Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-04-20
THE MAINE LIQUOR Law.


thoussnd dollars in tfnes were imposed and col
during the year. There have been 27e convic-
tons IN the Supreme Court of rumsellers. and
forty-one COMMITMENTS to Jail larger number
than in anv similar period previously.
Tnis is partially duo to the Sheriff Enforce
ment act. set III, operation two wears ago.
Crime has decreased. the number OF eonvicts
being . per cent. less than ten Yeas since. The
exclusive of commitments for liquor selling. for
than IN 1865.
Think of that, you who are croakiug against
Prohibitory Laws. Fifty thousand dollars in
fnss-2T6 convictions by Gourt-4l commit
ments to jail-crime decreased 25 per cent (!
And that under law far inferior to our own
in thoroughness and efficiency! What is to
be thought now of the cry about the Maine
Liquor Law being failure? The truth is
that such laws everywhere have been no more
a failure than criminal or other laws. The
liquor laws have not prevented drunkenness.
NOR have criminal laws prevented crime. But
he must be dummy who will therefore pro.
nounce them useless. Il is confessed on all
hands, save by the few aforesaid eroakers.
that there is less of drunkenness in the State
since the passage of the present law,-less in
Jefferson county, Especially in the towns is
this most manifest from the nature of the
CASEY since the Court has been withholding
licenses. The cutlery against such prohibition
Is confined to some few dozen drinkers AID
sellers, while the whole bulk of the people.
who are not heard from except when special
effort is made to procure their testimony, de-
sire the abolition of the traffic 1t is to be
hoped that the people of the county, and es>
pecially the Court, will not suffer themselves
to be imposed upon by such c!amor. Let
them be assured, that it is corfned to the few
the very few. The clamor of discomfort all
comes from such as have either pecuniary
or a.political interest in the traffic in liquor.
and such as are habitual topers. Let the
County Court in their May term be assumed
that the great mass OF the people are as heartily
| opposed to the licensing of whiskey and ale
shops as they were last May, when two thou-
sand petitioners Of the county addressed them
on the subject.
As to the question of right and interest
ic has been more than once decided BY iurists
that no man has 4 right to sell whiskey, ex.
cept as that right is given by law, and that
the liberty, not right, TO do so may be with,
held by the County Court at its discretion
And for interest. whose interests should be
consulted in this matter? Do the interests
of the county require that ardent spirits should
be sold under certain restrictions insisted upon
in form, but rarely in practice eFectusl2-
Will the county be benefited by such traffic
Will the interests Of the community be en-
HANGED ?-the interests of education, the in
terests of good morals, the interests of peace
and order aud law. the interests of religion,
the interests of domestic happiness, of social
virtue. or agricultural and commercial and
political prosperity; are these the interests in
whose. behalf tho Court are asked to grant
license? Whose interests demand the sale
aud use of liguor2 The interests alone of
the distiller, the whiskey seller and-I do not
say the interests Of the dram drinker, for all
has interests are ruined by whiskey. And
shall the interests of this class DO promoted
in obedience to their clamor, to the detrment
of eDe.y other interest in the county, and in
face of the wishes more than ever, and in moro
wsys than one expressed by the entire COM
munity almost? That were to make the
County Court 3 partizan court with q VEN
geance.
Cast your eye once more over the above ex
tract, and ponder moment. How much bet
ter of our State would be. if it could present
such record rs that And why may she not?
Our law is better than the Maine liquor law
We want. and we trust the Legislature will
grant, q "Sheriff Enforcement Act" And
if what we once heard Of one of our County
Courts is true. viz that a citizen on being
summoned before the Grand Jury refused
point blank to go. and that in the very face
of the Court. then perhaps "County Court
enforcement Act" would be desirable too.
Smithfeld, W. Va. JIG.
SWIMMING TIE ENGLISH CHANNEN.-A
dispatch from London announces the virtual
success of Paul Boynton in crossing the Eug-
fish channel from Dover to Buulogne, Sat-
urday in his ite,sa7ing dress. He was taken
up e'ght miles from Boulogne, having been
overtaken by darkness. The feat is at any
rate an event in experimental science which
will doubtless prove of much value to Mr..
Boynt"n. His invention comprises water
tight suit of rubber clothing so adjusted and
weighted that the wearer is sustained in an
upright floating position in the water and is
enabled to make progress by padding with the
hands. The distance from Dover to Bou>
logne in direct line is twenty.seven miles,
but in order to counteract the currents it was
believed that the entire distance to be ira,
versed would be much greater, come estimates
being as high as fifty miles, Mr.. Boyn,on
left Dover at $3.50 A. NJ. and reached the pier
at Boulogne a. 8:l5 P. NJ, having been per-
haps, half an hour on. the steamer. He was
accompanied during his trip by a steamer with
party of epterprising Journalists on board,
who laid cable during the trip and sent dis
patches to the press.
TAX ON BANKING CAPITAL Washing.
ton, March 31.-The following cases have
been argued in the United States Supreme