Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-10-21
,yTY nRMoCpATIC pATIY IN TMR STATE,
rha New Licenna law.

10 hNONN 8tSSNNSS SN~NNS
Every Ereaing makes many glaring bIunders IN
its editorial references II 1t will take little
more time to examine shat it attempts to dllate
upon it will show more understanding of the sub
cts it discusses or al IeAAt moi be 30 likely to mis-
represent facts. In yesterdays issue, in long
article which occupies column and halt, il
comes to no conclusion as to the law 1t attempts
to examine and illucidate, it says:
The Ga-este on Monday evening in an editorial
upon this subject which indicates on its face no
clear understanding of the bearing Of the Sussex
county decision, Is prepared to condemn the pres
cut law upon the assumed ground that IT Is sub
stantIally prohibltory law. IT II 10 such in fact
then the Gazette must be correct in its structures
upon this act stupid legislation, for We need 60
no further than the title OF the act to ascertain
that whatever may have been intended, prohlb-
itory law certainly not. Itpurporls TO be IAN
Act REGULATING the sale of Intoxicating liQuort.
Is this misnomeE or an alias seTvicsabe only un-
til the bill had passed into q lawf
In the first place, the GAzRTTK OF Monday
evening did not refer to the law at ALL much less
discuss its operation in SuAsex county, nor could
it have done 50 because the court had not at that
time given any decision as TO the policy it would
adopt in applying the law. In a subsequent issue
we dll refer TO the Law, hut did not treat it as
dcrstood, and from this cause. or the cost of Ii
censes, operated as prohibitory law in Sussex
county, here we feared il would result badly and
do harm instead of good as was the case in lS54f,
under the so-caIled "prohibitory law that was
passed by the legislature, and repealed the next
session by an almost unanimous vote.
We did not "assans" thai the law was prohlb-
TORY, but that it operated in Sussex county in
that way. And SO it does to 4 great extent. The
law is very long; evidently drawn with no little
care, and apparently designed to embarrass, and
the representatives from thsS county schO ia
the secrets Of the temperance men, knew all about
it, and voted for the Law notwIth standing its de-
fects. 1t was intended to be as prohbtory as pos
sible. As an evidence of this no provision was
made Tor its publication in the county news
papers OF by handbills, and in Sussex county,
where it is frs felt, the hotel keepers did not
dersiand its provisions. when they got the printed
laws it was too late to secure signatures and file
their applications thirty days before the meeting
oi the court, OF publish their applications three
times in the newspapers, which are all weekly.
Judge Gilpin, in llis decision ON the case in Sus
sex county says
MANY OF the school districts of small ter
rtorial extent, and the owners Of land within
their bounds few and not sufficient to furnish the
requisite number of sgners, while the number OF
residents III the district who own land elsewhere
IN the county may be numerous enough to make
n compliance with the Law feasible. Freehold rs
are designated not because they represent the land
of the district, but because they are generally men
of substance aud have liked and permanent res
idence which will enable them from personal
knowledge to Judge of the qualifications OF apph-
cants for license, and of the wants and needs OF
the community IN which they live. Persons who
are not treeholders are excluded not because they
are intellectually OF morally unfit, but because II
was designed TO exclude solouners and others
who were supposed not to have or feel the same
interest or have as much at stake IN the district
The more permanent residents"
Here Il will be seen at once that the law wall
operate in a prohibitory manner in many OF the
school districts in this county, and IN Sussex
where il was not understood early enough to ens.
bic those engaged In the sale Of liquor TO comply
with its requirements, it will be still more strin
gent.
la this county the Law will be tested more fully
because more time has been allowed those who
desire licenses TO comply with its provisions But
We cannot rcprsss eur fears that liquor will be
more freely used in many places than heretofore
In these times it is requisite that every mar
should be careful Of his MEANS and as labor is be
coming scarce, prepared to employ every day
prohiably when the opportunity to procure labo
ef any kind presents itself, and this cannot h
the case if drunkenness prevails. Certainly M
one can wish this vice 10 be increased It is det
g.meatal aiiodys, aud to all who indulge it power
IL or distress and terrible regret, viii some daJ
surely come.