The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1882-04-29
The Pint Law.

Dun readers are no doubt, aware that
mDng the twenty or more bills intro
ueed at the late session of the legisla-
Ne for the repeal of what is known as
N 'Pint Law, zone passed and was sign
Iby the governor on the 23rd day OF
8bruary. Through design or ignorance
the result, the concluding clause makes
|e act "take effect from and after its pas
Ia" thereby annuling, and making
IA any license issued to sell liquor un-
N the Pint law, even though the license
1s not expired. We learn this is the
0hion of our learned Attorney General,
IA we make this statement for the ben
81 of those interested. Any one who
3ntinuos to sell whisky by the pint since
1e erep9Al Of the Pint law is subject to
Mictment, and can be held for the full
nbunt Of the penalty fixed by law; the
Qsses5ion OF license will avail nothing.
he Supreme court Of Mississippi, and
ln Supreme court OF the United States,
IA that q license to sell liquor is aot a
)ntract binding on the State; and that,
nch being the case, the State has at any
% the right to annul, abrogate and
Aake void any license issued to sell Ii
upr, Notwithstanding the State may
NC receiveda a valuable consideration.
a license to sell liquor, the courts hold,
|}lke license to conduct lottery. 1t
~ matter omingunder the police power
Ethe State, and as such is considered as
privilege, and not as right. The State,
Notwithstanding it has .eceived q valua-
2 consideration, can at any time annul
grant to sell liquor, as it can annul one
Iconduct a lottery.
n his Is pretty rough Oh pint dealers,
la especially is it so on druggists
Ehen the pint law was enacted, the law
Emitted druggists to sell whiskey for
edlcal purposes in any quantity on
description OF a physician, was repealed,
rather left out of the Code, thereby
icing this class of merchants to obtain
Eense and sell under the pint law; now,
\ pint law is repealed, and our "collec-
pn of wisdom" omitted to re-enact the
n permitting the sale of whiskey upon
description, and our druggist friends can
Il now sell whiskey even for medical
sacramental purposes, without first
king out a retail whiskey dealers IL
fse. We submit this is unfortunate
looks somewhat like snap judgement.
|llile the sale of intoXicants may be a
|rse, while it may bring misery, power
heart-aches, and crime, when the
Rte enters into an obligation-contracts
a valuable consideration--to permit
individual to sell the stuff for a speci-
1 length of time. and when the indi-
(lual in good faith pays the considera-
IN demanded, it is in bad faith for the
htc to annul the contract. Here we
I've the spectacle Of the great State of
sissippipublishing throughoutits bor-
RS propositions to every merchant, OF
Patever character, to grant q license to
4 whiskey by the pint upon the pay
ent of 500. Believing in the good
IN of the State, "Pint licenses" went
like hot cakes, and with pockets pie
|oric with ill-gotten gains, she turns up
her victims, laughs in their faces and
eks them out Of the business, telling
I'm their license isn't worth copper.
|ewould call such conduct on the part
IN individual swindling, but as the
Eh through her Legislature does it we
|uslconclude there isa difference though
confess we fail to see that difference.
fUOniah Sipnal