The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-07-05
OUR LICENSE SYSTEM.

law mat II seems IN nc lnaI tDcTe sHouiu D
some changes in the workings Of our hcens
law To illustrate one feature of this injustice
! will cite yoU 10 the late tragedy in our cit,
in order 20 bring ont The unjust workings o
: the system a. now carried on Cndcrthc pres
ent license system. our city treasury receive
a. Il license fee the sum %. til,y dollars for tn
privilege of selling poison 10 tie community
in small doses, which, according TO orr city
S fathers, is considered a fair compensation tol
the privilege Of poisoning both soul and body
E by this small dose process; when in due time
the fruit of this small dose process is ripencd
and gathered IN in the shape OF double muir
der, necessita,ng acorOner's jury to determine
wha, was the cause Of the death, al & net cost
to the county of iifty.two dollars, as result OF
the tragedy. Now suppose that but one Of the
men had ben killed in the murdcrous atiray
and one of them had lived 10 90 through :
long and tedious trial for murder, al an cX
j pense of several thousand dollars, VINO would
have to pay the bill? Would the cost come
on the city, who granted the license and got
the benefit Of II and made the business lega!
or would the expense have 10 be borne by the
entire county, the great majority Of whom had
no interest in the license fee? We all know
that the county must pay the bill and the city
! that grants the license and gets the pay for II
pays only its proportion Of the county tax.
Thus you see the county have tC make up the
fiftytwo dollars not only, but the thousands
of dollars that are included in the subsequent
trial; is this just-is il right?
! clam tina, the corporation that issues the
! license ard gets the fee ought to be compelled
to pay the cost Of the litigation resulting from
such saloons, and not the county that has no
moned interest in the business and receives
none Of the fees; but you say how can you
bring this about? We cannot pass prohibi-
tory law and if Incense is granted, how will you
equalizo the evil and tx the responsibility
] think there is a way to meet 1t that is not
only Just but n sure remedy for The existing
state of things. he, tie Legislature pass It
law-call 1t il you please Il local option law
subject to the Boards Of Supervisors or county
boards, making every city, town, village or
corporation (whose seat of government is in
such county or countless granting licence for
the sale OF alcoholic or malt liquors, wine or
cider or any beverage that intoyicates, no mat
ter by what name it may be called; that such
cities, towns, villages OF. corporations shall be
responsible for all acts OF violence causing
bodily injury or pecuniary loss, caused in
whole or in part by drunkenness, and in all
cases Of suits at law brought about by the cf.
fcctS OF intoxicatlon the costs Of such suits at
law and the damages assessed thereon, shall
be assessed against such city, town village or
corporation in the same manner as if the said
city, town, village or corporation were the par
ty or parties to the suit, and when one or more
of the parties to the CRIME shall have been
proven to have been under the influence of IN.
toXication when the crime was committed
that shall be taken as prima iacle evidence
that drunkenness was the cause Of the crime,
and it shall be the duty Of the Judge before
whom the case or cases are tried, 10 instruct
his clerk to assess the cost and damages against
such city, town, village or corporation IN the
same manner rs though it were to be assessed
against private individual. This, think,
would be just and right and if city, town,
village or corporation chose under such law,
to grant license, then they take the response
biliiy and liability implied therein, with the
full knowledge OF what the consequences will
be. My experience is that the money argu''
ment is the most potent argument with men.
When you bring it home TO mems pockets and
reduce il to principle of taxes, you then
command the attention Of men in general and
if those cities that grant license and manuiac-
,urc the criminals shall be compelled to pay
the costs of such suits, twill make men think,
act and vote much more consistently than they
do now. There is nothing unjust or unfair in
the proposition. What right have corpora
tons to legallze II system that engenders vice,
crime, murder and suicide, without being re-
sponsblc for ii more than private individuals
and no private individual is allowed 10 even
icoun,enancc anything thai i considered inju
rious 10 community; if he does he is held
responsible and considered in the eyes OF the
law as party 10 the cgime why then should
wealthy corporation, be any less responsible
for their acts than tkc private cltzeny
These saloons are nothing more than the re-
representatives. of the corporations that grant
the license FOR which they pay their money
and get certain privilege; then what right
has the city 10 saddle the expense growing out
of that privilege on other communities than
their own. But you say il would be placing
heavy TAX on cities. Yes, but is il no, the re-
suit Of their own action and have not these
same cities the power 10 relieve themselves of
this tax, and if it is more than they can bear,
why should they place Il burden on other com
munities that they cannot bear themselves?
J. MEG,FFIN
Take Warning!
Directly around each bronchial tube where il
enters the lungs are about 10000 minute air cells