Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-05-01
enforcement OF tho Liquor Law.

Some time Slnce Hon. j. M. beck
of the Supreme Court, addressed a
letter to Attorney General Cults
asking information regarding the
practical operation of the prohibi-
tory liquor law Of this State. Be
low is the reply Of the Attorney
General. 1t will be seen that he
does not regard the law so much of
dead letter as the advocates of q
license law would make it appear.
The fact that the law does not alb
soluteIy prevent the sale of drop
Of liquor in the State, is no evidence
of its entire inetiicacy:
DEAR SRI am in receipt of
your favor asking me to give what
information l may have, based up
on my observation, concerning the
enforcement and practical operation
of our prohibitory liquor law.
Have taken some pains to learn
as accurately as may be, such facts
as enable me to give you something
near the truth in relation to the sub
,ject of inquiry.
The result has been that am
able to say, that the liquor law, in
most Of the counties in the State,
is as rigidly and effectively enforc-
ed as any of the penal laws of the
state.
In three ffths of the counties, it
is thoroughly well enforced that the
sale Of liquors is absolutely prohib-
tied and abolished, exceeds by per-
sons duly licensed to sell under the
law, and the persons who have IL
cense to sell are in those counties,
compelled to keep strictly within
the provisions of the statute.
The attorney general refers to
permits issued by the supervisors,
for the sale ofliquors for medicinal,
mechanical, sacramental, and Gull
nary purposes. Note by J. NJ. Beck.
In about two thirds ofthe remain
ing counties, the law is we'll en-
forced. BY this l mean that prose-
cutions and convictions for viola
tons of it, are so frequent and GER
tam that but few persons venture to
engage in the traffic, since the prof
its derived therefrom are not COM
mensuratc with the risks assumed.
The result is that in such counties,
where the sale of Intoxicating LID
uors is not absolutely and entirely
prohibited, it is carried on, in sec
ret clandestinc manner. and is, to
say the least, very much restrained.
In the remaining counties of the
State but little effort seems to have
been made to enforce the provisions
of the law. 1t seems to have been
conceded in those counties, by the
friends of temperance that there
would be 70 use in making an effort
to enforce it, owing to the prevailing
public sentiment against it, and so
the law has remained practically .
dead letter more, as l think, be-
cause no honest, Jealous effort has
ever been made to secure its enforce
mcnt, than tor any other reason.
The reason ordinarily assigned
for not attempting to enforce the
law in these counties, is that the
public sentiment is against it, and
therefore juries will neither indict or
convict. If the advocates and cham
pions of temperance, however, would
make the effort, they could very
shortly educate the popular feeling
and public sentiment up to the stand
ard required to a reasonable rigid
enforcement Of the laws, at least, so
it seems to me, and in any event it
is clear that so long as no earnest
endeavor is made to test the efficacy
of the law, so long it's enemies will
continue to set it at open defiance,
and so long as this is done, it is no
wonder that public sentiment seems
to be adverse to the spirit OF its pro
visions. This course pursued in
reference to any other law, defining
q crime and providing for its pun
ishment. would bring about the same
result. Truly yours,
NJ. e. Curtis.