The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-29
Temperance Movement in Jefferson
County.

| County
A temperance meeting was held a
Charlestown, Jefferson county, on thr
evening Of the 22d, which was ADDRESSED
by Rev. DR.. ANDREwG and O. T. BUTLER
of Shepherdstown, who have been hold
ing meetings in other parts of the coun
ty. The Free Press says of DR.. AN
DREws' remarks:
"He denounced tho present license sys
tenn as false in principle and failure II
practce-therefore abortive In its object
The onuS ot the Dr.'s remarks was ID
favor Of more stringent license law
such as has been adopted In Ohio and Ii,
linols, the gist Of which system makes
the liquor seller responsible for the evil
growing out OF his traffic. He Is put un.
der a very heavy bond, made sure by am
pie security that he will not break the
law, and II by the sale Of his liquor q
husband, child, ward, etc, Is injured Ii
any way, damages eau be recovered from
him by proper process In court Of Justice
for which damages his bondsmen, and
even his property in which he sells il
made liable.
The following resolutions were adopted
BY the meeting:
WHEREAS, There arc now licensed
within the county Of Jefferson 81 persons
for selling intoxicating liquors, besides
Druggists who can sell for medicinal pur.
poses without license.
AND WHEREAS, It Is manifest that the
multiplication Of groggerieslwas never
contemplated by the Legislature, and |.
obviously a nuisance whidh ought 10 be
abated
ReSOlued, That the County Court oil
Jefferson, about to be inaugurated, be re-
specttully but earnestly requested to re-
duce the number Of such licenses at least
to one Tor each Township, and that said
Court see to the execution Of existing
laws intended to regulate the sale Of
liquors, whether BY licensed dealers or by
Druggists as prescribed for the Court and
Grand Jury by the law itself.
The following petition Is circulating in
the county, and has received about a
thousand signatures
TO the Honorable "7Re Legislature of West
Nryinia"-A Petition:
The undersigned citizens of West Vir.
ginia, respectfully but most earnestly, re.
quest and petition your honorable body
TO take into consideration the laws regu.
lating the sale Of intoxicating liquors, to.
gether with the fact Of their notorious
and utter ineflicieucy. These laws are
violated daily and openly, while no single
prosecution therefor, within our knoWl.
edge, has ever taken place or from the
case Is probable; Notwithstanding the
calamities suffered by the community in
health, and life, and fortune, and morals.
Touching the question Of rights"
your honorable body are probably aware
that 1t has been ruled by the Supreme
Court Of the United States, every Judge
delivering an opinion to the same effect,
that no man has "right" to sell intox.
icatlng liquors. 1t ls q privilege" which
the State may regulate, restrain or "enh.
rcly prohibit" as it may deem best for the
good Of the community. The old license
system has utterly failed. The prohibi-
tory system, though much better, has but
partially succeeded. We, therefore, pray
your honorable body to enact a law simi.
lar in substance to those enacted in the
States of Ohio and Illinois, copies of
which in detail are herewith communicat.
ed. fg
1t will be observed that the special fea.
lures OF these laws, as also their dis.
tinguishing excellency above all laws
heretofore enacted for that purpose, are
the liabilities which they fix upon the
seller Of intoxicating liquors, to the par.
ties injured thereby, and the ease and
certainty with which they may and will
be enforced without either any new ju.
dicial machinery or social or political dis.
turbance.
In view of the unmitigated nuisance Of
these groggeries, their terror to the pa
rents Of rising families and the untold
miseries which they inf1ict upon the com.
munity, too well known to need recital,
we think we have a right to look to the
Legislature as our hope for protection. To
you, therefore, in the name Of humanity,
we look, asking your favorable consldera.
tion Of the documents herewith commu-
nicated, as also ot this, our appeal, petit
tion and request, and your petitioners
will ever pray for the prosperity Of the
State Of West Virginia,