Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-08-13
NO LICENSE.

NO LICENSE.
To the Voters at the August
Election, on the Question Of
License in the Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention which
recently adjourned in Cincinnati, in
corporated no positive provision or de-
cided policy in that instrument relative
to the traffic in intoxicating liquors !;
but in their discretion, referred the
subject to the people, as embraced in
the following propositions:
FOR LICENSE.
"License to traffic in spirituons, vim
Gus or malt liquors, under such regula-
tions and Limitations as shall be pre-
scribed by law, may be granted; but
this section shall not prevent the gen.
eral assembly from passing laws to re-
strict such traffic, and to compensate in
juries resulting therefrom.''
AGAINST LICENSE.
"No license to traffic in intoxicating
liquors shall be granted; but the gen.
eral assembly may, by law, restrain or
prohibit such traffic, or provide against
evils resulting therefrom.''
Should the New Constitution be
adopted, one or the other of these will
form section of it. If the first, then
will the organic law of the State au-
thorize the granting Of
| LICENSE
to traffic in spurious, vinwos or malt
liquors. Those who shall vote for this
proposition, argue that "the use of in
toxicating beverages cannot be prohi.
bited, but by license, may be regulated"
''Thelr sale will be restricted, conse-
quently less number of consumers
Opportunity and freedom to drink
will obviate excessive indulgence,"-
"Only responsible and respectable men,
will procure license, thus the business
will be taken from the lower and dis
reputable class of venders, ,"-"The
State and county revenue will be in
creased, and taxes correspondingly
lessoned." Let us briefly examine
THE FACTS,
and see whether these things are so. If,
in the present advancement of societyl
the use of Intoxicating beverages can
not be prohibited by law, how, by per-
hitting their sale, can the consumption
be diminished or regulated! Will those
inclined to their cups be more readily
refused drinks in a licensed, than an
unlicensed saloon? viii not, rather,
the proprietor who pays for the privil-
ege of vending, be the more an xious to
sell, that thereby he may get his money
back? VIII only limited quantity be
sold customer, after which, to him,
the bar will be closed? or rather, to
pay for the license giving authority to
sell, will liquors not be dealt out, SO
ong as money will come in? How will
or can you regulate the thirst for strong
drink, or tile inclination to satisfy a
perverted appetite by a license? Ifyou
cannot, to attempt to regulate an evil
or vice by legalizing it, is danger
Gus experiment, and if applicable to
drunkenness, why not to profanity? to
lotteries? to prize-fighting? to polyg-
amy and prostitution
LICENSE WILL NOT DECREASE DRUNKEN
NESS.
Throw the guard of law around the
rumseller's business, and you recognize
it as legitimate. More respectable men
will patronize it; they will influence
others, and soon class of citizens, not
before addicted to drinking, will be-
come drunkards. The large army of
confirmed inebriates will be recruited
and the demand for Intoxicating liquors
corresponaingly increased. Statistics
invariably show larger number of
dramshops-eompared to population
in those States where license to sell in
toxicating liquors are granted. Like
evidence establishes rapid increase of
drinking houses in the same State, COM
pared with its condition and morals,
than when under the "No LICENSE"
system. New York and Massachusetts
are fair examples. In the former, with
but q brief trial Of six months under
the anti-ficense law, intemperance and
committals for crime decreased to an
extent which astonished every one, In
the cities of Albany, Utica, Syracuse,
Auburn and Rochester alone, the records
show two thousand less police arrest
than for the corresponding previous
and following six months. Such was
the experience all over the State. Soen
as license was restored, saloons, intsm-
perance, violation of Law, lid punish
ments therefor increased Fl ON twenty
four to two hundred per cent. The
same is true of Massachusetts, and the
figures substantiating the fact may be
seen at any time. Including the laws
of Plymouth Colony, in 1886, over two
hundred stringent license enactmrnts
have been in force in that State, and
every one proved failure in regula-
ting, restricting. or diminishing the
traffic in alcoholic drinks. The result
in Massachusetts, is that experienced by
every other License State in the Union,
verified by the history Of all European
nations. The uniform and certain ef-
feet everywhere has been that with Ii
censed tippling houses, drunkenness,
drunkards, crime, rovtriy aud distress,
have steadily increased, bearing plen-
tifully their bitter Dead Sea Fruits, AS
the places of temptation become more
convenient and inviting, young men are
the more liable to he lead to their ruin.