Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-01

| some length to the arguments advanced in a letter printed in our present issue opposing vote of 'No License" in Litchfeld. In one respect we fully coincide with the views ex- l pressed therein. If vote of ''no license" s
 ''to be left to execute itself" we think It would be much better not 10 pass such d vote. Peo- 1 pie who vote ''no license" should not expect to let the matter drop with their simple vote. They should expect to organize. to raise an executive committee, and to subscribe money,
 for making 'no license" effective. The war against rum will produce no solid results un-
 less it is sharply pushed The experience of
 Winsted shows that 1t is possible to execute such a vote It also shows that it costs some
 time and trouble, and requires some courage
 tc do so. Are the temperance people of
 Litchfield ready to work as well as to vote?
 Tine following is the list of Litchfeld jurors who are liable to be summoned for the year following Sept. 1st, 1881:
 Garner B. Curtiss, F. H. Cummings, Joseph l H. Hopkins, Jobn B. Candee, Henry G. Ty- Ter, Geo B. Andrews, James H. Morse, Geo w. Mason, Geo. Guernsey, F. F. Cook, Hi ram Merriman, Henry L. Cee, William Bis sell, T. l.. Jennings, E. P. Bronson, Chas. W. Talcott, Andrew Pierpont, A. c. Beach,
 Holmes c. Morse, H. l.. Bishop. Daniel M. Peck, Thomas Hinchff, Charles w. Barber, Thomas M. Coe, Alvah Stone, Asahel H. Morse, Henry Morse, Charles Merriman, Dwight BsseIl William R. Keeler, Jesse l.. Judd, U P. Bartholomew, Fremont Granniss, Elijah Curtiss, Anson c. Smith, Erastus P. AT sot,k Camp, Almon J. Beach, Lewis Bssel, Ed ward Crossman, Albert B. Hallock.
 Ma sEDrroR,- No sensible man., [ SUD-. pose, will question the right of a community to refuse 10 give licenses for the sale of liquor This right is as unquestionabe as the right to regulate the sale of gunpo%der. It is the right of self-protection. The power to grant licenses involves the power to withhold them If there is no authority for refusing them then there is no justice in requiring men to pay for them.
 Admitting the right, the only question is as to the expediency of exercising it. Is it a well established fact that refusing to grant licenses to sell liquor puts stop to drinking liquor, or even puts a check upon it9 You say, if men cannot buy liquor they cannot drink it! Very true but because they cannot buy it at one place, may they not buy it at another?
 A certain town it this-State, not many years ago, voted "No License" At once, those who could afford to do so, laid in years SUD- ply, thus carrying the temptation home with them. Young men banded together and kept a supply in some place where it was accessi- ble. and some whose self respect had kept them from public drinking were ensnared by the chance to do it in private. So that, on the whole, the years result was not considered favorable to the temperance cause, by many of good judgment There are many who think that strict license law, thoroughly enforced, is the better thing. Such law might refuse the right to sell liquor to be drunk on the premises. It might protect minors and those whose danger is recognized, or;if these provis- ions are already made, they might be enforced, and thus secure the public from the evils un. der which it suffers and this, with sufficient energy to assert those who make night hide. ous with their profanity and thelr brawls, would, think, do all that can be done by le. gal restraint.
 I do not think that you can make men tenn. perate by law. The most that can be done is to hinder the public exhibition of the indecen- cies to which intemperancc leads men. To refuse to give licenses at all brings about a re- action which will surely be a hindrance to the temperance cause.
 I am not writing in the interest of the liquor dealers. think that the sale of liquors should be hedged in with some restrictions Care less men who scatter hrebrsnds ought te be watched and restrained. But. believing that experience of 'no license" does not prove it full and effective remedy for the evil of intem. perance, would urge upon those to whom is granted the authority to issue licenses, greater care and discrimination. would urge upon them to impose every lawful condition upon the. seller. to be strict in punishlng every disregard of law, and to make every distGrber of the peace suffer for his fault This think would be more effective than to vote "no li- cense,," especially if the law is then to be left to execute itself RHO.