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

Mr. BAXTEKS SPEECH
snnll Loeal opsioo - SaDesseaea by
Lseensee-0peeeoby Wflf1aa Dexser
In the Senate January Is, 1873.
Much as disliks to tresspass
upon the time of the Senate, I
should be recreant to the noblest
instincts of manhood IS well IS 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 q 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 /
fully recognize the force of his
remarks, l 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 az he
has done the usury laws, his honest
heart aud candid mind would agree
with me, I refer to the '.drink
traffic." This surely is apparent
from the fact that there have prob
ably been five times az many bills
presented to the General Assembly
to restrict aud regulate this traffic,
than have been presented on any
other special question. :
take it for granted that every
gentleman on this floor is here with
an earnest desire to do all in bis
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,
30 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. bgT2is gst1a1s
The question before the Senate
is: ''Shall 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or shall it be superseded by the old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 license.'
The 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 q SO called
license law, to see which has tend |
ed most to restrain the traffic and |
protect society: s'a bafFI i
In 1859 the General Assembly |
passed what has latterly been called |
by supporters Of the traffic, a stu
dicious, well regulated license law . |
That law provided. that it should |
be unlawful to sell intoxicants |
without license That in order !
to procure a license tho applicant |
should advertise his Intention in |
o 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" that he was |
"a man of good character and fit to /
be trusted with o license After |
proving that he was such an hon
orable and trustworthy parsonage, |
and giving bond payable to the
State of Indiana, with at least two
freehold sureties in tie sum of |
$500, conditioned that he would |
keep AN orderly and peaceable
house. he should be entitled to q
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 !
SORT OF SUGAR PLUM /
to compensate for the known evils
which wouln result to society from I
the traffic. What . burlesque, nay,
what a disgrace to our boaste,l
that our children
should thus be made
dependent upon the license of a
traffic which tends more to the
ignorance, pauperism and crime of
the people than any other cause. |
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
10 Q person in astate of intoxication. 1
In fact, this law of 1859 was prob
ably as stringent . law as any
license bin now pending before this
General Assembly. tits, 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 - I
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
businessf / invite the Senators on