Omaha daily bee., 1881-08-29
REBELLIoUs LIQUOR DEAL
Frs.

Whom the gods wish to destroy
they first make mad. THIS maxim is
strikingly illustrated by the suicidal
course pursued by the Omaha liquor
dealers.
When tho Slocumb high license bill
was passed by the legislature last
winter, this community manifested it's
sympathy with the liquor dealers by
condomning the iron-clad provisions
of the new law as needlessly exacting
and oppressive. Had the liquor deal
ers acted prudently and exhibited
moderation they would still enjoy this
sympathy. Instead of counting the
good will of acknowledgement
people, they have shown a dis
position to punish them by
attempting to enforce Puritan blue
laws upon all classes of business men.
They say in 80 muny words to this
community. "You must allow us to
continue the liquor traffic in defiance
of law or we propose to make it de.
cidedly uncomfortable for you. II the
temperance alliance or any set of
men dare to call us into court for sell
ing liquor without license W. propose
to stop the sale or delivery of milk,
meat or ice on Sunday, and we
shall put travellers who come
to Omaha late Saturday night
to the discomfort of going without a
bath or a shave Sunday. No matter
that the thermometer is up among
the nineties; no matter how many
families are made to suffer for the
want of fresh milk and meat, or how
many invalids are cruelty tortured for
the want of Ice.
Now we apprehend that this com.
munity will soon loose patience with
such internal tomfoolery, and the re-
bellious liquor dealers will discovcr
before ninety days roll around that
every respectable business man in Oma-
ha and nine-tenths of our citizens will
make m cause against them.
And when the conflict comes that will
test the strength of the %contending
forces, it is safe to predict that the re-
bellious liquor dealers OF Omaha will
come out of it worsted at every point.
W. presume the rebellious liquor
dealers are acting on the advice of their
attorneys. There are a few eminent
shysters in Omaha who would not
hesitate to advise these deluded men
that they can forever continue an UNI
lawful traffic by terrorizing and har.
RAISING law-abiding people.
At the risk of being denounced as a
temperance fanatic the editor of THE
BEE ventures to tell the rebellious
liquor dealers a few plain truths. I'm.
der u system of government all
laws are in force until they are either
pronounced void bya supreme court
or repealed by n Legislature. When
the Slocumb bill went into eh.rt on
the I'd of June it was just rs much I.
law rs any other law on our statute
books. But the Omaha liquor deal
ers took it upon themselves to declare
that this law was unconstitutional and
therefore they refused to pay atten-
ton to it unless it was declared
valid by the courts. They
engaged eminent lawyers to
to make q test case. The district
court OF Judge Savage decided the
law to be constitutional and they APP
pealed to the supreme court for u final
decision. While the test cases were
pending the people of Omaha with
great forbearance did not modest the
liquor dealers, although they were
violating the law every hour of the
day. When the supreme court unani-
mously decreed the Slocumb law con-
stitutional it became the duty of the
liquor dealers who had made the APP
peal to submit and make the best of it
underline circumstances. But instead
of submitting they rebelled.
First they refused, through the
members of their union who hold
seats in the council, to carry the law
into effect by enacting an ordinance,
and then they, who are constantly vi
olating law, have taken it upon them
selves to enforce the Sunday law upon
all classes of business. They are like
the fox who lost his tail in a chicken
stealing expedition and insisted that
all the other foxes must have their
tails cut off. This is a little too much,
even for the most liberal and tolerant
citizen, and we take the liberty of
warning our rebellious liquor dealers
against an impending storm.