The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-02-11
For The Agis C. hatelligencer.
The License Question.

| LiCense. nave no doubt that our dele
gates did what they hoped would please
the people they represented. But it APP
pears that it does not meet the wants of
the community. One of the delegates told
the writer that in referring the granting of
licenses to the grand jury, they had not
the least intention of making liquor selling
prohibitory, but placing 1t IN the hands of
those aohere 1t could do the least harm. They
supposed that the grand jury was compos-
ed Cor should beg of our most intelligent
citizens, and drawn, as they are, from the
various parts of the county, would be
good judges of the proper applicants for
| licenses.
| l am not sure but with some little
addition the law would work we'll. A law
something like this, think, would meet
the requirements of the people-give IL
censes where they are asked for, and do
away with the many small drinking places
that have been annoying us so long. The
grand jury shall give license to any one
making application, the application being
signed by the adjoining six land owners,
the license to be three hundred dollars a
year. The applicant shall also be required
to keep proper lodgings for limited num-
Der of guests, no license to be given to
grocery stores. The license only to be
granted when the jurymen from the dis
trict shall ascertain if the names appended
to the application are those of real land
owners.
The good effects of such law would be
several. The high license would cut
down the number of taverns, and probably
place the selling of liquor in the hands Of
those who would keep quiet houses and
1t would likewise make them the selfap-
pointed police of the county, as 1 opine
no one would pay high license, and al
low liquor to be sold by any one not pay
ing license. At the same time neigh
Dorhood that did not feel the need of q
tavern would not apply for one. When
the PERUVIAN Government found that they
could not collect any duty on tobacco, ow-
ing to the great amount Of smuggling, they
sold out the right to import tobacco to a
number OF merchants, and the merchants
not only stopped the smuggling, but made
good thing out of it. So those who paid
high license would make good living,
and at the same time help to break up the
many rum shops that are running the
country.
am aware that these suggestions may
not meet the views Of many temperance
men. The attempt at total prohibition
has proved failure, and if l cannot do all
the good that could, I aoiU try and do all
that 1 can. An evil that has had the
| growth of centuries to support it, and the
active example of priests, preachers and
laymen to give it countenance, cannot be
put down by any act of legislation, espe-
cially in these days, when a barrel of
whisky is considered a good electioneering
document and has changed votes that the
eloquence of Clay or Webster could new
er have convinced.
believe the keepers of such places in
some of the Western States, are liable for
damages should persons under the influ-
ence Of liquor commit an assault, and
wives for the loss of support from drunken
| husbands.
have been rather amused at our friend
''Temperance" mastering together again
those texts of Scripture that have done
such noble work for the Evil One, time
out of mind. 1t is the first time for many
years that l have seen this old battalion
brought into the field i'll such dress par
ade style. am not as wellup in my Biblical
studies as he appears to be, and should
ever wish to write on temperance, q mean
with regard to liquorD would certainly
have to look him up, and see if he could
not show me few texts bearing on the
other side. remember something about
''redness of eyes and mixed drink" and
''no drunkard shall inherit the Kingdom
ofHeaven' and also what a fool Noah made
of himself when he got drunk but am
too fast. Temperance" is as much opposed
to drunkenness as any one, but does he
not know that there never was drunkard
who became so at first, or wished to be
one.
"Where lives the man that has not seen
How mirth will into folly glide
| And folly into SIM"
1t seemed to me, Mr.. Editor, that writ
ing on the moral phase Of intemperance
is like kicking against nothing, so rarely
do meet with any one who does not wish
that no such thing existed as intoxicating
liquor, that shall say nothing on the sub
ject.
There are one or two other points that
would like to touch on. Temperance
questions the right of any legislation on
the subject. Does he forget that laws are
made for the benefit of the people, and the
best way to prove the badness of law is
to carry it out, and no law can he made
that will bear equally on all. Now if the
majority OF the people get tired supporting
drunkards' children, and keeping jails and
penitentiaries for criminals, mostly intem-
perate men, and paying court expenses to
try criminals for deeds done under the in
fluence of liquor, they certainly have the
right to look to the cause of this trouble
and expense and do all they can to abate
the evil, even if they cannot eradicate it
entirely. The law will not allow me to
sell spoiled meat, or adulterate anything /
have to sell, nor will it allow me to do
anything to the harm of my neighbour
The law will not allow me to have but one
wife, no matter what may be my wealth.
A house of prostitution would be expelled
from Bel Air without moments warming
though it might be as quiet as sanctua-
ry. These are rights that society oxacts
for its self protection, and if the time
should come that the people all demand
that these places where health is ruined
intellect shattered, and regulations and
fortunes irretrievably lost, shall be closed
it will be done.
am not scientist enough to say wheth-
er alcohol is food or not, but this I dc
know that can live longer and do more
work on corn bread than on corn whisky
and also know that alcoholic stimulants
are not required to stand hard work OF
exposure. have worked in all parts Of
the world and in temperatures ranging
from 100 below zero to 1902 in the shade
have worked in ships hold where nc
man could stay over thirty minutes and
live, and l have never tasted glass of any
kind of spiiituous liquor or given it tc
any one in my employ, and have been in
ports where the sickness was SO great, tina
all ship work was stopped and some yes
sells left with scarcely any one alive OF
, board and it WAS nnticeahle fact fha