Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-05-08

license lawn the common phrase of the
opponents of the existing law-would be no
improvement would be even no less open
to objections as despotic and demoralizing
law, can, we think. be shown.
We have said that. even as respects liabili-
t. to objection on the score of "despotism'
and non-eniorcement, stringent license
law. such as the opponents of the pro-
hibitory law propose, has no advantage
over our present law. We believe that The
statement might be made stronger, and still
be within the truth. We believe that our
liquor law is easier of execution, and suffers
less violation, than license law would.
We could fill pages with evidences of the
extent to which the license laws of other
States fail of enforcement Turning almost
at random to the exchanges on our table,
We find the Troy Press, saying Wv hat
is the use of having more laws, or other
laws, 50 long rs those we have already are
not enforced? We have excise laws, which
if properly enforced would close up seven
tenths of the places where liquors are sold,
and excise commi-shne disregard the laws,
because they make perquisites out of the
violation" What is true in TROY, in that
respect is tr1e in every city in New York
State. How Is that, for nOn-enicrcement,
and for a law which "currupts the officers
appointed to execute it? Opening another
New York State exchange, We find in an
Albany letter mention of the failure of
bill designed to facilitate the enforcement of
tae New York excise law, with the remark
that there Is not the least doubt but that
the bill was killed by "a large delegation of
the Liquor Dealers Association. headed by
Mark lanigan. the President OF which assO-
citation. one Ilerzbers. keeps an unlicensed
bucket shop tavern at No. 2O9 Third
street"
Here j. IL organized and sturdy oppOsi-
ton to enforcement ofan excise law on the
part of liqlor dealers, a was ever arrayed
against prlbit.;1ry law. There never has
been a time wheu the unlicensed dramshops
in New York city and Brooklyn were NOT
numbered 10y thousands. And they are
almost - abundant in all the large cities.
| In another exchange We find the statement,
alluded TO "a 4 matter Of mmon notoriety,
that the opposition of TIE liquor dealers
has made tie local option law of Penn
sylvania (Which permits towns to prohibit
the iigu1r trade, where the majority vote 80
to do) failure and that the Leglslatureare
about to repeal IT, \ despatch from San
Francisco announces the formation of a
strong organization of liquor dealers to
fight the local option law Of that State.
New York. Philadelphia, Chicago, Brook
Ign, almost all the large cities, have Sunday
laws, which. il enforced would close all the
bars on Sunday. Once in a while We read
Of some spasmolic effort at enforcement of
these laws. lasting for a Sunday or two, but
e. a rule they are nobetter enforced than the
prohibtory law. In Brooklyn last Sunday
single woman, in a not very extended walk,
ionnd farty one dramshops open in violation
ofthe law and secured with the utmost ease
evidence sufficient for their prosecution. 50 it
goes everywhere. l. there no demoralizing
Of prosecuting officers and weakening ofres-
pect for all law, in such states Of things?
Shall all restraint on the liquor traffic, then,
be removed, and rum be as free As water?
The objection to the prohibitory law, on the
score of non-eniorcement. goes to this ex-
tent. il it has any weight at all
But how about "dcspoti>m' and "op-
pression?" Suppose st. Adams had
stringent license law under which ten
men were permitted to retail liquor does
not our friend Of the idrertiser suppose
that the fifty men who would ask for IL
censes but could not have them, would feel |
worse oppressed than they ID under a law
which treats all applicants alike? Men are
apt to consider any law do,potic which in
terferes with business they desire to carry
on and find pr titabie; but the ''instinctive
opposition of human nature to oppression
i never more decided than when man
thinks be i the subject of an unfair
personal discrimination The man who
is refused tn, license that is grant
ed to his richer or more respectable
neishhur, will bate the law, and
those who cxecute ii. worse than he would
prohibtory law, and he and hi, friends,
his class, his tribe, if he Is an adopted citi
zen, will join in violating the law with
greater eagerness lie can afford at the
outset to spend the price of a license in cor
rupting the prosecuting officers. or in CON
trlyancc~ to cyade or resist the law and the
law Will be broken-,uch laws ar broken
as constantly and widely as any prohibitory
stltItc Nothing, then. As We verify believe,
ami A. experience shows. Is to be gained in
respect of enforcement, or of favor. by
change of the law. Blu; with change to
a License law" must come the great losses
to follow from open bars. from exposing to
men Of weak wills or controlling
habits from multiplication of devices to
lure the workingman's wages from his
pocket mo the rumseller's till from all
the acknowledged evils which must follow
from the increased sale and use of strong {
and maddening aud debasing drinks.
No decent man advocates absolutely free |
ram ' 1t Is only freer rum that is asked :
for. The opponents oGthe existing law would :
'oniine the sale, as they say, to respectable t
hands; would close all bars on the sabbath; I
would forbid sales to drunkards, would, /,
in short, give u~ villa; is called ''Nrinqeat a
fceHse laic." Well, the law we have is ,
stringent license law. 1t licenses lust one c
place IN each town to sell liquor for speci- +
led neediul purposes. Concede that the a
raflic may rightfnlly be depressed, and YOU b
'oncede that 1t may be repressei to this !
extent. Grant that it is right to close the
lars on one day of the week, and YOU =
grant that It l. right I, close them on the
'ther days Of the week You would close :,
hem on Sunday, to prevent disorder.
rioting and debauchery, on II
lay held sacred by the mass of the commu- d
MY; but disorder, drunkenness and de- 7
hatchery are bad on week days, and society n
aS the right to protect itself from them if o.
can. The prohibitory law, so called Il
&c consider the title nisronier-is an :,
fort at such self-protection, and its friends re
ill be likely to stick to it, till something I
etter is shown them. Ell
The Buchanan FratrlcIde. p
The frightiul homicide in our city on M
unday, has struck our community with to
orror. Shocking such use of the va
niie, and such evidences of the Insecurity ia "a