The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-03
MIR. BAKERS SPEECH.

So
sAalI Local Opsa be Superseded by
Aaeen.esI specify Waslian Baxter
I'm the senate January IS. 1873.
Much as I dislike to tresspass
upon the time of the Senate, I
should be recreant to tho noblest
instincts of manhood. as well as to
the best interest of the State, were
| to refrain from expressing my
views on the question now under
consideration
The other day, while participant
ing in discussion on. the subject
of usury, the Senator from Mont
gomery said with great force that
that question was of the greatest
Importance, that it lay at the bot
tom Of all our difficulties. While I
fully recognize the force of his
remarks, / Thought there was a
greater evil in our midst, and / am
inclined to the opinion with all due
respect to the honorable Senator,
that if he had studied it with as
deep and persistent interest as he
has done the usury laws, his honest
heart and candid mind would agree
with me, I refer to the s.drink
trafficrs This surely is apparent
from the fact that there have prob
ably been five times as many bills
presented to the General Assembly
to restrict and regulate this traffic,
than have been presented on any
other special question. 7F ~
I take it for. granted that every
gentleman on this foor is herewith
an earnest desire TODD all in his
power, by proper legislation, to
restrict as much as possible, the
evils resulting to society from this
traffic, that he will bring to bear an
impartial and unprejudiced mind
in the investigation of the question,
80 that every one may be willing to
adopt whatever course seems most
likely to conduce to the end we
seek, even if that course may be
opposed to his own preconceived
opinions. .a fa sra Essval- -
.as The question before the Senate
is: "sShall the local option provis-
ion of the present law be sustained,
or shall it be superseded by the old
system OF license, placing the pow
er exclusively in the, hands of the
County Commissioners to grant or
to refuse icense?"
Tho object of all legislation on
this subject should be, to restrain
as far as possible, the evils falling
upon, society by this traffic. If
this be our intention, then, in order
to arrive at safe conclusions, we
should turn to the lamp of expert
ence and try to ascertain from it,
whether history and facts are in
favor of local option, or SO called
license law, to see which has tend
ed most to restrain the traffic and
protect society: M Is 976rs4-a
In 1869 the General Assembly
passed what has latterly been called
by supporters of the traffic, a s.iu,
dicious, well regulated license law"
That law provided, that it should
be unlawful to sell intoxicants
without q license. That in order
to procure a license tho applicant
should advertise his intention in
a newspaper in the. county 20 days
before the Commissioners Court,
SO that persons might have an OPP
portunity to appear and show cause
why he should not have a license
granted him. That after such
notice had been given and the time
expired, he should come before the
County Commissioners. and prove
to their satisfaction, y that he was
s'n man of good character and fit to
be trusted with license After
proving that he was such an hon.
orable and trustworthy parsonage,
and giving a bond payable to the
State of Indiana, with at least two
freehold sureties in the sum of
$500, conditioned that he would
keep an orderly and peaceable
house, he should be entitled to a
license on the further condition
that he should pay fee of $50,
which license fee was to be placed
in the school fund and thus form a
So SORT OF "sueAR PLUM
to compensate for the known evils
which wouln result to society from
the traffic. What a burleeque, nay,
what disgrace to our boosted
civilization, that our children 8
education should thus be made
dependent upon the license of q
traffic which tends more to the
ignorance, pauperism and crime of
the people than any other ecansel
This iudicious, we'll regulated Ii
cense law provides further, that
the person SO licensed should be
declared from selling to minors, or
on Sunday, or on election days, or
to a person in state of intoxica ton.
In fact, this law of 1859 was prob
ably as stringent law as any
license bill now pending before this
General Assembly. Itis,therefore,
fair to presume, that it operated
just as well in regulating the traffic
in drink as would any license law
now sought 10 be passed.
Now let us see what was the re
suits of that law upon the public
veal. Did it restrain the traffic?
Did it lessen or fearfully tend to
increase the public evils -necessa-
rily attendant upon that suicidal
business? I invite the Senators on
this floor to refer to the United
States census reports for 1860 and
1870, touching this State of Indiana,
covering a period of ten years,
during which time this judicious,