Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-01-25
Gfmpfrauff.
Law and Liouor.

| The following upon the liquor ques
tion from the New York Tribune /
worthy of consideration by the tenn
perAnce men of Ohio. -rE
Our State Temperance Society meet
at Troy on the 18th, and will doubtless
consider and decide upon the actor
which the. Legislature will be request
ed t. take in behalf of Temperance a
its present session. The principle q
Local Prohibition that Is, OF allowing
each City and each Township to decide
for Itself whether the LIQUOR Traffic
shall or shall not be licensed within Ii
iimits-is now very generally accepted;
but different modes of action are sug.
gested, and these willnaturally come
up for consideration. s..,''..-.-. 2
We plead for the Ballot, as. every
way more trustworthy and less trouble
some than that Of Petition. Who can
say whether the names on q petition
are or are not all those OF legal voters?
Where the same name Is signed TO a
petition for and one against License,
who can tell which is genuine, or,
when both are so, which indicates the
signer's real wish? All know how
easily most people sign petitions, and
the longer list OF signers will often indi-
cate superior activity in circulating pc
titions rather than greater strength.
And then such circulation involves
great effort, which might be better be-
slowed. What we suggest Is that each
voter for City or Town Offieers shall be
authorized to deposit separate ballot
indOrsed "LiquOr Question: - and read
ing with License" or ssNo License. y
as may be his choice The vote on this
proposition being ascertained and de-
clared, let it be received and respected
as an imperative mandate, directing or
forbidding that Licenses be granted for
the year ensuing. At the next elee-
tion, let fresh vote be likewise taken
and likewise respected. This plan
avoids the confusion OF issues Involved
in the election of officers rs License
or "anti-IIieense,v which other consid-
erations must inevitably influence the
result. Let each voter make his choice
of officers precisely as he now does. in
full assurance that the Excise question
will be decided on its own merits and
by a distinct vote. No caucusitig, moi
wire-pulling, can avail under this plan;
a ~ htcJOAsSJ A0bOa tOi@-ouOP1a BtlCAE
votes will say so; if not, they willsayl
just that. And each years experience
will be influential upon next years de-
cisiOn, as it should be. No other plan
seems to US so direct, simple, fair, and
as this. 195z;Htf
The License act which has just pass
ed the Legislature of Illinois Is remark
ably stringent. Its leading provisions
are as follows: .'Hs3a''s'll. F'i-'0 '1''''4
/. No selling without alicense. 'Ga
2. Nolicense until the applicant shall
have given a bond for $1,000, with twoI
freeholders assureties, that he will pay
all damages which any one may suffer
by reason of his selling.
8. Suit to be brought in behalf of the !
State against any seller otliquor where /
by injury is inflicted--whatever SUN
may be recovered to be appropriated /
for the fedress of such injnry. -
III this act shall be faithfully en-
forced--as why should it not be?-itI
must shut up the lower stratum of
and saloons, restricting the |
liquor traffic to dealers who would be !
by pecuniary interest-toi
say nothing ofmor,l principIe--to sell
circuinspectly, cautiously. No one IL |
censed under this act could afford toselII
to a tippler or a minor: few would take
the risk ofselling to ''good fellow"
who was trotting down the road to ruin
at a 2::40 gait. OF course, we under
stand the objection of principle urged |
by ProhibitiOnists against any form of
License; yet we counsel the Temper
ance men Of Illinois to give this act a.
lair trial by aiding its enforcement.