The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-06-23
The License Question.


MR EDITOR 1t seems to me that rad.
lcal error in the theory of "JULlus' is
the assumption that all traffic in intoxica-
ting liquor, all buying and selling of such
liquors, is evil and only evil Or, as he
eXpressesit. "overybody knows it will
and must result in evil" and that "no
good can be the result"
lean conceive of barrel of Bourbon
or keg of Cognac being bought and
sold - great many times without the
slightest harm accruing to anybody. Fur.
therlnore, | can conceive of man buy
ing and drinking liquor without any harm
resulting to anybody on earth. | think
have known instances of the kind. and
will venture 10 guess that great many
thousand other people, including posi-
bly, friend "JULlus." have known intoxi.
eating liquors to be drank without evil
consequences.
Now if the State should license such
selling it will not have pulled down upon
itself very fearful weight Of infamy.
But brother "JULlus" argues as though
he had been wholly misinformed as to the
proposition submitted His articles read
asif he understood the question to be
Shall the State authorize the evils which
may result from the liquor traffic2 I Can
hardly deem it itsuperhuous to call his at
tention to the fact that it is not proposed
to license such evils, but on the contrary
the amplest authority is given for the re-
straint Of any evils which might arise out
Of the traffic
Nor is it either fair or reasonable TO as
sumo that with license inefficient laws
would be enacted 1t is equally as just
to assume that with no license inefficient
laws would be enacted. There is nothing
to warrant apprehensions upon this sub
ject, for every man who votes license
also votes that 'this section shall not pre-.
vent the general assembly from passing
laws to restrict the traffic, and to compen.
safe injuries resulting therefrom
This fully authorizes every law which
we now have to provide against the evils
resulting from the traffic, the Adair law
included. To charge the license voters
even by implication, with designing nc
restriction upon the traffic is therefore
wholly gratuitous and unwarranted
Brother "JULIus" thinks l am mista
ken in supposing that he would contine
me to discussion of the license system
without considering other systems Ha;
he forgotten how often he has raped me
over the knuckles for going "outside oi
the discussion?" Has he forgotten that
he said, "We are arguing FOR no system
only we are arguing against license
That is all, Brother Other Side Please
remember this" &c.
think few brief quotations from
"JULIUs" will fully justify my structures
on his manner of treating the question.
! For instance:
"My motto, you know. is the best way
to get rid of the evils of intemperance VI
June Is.
"We are arguing FOR no system, only
we are arguing against license. June
-.
''l have said that we anti-license folks
were searching after the best and most eff
fectual way of repressing the evils of in
temperance June 16.
1t would be only turn about, which is
fair play, for 'no system to receive the
attention of Brother "JULIUs" next week
but let US hope he will still be in favor O
The ''best way" and that he will enlighter
us as to what that "best way is.
Is prohibition He won't hear s
word said about that.
| Is it the present system? The adop
ton of license does not necessarily inter
fere with that in the slightest degree, and
we are bound to suppose that he woult
oppose only what opposes his best way.
Therefore can hardly be the presen
system.
Without further guessing as to what
is, will say this much of it, that if it il
without imperfections it is system
which is now first discovered.
Brother "JULIUs" don't think mora
men would engage in the liquor traffic
So far as l know wherever the license sys
tenn prevails satisfactory evidence of mo
rality must be given before man can oh
tain license If we follow the sam,
plan, and have no moral men who will
apply for license, we will get rid of tn
traffic altogether. l don't fully agre
with Julius" that no moral man will sci
liquor, but l come this near agreein
with him: l believe that under licens
system nine -tenths Of the men now Ell
gagged in the business would be compelle
to abandon it, and that seems to me to b
one of the strongest arguments in favo
of the license system.
The OTHER SIDE