Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-26

sgournal arto Courier.
Saturday Morning, Feb. 26, 1881.
AN aMPORTANT ExPERIMENT.


The temperance question appears to be up
for more thorough, patient and reasonable
discussion than it has yet received, and out
of this discussion doubtless much that is
good will come. But it is safe to say that no
method will be discovered of preventing
those people from drinking who are deter
mined that they will drink, except temporari-
ly, by confning them SO that they cannot OBJ
tain it, and this does not amount to much.
Close all the dram shops and you open the
club rooms, which are very bad things. Men
who want liquor viii get it s'by hook or by
crook, !" and it is useless to try to prevent
them from getting it by any law that can be
framed, however well disposed towards its
execution may be the powers that rule the
State or the people at large. There are two
things which can be done, however. A great
many people can be persuaded to let intoxi-
eating drinks alone, and many of the evils of
their sale and use be much modified by
law which accords with the soundest and best
public sentiment, and which can, therefore,
be enforced.
If this is the true state of the case the
greatest progress will be found in the best
system of license, and any experiments
which seem improvements upon the systems
now most used should receive careful atten-
ton. A remarkable experiment of this kind
is in progress in Brockton, Mass. In 1879
the selectmen of that town granted twenty
three licenses for the sale of liquors, but the
privilege was greatly abused. Feeling their
responsibility in the matter they determined
81
ing licenses freely, they induced one of their
own number to take out license of the
fourth class, and this was the only one
granted. A stock of pure liquors was pro-
cured, the establishment opened under the
direct supervision of the board, and the prin-
ciple adopted that while no sales should be
made to be drunk on the premises, nor to
drunken, partially drunken, or irresponsible
persons, yet every person of adult age and in
should be trusted to use
his own Judgment in the use of
liquor, until he was proved to have made a
bad use of it, With the result of this ex-
pertinent the selectmen express themselves
highly gratifed. Drunkenness has actually
diminished not been driven into hiding, and
those who desired liquor for family use have
obtained pure article at less than the |
usual price. But the greatest advantage, |
they think is in having the traffic under re-
sponsible control
These wise and conscientious selectmen |
have not only attacked the evils of the rum
traffic in a sagacious way, but they have gone
deeper and attacked that which is mainly re- |
sponsible for those evils. They have decided |
that the profits of their rumselling should be |
devoted to the cultivation of such moral
forces as would cure every inebriate of an |
improper appetite for alcohol" With this
object in view, they have in contemplation |
the erection of free reading room, to be
supported by the profits of the dispensary. |
These profits since the system was begun last |
May have been 81, ,5O5, and for the whole
year are estimated at 81, 200
Naturally this experiment has met with |
much opposition from those inhabitants of |
Brockton who want free liquor, those who |
want none, and those who are politicians.
But it is to be hoped that they will not sue
ceed in putting stop to an experiment |
which has already accomplished and which |
promises so much.