The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-16
What Can be Done for Temperance.
Rditors Of tho IntellIgencer.

What Can be Done for Temperance.
Rditors Of tho IntcllIgcncer.
The City Council has refused 10 submit
the question Of license TO vote Of the
people. Had they seen ft to authorize a
vote, the friends OF temperance would
have been compelled 10 accept the issue,
and to meet 1t as well as they could.
Whether 1t was really desirable that the
test should at this time have come In that
form, would have been contingent on
their readiness Tor such contest.
The next thing to be seen is whether
the Council will grant the petition which
was presented by the ladies', and will re-
fuse to license ssloons. II there is hope
Of success, 1t Is well that the petition
should be pressed upon the attention OF
that body, by all legitimate means Es.
pecially should care be taken not unnec.
essarily to prejudice the cause by indis.
criminate denunciation Of the members.
To avoid this is in itself right Itis also
dictated by expedienCy in the present case.
What follows is not 10 be construed as
an abandonment of the hope Of refusal
by Council to grant license, Let all
proper means be used in order TO secure
that end. But If that Is likely to TAIL
something else should be done. Prepara-
tion needs to be made without delay II
such contingency Is likely to occur.
1t Is very desirable, II licenses
shall again be granted, that the evil
which Is thus inflicted on society shall be
limited as far as possible There are
likely to be applicants in numbers far be.
yond what any person could pretend 10
justify. If the multitude Of drinking
places can even be reduced, this will be
Of some avail in curtailiDg the curse Of
drunkenness. There certainly are many
members Of Council, who, If they are as.
sured that they have behind them q con-
stituency ready practically and openly TO
support them, will insist that many ap-
plications Tor license shall be refused.
Tho friends OF temperance in every ward
should be prepared at the proper time and
place TO resist by legitimate represents
tons many Of the petitions which shall be
presented. There seems to be good
reason TO believe that the character OF the
houses kept by some Of the persons 10
whom license has In the past been granted
is such that 1t Is scarcely possible that the
Council will for a moment entertain a re.
quest from them for q renewal, provided
that even portion Of the evidence is in
some legitimate form brought TO their
knowledge. The abolition Of some Of
these places would 80 far be a great moral
triumph. ..--. .-.ll...-
II the amount Of money charged by
the city for license was fixed at much
higher ratio than at present, this also
would tend to decrease the number OF
saloons. Let 1t be made so large that
only q few could receive support enough
to exist. Some Of the more dlsreputable
places might thus be closed. In any case,
there would not be such q swarm oil
drinking places. ,,. ... ..
In case license is again granted steps
ought TO be taken In order to insure the
enforcement Of the present law. II Is
doubtful whether more stringent license
system exists In the United States. ltit
was enforced with anything approaching
to rigidness It would wipe out very
large portion Of the saloons. For exam
pie, according to the third section, 1t Is
unlAWluI W bell HQu0TB 70 MINORS e1Cepl
upon the written order oil their parents
or family physician, to sell 1t TO intoxi-
Gated persons, or "to persons trho are In
The habit Of getting intoxicated" The pen
atty for the frat offence under this sec
ton Is q fine Of not less than twenty OF
more than one hundred dollars, and also
imprisonment Tor not less than ten OF
more than thirty days in the jail Of the
County. Now, II this law was enforced
80 that tho keepers Of soloons would bt
compelled by such penalties to refuse t
sell 10 persons who arc in the habit o
getting intoxicated" so large part o
their support probably would be with
drawn that many oil them would have 4
quit the business. This is only an illus
tration Of the practical effect of'the Law
Il faithfully executed. In some mannel
steps should be taken, to see that this Il
done. Probably there Is no better TIME
than the present TO begin.
1--we cannot have prohibition not only
] by the letter Of the law but also pIact'