Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-01-03
TEMPERANCE In OHIO.

ho'S hV RAVnAossOAy s""c ~
Ohio, and we believe have never tried
any. But they have statutes to promote
temperance by discouraging iutemperance.
We see the Chicago Tribune speaks of
the new license law of the Buckeye
State as working exceedingly well. 1t
is using up scores Of "doggeries," and
making the business of alcoholic poison
ing both disagreeable and Improbable.
The rum sellers all through the State are
voluntarily shutting up their shops and
going into more respectable and useful
business. We condense the leading
points of the Ohio liquor statutes from
the Chicago Tribune:
The law prohibits the sale of into1cat-
ing liquors to minors, and makes it the du-
ty of grand juries to find indictments for
this offense The real backbone of the
law is said to be the prohibition Of the
sale Of intoxicating drinks to habitual
drunkards, making those who sell liquors
and those who rent tenements for this
purpose. responsible for all loss and dam
age TO their victims and to those associ
ated with or dependent on him. 1t de-
clares that "every husband. wife. child,
parent, guardian. employer, or any other
person, who shall be injured in person,
property, or means Of support by any
intoxicated person, or in consequence of
such intoxication, habitual or otherwise,
shall have a right Of action against both
the person who sold the liquor. and the
landlord who owns the premises on
which the sale was made"
Both exemplary and actual damages
may be recovered. All suits for dam
ages not exceeding two hundred dollars
may be brought before any justice of the
peace. To recover larger amounts the
suits must come before the Circuit
Courts. All fines and judgments are
not only valid against the vender of al.
cohol, in any of its forms, but are liens
upon the premises, which may be sold to
pay the fine or judgment, in case Of default
on the part Of the dealer or proprietor.
This law has been in force about ten
months, and we are told that it has
worked wonders in shutting up grog-
shops and reforming the inebriates. 1t
gives the women a chance at the rum sell
lers. and wives and mothers look right
sharp after their husbands and sons
The workings of the law are simple,
prompt and effective, and the law appears
to be perfectly in harmony with public
sentiment. There is no trouble in get,
ting juries to return verdicts in favor of
the prosecutor, and the damages as
sessed range all the way from few dol
lars up to thousands. Widows who have
lost their husbands by into1ication al
ways get heavy damages.
At first, the rumsellers stoutly opposed
the execution Of the law. But they
very soon found that resistance was use
less, as both the law and popular senti-
ment were against them. The result
has been, as we see it stated. that a
large proportion of the groceries have
been shut up. Recently. in one large
village in central Ohio, fifteen dispensers
of liquid fire, are said to have shut up
shops in one day, and in many localities
liquor selling has been stopped altogether.
Landlords arc getting careful about rent
ing premises to rumsellers; and the Ia
dies all stand up enthusiastically and
stoutly in favor of the statute and their
rights secured by it. How would some
thing of the kind work in our own State /?