Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-04-10
Facts A bout License-FacfsA Don't
Exploded Errors and Facts AOout
Jefferson County.


Jefferson County.
l. ABOUT L1oENsE-The system has
been abandoned as hopeless by all those
States which have studied the
subject of political economy and pubic
nooysls 90 far as the sale of intoxicating
LIQUORS is concerned.
The experience of 40 years is soon
,o,d The sale of intoxicating liquors
is dangerous to the public safety to
morals, property, life and must be re-
s,rained les say all the governments
Of the void. How, is the next q1ess
tion Answer. Sell only by special II
censc the law specifying the character
of the men who could be trusted WIN u.
il. and the parties only to whom IL
could be sold. But the was law Vioia,eu'
uniformly, grossly, everywhere Ihen
make the law stronger said one, OF ~ ~
will do no good, no, said another, II
YOU make IT too strong JureS won. 80
Wet 1t was made stronger, as e'iii,-
cont rs the wit of man could make II;
T. MS the something. Drunkards ana
I';mor's could get all they wanted. Con-
fine the license then to one or TWO per
sons No was the next out cry. NO
mononolv-all or rome. What matters
i whether one man makes my son a
Jrunkard or halfa dozen. Well then
confine the license TO such as will not
make drunkards, but to this it was an
swered all such have abandoned the
business long ago. Or suppose one
such be found out of four if the other
three take up the boy where he first
leaves him, when he is just beginning
to love it too well, OF give the drunk
ard his last drinks, what have you
Gained? The license system has failed,
utterly, hopelessly and is every where
abandoned by all i'll experienced States
except the liquor manufacturer and
dealers. 1t is they and they only in
such states who now under prohibition
or threatened with it cry out for license
laws. Give us q stringent license law
they say regulate, but don't stop it.
Ihcg understand the subject thorough
". So do We They have got boats
to sell, and say ''let people 90 into the
stream freely above Niagara whether
thew have any business there or not, but
when they are getting within the sue
lion let them by all means make for
shore. We say don't go iuto the stream
a, al. And further we say license no
houses 10 tempt men and boys TO 60
where no one ever got any good and
hundreds of thousands have persisted.
/. FACTS ABOUT EXPLODED ERRORS
Every man has right to license
who asks for ii and agrees to comply
with the condition. No; that pretended
right has beea tested in the highest
State Courts and in the Supreme Court
of the United States and the unanimous
decision pronounced that no man has
right to sell Intoxicating liquors. 1t is
= privilege which the State may grant
or withhold as it shall deem best for
the GOOD of the community.
. Licenses should be granted TO raise
q rfceaIe. In the first place it is 'Orong
4or the State. a sin for it TO undertake
TO improve lis finances from the vices
and mihe,ics OF the people. In the
second place IL cannot be done We
.nay learn here on small scale what
has been learned elsewhere on large
scale.
In Connecticut the law was first IL
cense. then prohibition then license and
srain- prohibition. When through the
4orgetiulness OF the people, the liquor
interest procured license IN the place
prohibition. In the first year pauperism,
;ncendiary fires and other crimes i'll
creased according to official records
tifv percent, and license fees all told
did not pay even the cost OF charging
the .jails, of the 4,4S3 inmates OF which
4,OS6 were Incorporate.
3. We are graaely informed by one
who has never known anything but Ii
cense that experience tehaches him that
restrictive laws do no good.
is well might one born blind tell us
that his experience teaches him that the
hest way for one to read is with his
fingers If YOU want TO know what
experience teaches You must mace ex-
perience. aud this is only to be had IN
those states where for years together
license and no license have been alter
nately tried and there experience tell
very different tale.
Facts about Jefferson County must
bc deferred until next week.
Facts elsewhere.
GEoEG1A.-In the political phase of
the question Georgia has made rapid
strides the past year, although in very
cautious way. About $50 ''local-option'
bills were presented from small local..
ties over twenty-five of which passed
the Legislature. Two other bills passed
one covering forty counties in Southern
Georgia, providing that liquor shall not
be sold in these counties until two
thirds OF the property owners agree
thereto in writing. This is absolute
and entire prohibition for these coun-
ties A second bill embraces thirteen
counties, and provides that upon petit
t;on of one-ffih of the legal voters,
vote shall be taken, and majority may
prohibit.
TERRIBLE FIGHT IN i MENAGERlE.--