice, and written report of the inspec
ton TO be furnished 10 the mayor or the select
men; licenses 10 be forfeited, in addition to
other penalties, for selling in violation Of law,
and also for selling adulterated liquors.
Such law might not work better than Others
that have been proposed or tried, but it would
remove some objections to the present system,
while it would be equally restrictive in theory,
though nominally a license law, and perhaps
would have some practical advantages in the
facilities it would offer for the detection OF
offences.
GEORGE TIcKNoR, man eminentin American
,
terday morning. He had become an aged man,
being nearly eighty years old Mr.. Ticknor was
born in Boston, Aug. 1, 1871. He graduated at
Dartmouth college in 1907, and, during the next
three years, devoted himself diligently to study
of the classical languages. In 1915 he went 20
Europe, and remained there five years, two of
which were spent in study, at the university OF
Gottengen. During the fifteen years from 1920
to 1885, he was professor of the French and
Spanish languages and their literature, in Har
ward college. In this position, he did great
service 10 the cause of liberal education, by de-
hvering a course of lectures in which he pointed
out that the study OF modern languages and
modern literature had become quite as impor-
tant as the study of Greek and Latin, to which
scholarship had been so much confined. These
lectures caused a sensation among those who
adhered to the old ways; but they were very
useful.
In 1885, Mr.. Ticknor went to Europe again.
He had resolved to write history of Spanish
literature, and his studies and pursuits were now
regulated by this aim. Ten or twelve years
were devoted to this undertaking, and in 1S49,
"Ticknor's History of Spanish Literature" in
three octave volumes, was published by the
Harpers. He did his work admirably, in every
respect, and it will remain what it is now, the
best work on Spanish literature in existence. In
1868, he wrote 'Life of William Hinclling
Prescott" Mr.. Prescott having been one of his
most intimate friends. He was q writer for the
North American Review, from which an inter
esting collection of his "Miscellanies" could be
made In 1852, he became connected with the
Boston Public Library, to which he rendered
very important service during the next fourteen
years. Mr.. Ticknor was as eminent for personal
worth as for culture and learning in literature.
He had long life, and his memory will be hon
ored in Europe as well as in the United States.