The Portland daily press., 1882-02-03
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
Gossip About Gov. Dingley's Bill.

The bill reported on Monday by Gov. Ding
ley of Maine, from the Committee on the
Alcoholic Liquor Traffic, provides for the ap-
pointment by the President, with the concur
renee of the Senate, of commission OF nVe
persons to be selected solely with reference to
fitness, to make thorough and impartial in
vestgation of the alcoholic liquor traffic in Its
relations to revenue, expenditure, pubic
health, crime, paupurism, &c, and OF the
effects of different kinds of restrictive egisla-
ton. The commissioners are to serve without
pay, and $4,000 is appropriated to defray
their expenses and pay clerk during the two
years in which the commission is to continue.
The committee were nearly unanimous IN
reporting the bill, notwithstanding only four
of the nine members of the committee are pro-
nounced prohibitionists, and three members
are from the South and two from the West
Neither was there any political lines IN the
report, as Vance (Democrat) of North Caro-
lima occurred with the other members in the
desirability of thorough investigation OF
grave problem.
Schade, the attorney Of the United States
Brewers Association, who appeared in oppose
ton, argued that the proposed investigation
was initiated by the National Temperance AS
ISOLATION, a prohibitory organization, aud,
therefore, that it is practically in the interest
of prohibition. To this Mr.. Powell of New
York, who appeared for the petitioners, re-
spended that, while it is true that the National
Association originated the movement, yet it is
favored by many men who are believers in
license, and the object is simply to ascertain
the facts respecting the traffic and the actual
results of different kinds of legislation, and
whether those facts would support the prohi-
bitory or license view could not be determined
until they were brought out 1t was, there
fore, proposition to obtain light on the sub
ject, without regard to any particular view,
and no friend OF truth shonld object to that.
In the course of his argument Mr.. Schade
made certain statements respecting prohibi-
ton in Vermont and Maine, which Mr.. Joyce
of Vermont and Gov. Dingley of Maine cor
rected, presenting statistics to show the incor-
rectness of Mr.. Schade's conclusions GOV.
Dingley suggested to Mr. Schade that the fact
that he (Mr. Schade) and the Brewers ALSO
citation differed so widely from great major
ity of the people of Maine as to the actual
results Of the Maine law was in itself con-
elusive argument in favor of careful investl-
cation and ascertainment of the truth. Ii Mr..
Schade really believes that his statistics re-
ought to be foremost in asking for an impair
tial official investigation in order that he (Mr.
Schade) may have demonstration OF the Cor
rectness of his views.
The report presented in the House by
Governor Dingley, and ordered printed,
argues that Congress has an appropriate
jurisdiction over such an investigation as this;
that any investigation to be of value must be
national and cover the whole Union; that the
private investigations heretofore made have
been necessarily partial and unreliable; that 1t
is the duty of Congress to secure all possible
light as to the proper treatment of the grayest
problem of the age; that Congress itself re-
quires such light to guide its revenue legisla-
ton and its direct or supervisory legislation
over the traffic in the District of Columbia
and the Territories; and that the prayers OF
the largest number of petitioners in every
State and Territory of the Union which ever
asked for any measure cannot justly or wisely
be disregarded
The bill has been referred to the committee
of the whole House on the State of the Union,
and is not likel to be reached for some weeks.
When it comes up it will be stoutly opposed,
and it is uncertain what fate it will meet. A
similar bill has twice passed the Senate within
half dozen years, but has been uniformly
defeated in the House.