The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-03-13
tFor the Jefersonlan
Who shall sell the Liquor.

Who shall sell the Liquor.
Mr.. EDIToR:-An article appeared in
your paper Of March 9th called an Address
to the ministers OF the gospel of Monroe
whichsfor egotism and mis-state
exceeds. anything ofthe kind that
has been published to an intelligent com
munity for many a day and is only excel
ed forriuceasistesey by this Local Option
Law itself, If this article was gotten up
tor the ministers in the. beginning as the
Committee would have us believe. In
their vanity they no doubt thought they
had gotten up an excellent article that 1t
would not do 10 hide lis brlliiancy under
"a bushel which would be the cause were
it sent to the ministers alone but the
citizens of Monroe must see 1t first, by all
means, and judging from the fact that
they no doubt Thought their address would
convert more votes against licensing
Hotels, than the eloqence aud expostula
tiuns Of their ministers; they no doubt
Thought that such an excellent address
sent uuut to the ~cirizens of the county
through the medium OF our weekly papers
would be read with pleasure and convic
LIOI1 anu bdIaCu dibuuu IiOuf Ad'HN' w
son. and from nciehhor to neighbor until
,hrongh its gentle influence, licensing OF
Hotels would be among the things Of the
past.
Indeed it would in all probability be
known DO more forever at least IN Old
Liberty loving, time honored, Democratic
Monroe hat has been living along in peace
and quietness for over one hundred years
underlthe old and time honored custom
of licensing the home Of the traveller.
This Executive Committee say The
Legislature of our State has given to the
people of each County, the privilege OF
deciding for ;hemselvse, whether licenses
for the sale of liquor shall be granted in
their County or not which this Com
m ttce must know is a mis- state ment, other
wise, they are very Ignorant of the law
The Legislature positively. declares, (see
Sec 3 of the law, thus provided, that
nothing contained in the provisions of this
act shall prevent the issuing of licenses
to Druggists, for the sale of liquors for
medicinal aud manufacturing purposes.
Alter reading this provision will this
COMMITTEE have the efrontery to tell the
citizens of Monroe that they hare the
pricilege of deciding for themselves
whether licenses shall or shall not be
granted for the sale of liquor in their
County? Do this committee as they
have declared in their address to the
c~itizeus aud ministers Of Monroe, wisl,
honestly and truthiully to have as much
light diffnsed among the people as possi
BILE, in order that they may vote lnteili
gently, and for the best Interests ut them
selves, their ~neighbors and their County
il they do, then | am with them, heart
and hand, and, in order that our citizens
may vote iptelligently, We will be in by
informing them that. instead of the State
Legislature gi0ing us the Pri0iIege OF vot
ing as to whether l~icenesc shall be granted
or not for the sale of liquor in Monroe
county, it has only given US the privilege
of voting on Friday the DIST day of March
1873, whether the hotel keepers OF
Monroe county who have been paying
the entire tax of the County to the State
sur years. shall continue to sell a portion
OF the liguur consumed in the County as
heretofore, and still pay the County'o
State lax, or, DOW mark ye, whether the
Druggists who | am informed pay seven
dollars each, Tor the privilege OF selling
liquor, shall sell Il al, and, the citizens
and farmers OF Monroe, pay the State tax.
and loose their hotel homes.
Gentlemen OF the Executive Committee,
these are the facts III the case, this is the
question at issue, indeed the only question
the Legislature has given you to decide.
Are you willing that it should 20 before
the people in its true light ; as you have
declared that you wanted them TO vote
in~te!!igeptiy hope you are willing.
and in kindness | would say TO you
temperance men generally, that as this
law now stands, you cannot vote 1t con
sistcntly with your temperance principles.
indeed you nave not even the shadow OF
Il temperance foundation to stand upon
aud | tell you. moreover, that the moment
you can cast you votes against the licens
lug of hotels for the sale OF liqur, you vote
that the druggist shall sell it all, there
fore identify yourselves with the liquor
traffic which your committee have so
much deprecated, and further as the law
stands, you cannot vote at all without
committing yourselves. and defy your
committee to reiute my declaration.
Again, this Executive body says there
is nothing so opposed to the Church as
the dram shop-if this be truly 40, how
inconsistent their position in advising the
people to vote against licensing hotels
and in favor of the Druggists having the
entire sale of this commodity, liquor,
where liquor can now be had from the
most of them aud at any time, by the
dram, the bottle, or demijohn, and with
out any recipe, as a great many think j.
the only way to obtain it. And if your
committee do not know these facts, |
would advise the temperance society to-
obtain a new committee and notice those
vinlatIopc oG I,p that h,ra haan ooa,,.I