The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-03-15
The Evils of License,

the States where the law has been re- (
pealed there has been large increase
of vice and crime. Governor Clafin,
Of Massachusetts, in his inaugural ad-
dress, January, 1869, said: 1.-THE in
crease Of commitments for the eight
months previous to the first Of October,
1868, over the same time in 1867, is re-
markable, and demands the careful at
tcntion ofthe community. In the eight
months alluded to in 1857, 65 persons
were committed to the State prison. In
the same period in 1868 there were 1876
commItments-more than double the
number of the previous year" The
chief constable of the commonwealth
reported to the Legislature, January,
1871:
This law has opened and legalized
in the various cities and towns about
two thousand five hundred open bars,
and over one thousand other places
where liquors are presumed not to be
sold by the glass. OF these three thou
sand five hundred liquor establish
ments, Boston has about two thousand,
or about five hundred more than all |
the other cities and towns of the Com
mOnwealth. Drunkenness is on the |
increase to a melancholy extent.
"The rapid increase of crime and vio
lence during the past year over former
years is without precedent in the his
tory of criminal experience. The State |
PRISON and houses of correction never |
held within their limits such numbers
as at the present time, while the |
wheels of justice are almost clogged |
with the trial of constantly accumu- |
lating criminal business, and the dis
trlct attorneys of Suffolk find it almost |
impossible to clear their criminal dock |
cts from month to month, notwith- |
standing the courts in this county are |
in almost perpetual session"
The State Board of Charities, in |
Their report, say: "The prison registers
indicate that more than two-thirds of
the criminsls in the State are the vic
tins of intemperance; but the proper
ton of crime traceable to this great
vice must be set down, as heretofore,
at not less than four-fifths. It's effects
are unusually apparent in almost every
grade of crime. A noticeable illustra
ton appears in the number of commit
ments to the State prison, which, dur
ing eight months of the present year,
in which the sale of intoxicating llq
uors has been almost wholly unre-
strained, was 1875 against sixty-five
during the corresponding months of
the preceding year. Similar results
appear in nearly all the prisons of the
commonwealth.
And we have the following
TESTIMONY OF THE PRESS.
The press, almost without excep-
ton, testifies to the marked in
crease of intemperance under the Ii
cense. Even license sheets, that lent
their influence to this disastrous change,
admit it. The Springfield Republican
says: "Intemperance has increased,
is increasing, and ought to be dimin-
ished."
The same paper declares that the
Jail OF Hampden county Is overrun with
prisoners in consequence OF the large
increase of intemperance.
The press of the country towns,
where the opportunity to judge of the
change is better than in the city, speaks
still more emphatically upon this sub
ject. For example: Beverly was one
of the best temperance towns in the
State under the prohibitory law;
scarcely place could be found where
liquor was sold illegally, and the streets
were as quiet at night as by day, and
brawls and fights very infrequent.
What it is under license, the following
extract from the Beverly Citizen shows:
"Since the new law went into opera
ton, as we are informed by the police,
drunkenness has increased alarmingly.
They report that week ago last Sun
day night, in one room of building
in the lower part of the town, which
they entered, not less than fourteen
persons were found in an intoxicated
condition, and that it is no uncommon
thing, at night, for men to be found
lying about on the ground drunk"
And this is the testimony that comes
up from all the States where licenses
have taken the place of prohibit
ton. Whisky is the fruitful source
of all crime and must be prohibited.
We ask your careful attention to the
following extract from the New York
Herald of February 81, 1877. A youth
full prisoner was called upon to receive
sentence, which Judge Brady imposed
as follows.
"You have been most successfully
defended, and the jury took a most
merciful view of your case. This
should be another warning to the youth
of this community to abstain from in
diligence In Intoxicating liquors.. Dur
ing long experience have found
that ninctenths of the cases which
have been before me have arisen from
the pernicious use of intoxicating
liquors. l hope this example may de-
ter others. l deem 1t my duty to pass
upon you the extreme sentence the law
provides for the offense of which you
have been found guilty, which is sew
en- years in the State Prison, at hard
labor"
Should an evil like this be protected
by law? Should virtuous community
consent to be taxed to sustain it2 No.
1t must be prohibited. HARD BRICK.