The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-11-25
For The CLARIoNl
To the Voters of Jackson.


n In your city papers of last week there al
: three petitions for license to retail vinou
Il and spirituous liquors in less quantities tha
= | one pint-that is, for the privilege of open
ing and conducting houses at wlch liquor
: NAV be sold and drank It manifest, how
ever, that the petitions now being publishes
for the licensing Of such establishments Il
: your midst, do not meet the requirement.
of the law.
In the first place, the law requires tina
these petitions be signed by majority o
the legal voters" of the city, whereas, thu
! petitions only set forth that they are" cltlzen
of the city of Jackson" so that for aught aP
+ pearing these signers may not be "lega
voters"
Furthermore, it is not enough that peti
TONERS request the granting of the license
but they must recommend the applicant tc
be of good reputation, and sober and suit
able person to receive such license" Code
9 1163.
The power of the town authorities is q
purely statutory one, and can only be exer
cised on the state of facts prescribed by the
law as a condition precedent. The certificate
as to the character of the applicant Is Juris-
dictional fact, and license granted IN its
absence will not protect the selling under 1t
from conviction for selling illegally.
By these petitions the attempt Is made to
eyade the law in another respect. The petit
| TONERS undertake to empower and do re-
quest the board of Mayor and Aldermen ito
| erase their names from any petitions which
they may have signed which may initiate
against the issuance of license to the petit
TONER"
Now, is not this asking the board to as
sumo a power in express contravention OF
the law Any petitioner has the right before
the petition is presented to erase his name
therefrom, but after presentation the man
date of the law is, that ''any name found on
both petitions shall be counted against the
granting Of the license"
There is one view of this subject
which should not be overlooked: Is 1t
not true that no person can consist
emily sign petition for liquor saloon who
would not be willing himself to engage in the
business of conducting one? What is the
petition but power of attorney given by the
signers to the applicant, emporing him to do
that which without such authority it would
be illegal for him to do? 1t is no less legal
than moral maxim that "what one does by
another he does himself" Petitioners by their
act-their signatures the power to sell,
and this is more than acquiescence. 1t Is az
irmative action, deliberately taken, with a
full knowledge of the conseq uences, and
which, therefore, in morals, makes the petit
TONERS alike responsible with the proprietors
for the evils ofthe retail liquor traffic. The
signers certainly do bid the liquor seller God
speed" and on scriptural principles, He
that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of
his evil deeds"
No one favors the license system on the
ground that the use ofintoxicating liquors as
a beverage is necessary or useful. The argu-
ment is that the no-license system does not
diminish the evils of intemperance; but
from this proposition we dissent, as alike dis
proved by reason and experience. When a
community legalizes retail liquor houses the
habit of drinking is not under the ban of
society, and with no avowed public senti-
ment against it, and every facility for its
indulgence, how can we expect there will be |
less drinking than if the sale of liquors by |
retail were prohibited by law and its use as
a beverage known to be condemned by ma
jority of the community? Even if, through
the proverbial perversity of human nature,
difficulties only increase the determination |
of old topers to indulge their cherished habit
yet there is, in any case, little hope of the rel
formation of this class 1t is the young, the
rising generation, who are the hope of the
country and of society, and who can and |
ought to be aided to become moral and good
which drinkers are not. But the
of these licensed liquor sa-
looms isto train up drinkers. Every device is
employed to make them places of general re-
sort for the men and boys who frequent our
streets, workshops, offices and business houses
Within them, CHEEKY fires and brilliant lights
are reflected in handsome mirrors and cast
a glow over soft carpets and bright pictures,
while music and fine lunches add to the at
fractions of these places where drinks enough
must be sold to pay for all this luxury.
What could be more seductive or demoraliz-
ing than such establishments If they could
be abolished there would be one temptation
less for frail humanity, and the friends of
could apply themselves with fresh
hope to the task of diminishing the gigantic
evils of intemperance. X.