The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-11-23
A New York Judge Delivers n
Temperance Address from me
Bench During Court.

/ SA4SA4 AtlAAe8 SSAANs
Nav YoRK, November 2i.-The aues.
ton Of temperance reform, which Il ius,
now being unulnally agitated In this city,
seems 70 have reached the bench, and n
least one Judge has declared himself Ia
favor Of the rigorous enforcement Of the
statute proyisions onthe subject. Judge
Davis, Ia his charge to the grand jury q
the court Of oyer and terminer, Today,
called their especial attention 70 yioll.
tons Of the excise law. he believed that
mistaken policy had deprived the dis
trict attorney Of the power Of investigat.
Ing oaenSes against this Law. IAN en-.
perience Of more than twenty years Of
Judicial llfe,n said be, "has taught me
that more than seven.eighthS Of the
crimes committed IN this country, which
Involve personal violence, Are traceable
70 the use Of intoxicating liquors. The
object and policy OF this statute L. 70 pre-.
vent the unlawful sale and to regulate BY
proper restrictions the use Of intoxicai.
Ing liquor. Reinforcement Of that law
would, In my judgment, 70 far TO pre-
vent the great increase Of crime invading
our tribunals. The statute oilS57 II en-.
lorceAbler and should DO enforced, The
state undertakes, through the public
authorities, TO confer upon certain
parties Tor . compensation, certain
rights In respect 70 tho sale Of
intoxicating liquors. Il l. not right
after the state takes their money, to
allow persons without q license, in their
neighborhood, all through the city, 70
enter upon the same sale Of liquors re-
gardleas Of the Law. Liquor dealers are
also required to clear their bars and
make NO sales between ! and s o'clock
every morning. Another provision IL
that NO liquor shall be sold to any in
toxicated person. Again, the statute pro-
hibits the sale Of intoxicating liquors to
any person under the age Of is. So, also,
In respect TO apprentice; no person may
sell liquor to them, though they may b
over II. There Is another provision Of
the statute which permits the wife Of q
drunken man, or his child, or bis friends,
when they know that he Il liable to en-
pend his earnings In drink, % 70 10 any
seller Of liquor and forbid further sales
TO him. In that way, II the provisions
were generally known, l believe that poor
women suffering daily from the abuse Of
drunken husbands could 10 some extent
protec. themselves, il they were aided by
the enforcement Of the law. There are
but two kinds Of licenses under the Law
for the sale Of liquors; one is = druggist
and grocers' license for the sale 81 less
than i've gallons, not to Be drank on or
about the premises; the other that which
clothes the Yender with the right to
sell liquor to be drank on his premi-
ses. It Is to this specially invite
your attention. Idesire 10 say that no
person can have such alicense, under the
statute, except one who keeps or pro-
poses TO keep an Inn, tavern, or hotel. Il
would appear from the records Of saloon
licenses that there are Eve thousand inns
in the city Of New York that your board
Of excise commissioners have seen ct to
license. Who are the travellers that they
accommodate! Those gangs Of rowdies
who go, night after night, travelling from
place 10 place in search Of intoxicating
drinks, are not the travellers referred TO
in thelaW. II the commissioners Of excise
have been guilty Of granting innumsra-
BILE licenses fol, places ofthis kind as innS,
taverns, or hotels, under the pretext that
they had become such by putting in three
hunks or beds, | feel it my duty 10 say TO
the grand Jury that II Is their duty TO in.
dict these officials, beginning at the foun-
tain.head with those who thus pervert
law and justice, and trampls the statute
under their feet, under the pretext Of do
ing their duty. The statute also declares
that knowingly to sell intoxicating liquors
which are adnlterated is misdemeanor
punishable by imprisonment for three
months and tine Of 500. New York is
comparatively temperate and yirtuous
community. The question il whether, BY
the enforcement Of the lAWP, you will try
to make it more so, BY arresting crime at
the fountain-head."