, 1873-03-22
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
Defects in the Present LoW5--.
More Legislation
Wanted.
An Appeal by the Temperance Bureau
to the Legislature Of Illinois


Tho net passed at tho last session, " Providing
against tho evilB rosulting from the snio OF i'll
toxicating liquors." waa protective only so for
nB tho evils had accomplished Thur work, nnd
woro capable Of being estimated in monoy-danl-
ngoe. The Inv loavos tho trnfllo III Intoxicating
liquorn FREQ to accomplish all tho evils possible,
and incident to'it, guarding It with tho logal
sanction OF d 1conso law, and laying Upon aocio-
ty, or individuals who n,ny bc damaged, tho bur-
don Of proof 10 show damages in opch particular
Gaze. It forced injured parties, wivos and fnnl-
lios Of drunkards, to incur tho on1nity
Of their husbands, md to .1ght, battloe
with orgnnizod lquor-dealcrs which society cotl-
confosacs itHolf unable to gain. consequently,
wo desgnnte thoao provisions Of tho law
Ms 1,nwiso which shift tho burden Of its oxcc.,-
tion from the executive shoulders Of tile couBtl-
tuted authorities Of society to tho wenkest nnd
MOST fragile mornbcra Of It. So far, It fails in
tho most essential roquistea Of good and wlao
lhw, viz: to shield tho rights Of tho weakest
from tho aggrcssions Of the strongest mombora
Of society. ~ ,-.
Tho principle that nndcreB this law, "to pro-
toot society from tho evils Of Intoxicating
liquors" wns fully sustained at tho last election.
It is the aamo principle which undorlios al GRIM
inal and protective Legislation, aud is as old aH
practical method Of carrying it into effect. ..,
From tho reports rocoivod and Btatfstics gath
cred by this oflco since Tho law wont into ef1cct,
We. deduco tho following conclusions,
viz: That tho beneficial offects Of tito present
law have boon chiefly observed in the country
towns nnd small villageB, whcrc 1t haH hoon conf
paratively easy to collect evidence, and provo
violations Of II. In such places, many Of tho
evils Of the traffic have boon aGnted, and tho
ortler-loving portion Of tho community arc warm
in ite praiao; but, IN most Of tho largo towns
and cities, the difficulties Of obtaining proof, tho
want Of courage or strength In injured parties
to undergo tho ordeal Of q court Of law, aud tho
organized roslstnnco before ndverted to, and,
ebovo all, tho want Of executive officials whose
duty 1t Ia oxprcasoly made to execute tho law,
havo prevented tho realization Of the ardent
hopes Of its frionds. aud OF the principles upon
Cases frequently ari8e where tho husbands, In
receipt Of largo wages, havo constantly Bpont
tho ontiro proceeds ut tho aaloons, leaving their
wives md families to staryo. or auhBist on CHAR
ity; md vet It has been found to bo
these husbands aro drnnkarls, or In tho habit Of
| getting Intoxicated, sufficiently to found MI
action on tho fifth section Of the. law. Tho
nQuor-dealern may take all their earnings, lnloas
Drunkenness is proved and incur no liability.
/ moro than any othor business Ia protected.
Again, tho families Of drunartls arc in sato Of
continual fear Of personal violonco, aild in many
| caBeB, delicate women havo boen thrust cut Of
yet tho law offers no remedy. Also, III case
loath roauts Immediately from intoxication, Ito
damagos can bo recovered by.tho surviving hoirs
and widows. And 90 cases might bo multiplied
! showing that pine-tonths Of tho OWLS cauHod by
| intoxicating liquors arc totally unprovldod for
Tho Ohio statute, of which ours is n copy,
with eomo interpolattons, discountenanccs tho
| aalo Of liquor to bo drank upon tho promises j;
cutB OF mnsy Of tho oviia Of tho traffic. Thua
tho States Attorney for Noble County, in that
stnte, has beon, enabled to report that
" There Is no place IN adt county for 1he
Ono OF the wiscst provisions OF tic Ohio Coustl-
tuition prohibtH the granting of licenseH to aol1
Intoxicating liquors, thus refusing to legallzo
or indorae gront OWL, as 1t is acknowledged to
those pccunariy interested in tic profits Of tho
| bnsiness.' 49,
iWo regard tho granting Of legal authority to
thousands OF saloons in all our large citieB to
deal In these dangoroua beverages, as an alarm"
izen. In most cases, these places arc tho resort
OF 'loafors, gamblers, vngrants Thieves, aud
criminals, and nre haunted by tho most diaor-
dorly aud non-produoing olomont Of socioty,; in
others they arc gilded PALACES Of vice and disai-
patton, attracting the most respectable citizonE
to ruin and moral degradation; in all, they min
lister to doprayed sensual appetitos, encourage
idlcneBs manufacture criminals, Rquandor tic
earnings of honest industry, disturb the peace
md entail misery upon tho flmilloH Of all caaHcf
Il becomes, then, grave question:, whether
tho body politict BY its supreme governing power
40 froat a' an s aS 1S' A4s es zaS Rot Soaoo
duty when tley thus ignore the highest Interest,"
Of tho masses, and graut licenses to men tt
tempt thoir brothor-men to wrongp
| The revenue derived ia ono argument advanced
| Ia, fN1r ~rHf 4$t,<Y ofa w
account Tho municipal autlortios Of Chicag
have received for tho current year, for liconHcs
about s128,000 from hnos for violations 0
liquor r-ordina,ccs, about 81 900 totnl s192, 900
penee Of 500 police is caused by tho saloons
$3.50, 600 :; one-hnlf Of tho annual expense Of Til
Criminal Court, nbout $4,000; ono-half Of th
annual cxponhe Of feeding and caring for prison
and insano expenses, 100000. One hull Of thos
! expenses are directly chargoablo to tho sa}o Q
Intoxicating liquors, and wehnve grand total O
s410,000 Deducting tho amount received from
s27s, 900 againat tho licenge system. Ii, tn
nn1no Of tho tax-pnyoYa Of Chieago, we protss
agnisk revenue which coatB tho people nearl
Sd for eycry dollar received.
II wo should tRko into account tho yAluo q
}aborers' earnings spent IN theao sa!oons III Chi
cago annually from 1912, ,000, 900 to S16, 900 ,000
wo have IN appalling balanco against tho llcons
systom. It might alao bo borno IN mind TIM
tho Snlea or n1u0r Ill tlG SthLo or llllNOla cQlD
: in amount tho va}no Of capital stock q nN til
railronds in tho State; TINT oyory yoar S1d0, ,00O
ooO OF capital ia drank up, and tho vacuum thu
crcated supplied by foreign capital =.
Tho po,yor Of regulating tho traffic is anothe,
reason why llconHos nro granted; yet fow at
tompta 10 regulate it, or to revoke nconsos, NJ
oyor made III cities. Tho power Of royokatio
iH placed In tho hands Of executive officers VII
seldom exercise 1t, although proof OF violation q
liquor-oriiuancos III nu1nborloss caaos Is undis
puted. - =
Tho regulation OF liquor-aelling by means q
llconsos IL n doluaion. The cssellco md yaluo q
: nj! laws regulating Or providing againBt tho owl
upon thomcans adopted TO execute them. II.
best OF laws will romain dead letter with
, out d proper executive powor, ro1noyol from til
influence Of political considerations, to onforc
1t. Especially IL this the caae in citios, wller
. vico iunnraIlca md crirln cnurrnftata annlc