Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-07
PROHIBITION.
How tho Law lscarried Ont h New
hanpsAirs. .
loN Groggeries Prosecuted, but Hotels aaj
Drug Stores Pernittsd to Flearlsh-
lndieimsas 0ssd Is Political
-leven~A Law That is
Daily Violated.
A SALOON TO LIVERY FoRIY.rIvE MEN.

From a 8aF Opvrespo~asaee q ~ Rsvtsl~.
In the city Of Concord, The capital Of
New Hampshire, the liquos law ID only en-
forced spasmodieally. There are twenty.
five saloons in that city, besides. nearly ".
cry drug store dispenses II By the giao In
the back. or through tho soda" fountain
in front; all the eating houses sell It. and
except few Of the lowest groeseries, no
prosecutions are made The lowest plscss
gre prosecuted two or three times year.
paying the fine in each instance, Of 80 md
costs, from 81 10 $40, the larger shsrs Of Ne
costs going 10 the officers who naks - q.
rest and TESTIFY a. to the svidsnoss Of liz.
uor sold or appearance Of being kept foe
sale. No drugstore has been prosecuted.
though I'll keep 1t for sale, and very seldom
are the eating houses or billiard halls intsr-
fered with in their sales, which are made
In the most open and public menref. Two
OF the four hotels maintain open bars and
have never been prosecuted. Tho saloons
generally display such signs - 'Oysters,"
aLunch Room" or "Reireshn ents"; but
on the principal street 10 . whole building
devoted to the business, that also does Q
Wholesale business amounting TO several
hundreds OF Thousands OF dollars annually,
which is covered with broad slarine sign
liko this:
ADAMS
ALE HOUSE.
Ale and Porter Ale and Porter
House. Houses
II has fine bar, without screens, and =
seldom ipterfered with, - the proprietor
aims to maintain respectable place, and Is
seldom fined. except occasionally for keep
ing open after the closing hour no
O'Clock P. ny as he was once, last
summer, when he was entertaining
q party of Senators and Representatives
from the State Legislature, then In session
here. Dealers here, whenever they afs
prosecuted, generally ay up In the police
court, and do not quit selling, The only
rcrult Of prosecutions Is to add 20 much
diminish the profits OF the dealers or, In
most instances, cause them to sell more
and of a poorer quality, TO make up for the
loss they sustained by the prosecution and
fine. In the surrounding towns, prosccu-
tions are made generally through indict-
ments by the county grand jury, and arc
generally paid up, without trial, the same
ss they are in the city. Not inirequently,
after indictments are presented, they are
placed OIL ulo, anu neiu ONer tuo
Hssds sf the Oasnaers
by the county collectors, and as levers 10
compel the dealers and their friends and
relatives hangers on and all they can intiu.
ence TO vote the ticket at the election which
the solicitor favors. In some cases thcss
indictments are hung up over the heals
Of dealers for four or fye years, and II
they continue voting right, are then quiet.
ly dropped; but II one OF them, unlu ckily.
attempts to exerciSe his own freedom In
the exercise OF the franchise, las some are
apt TO be thoughtless 10 do In the heat OF
political campaign, J the indictment against
him is straightway brought forward, and he
is compelled to disgo-ge into the county
treasury, and to buy cheaper liquor or sell
more OF IT, to make up his loss. Charges
are frequently made that the prosecuting
officers have let up on dealers for Pc
cuniary consideration. These have been
pointedly made against he prosecuting Of
iicers OF Merimack and Strahord counties.
and once, at least, in open court, and there
Is no room for doubt that they were true,
and that II 10 the practice for tho officers 70
"let up" on friends or dealers whs will
vote right, and 10 vigorously prosecute
those who are oppoted 70 them whenever
complaint 10 made and indictments found.
No other law OH the statute book 10 en-
forced as the prohibitory liquor law
is; no other law is used - Q
political lever. or TO crafty spite and 70.
yepge; no other law Is daily violated By
hundreds with impunity; no other Law II
unsustained by public sentiment. There
are estimated 10 be fifteen hundred drink
ing places In the State, with less than $50
OO0 Inhabitants, or one 10 every 30 people
OF both sexes, and one 10 every % voters.
Liquor can be obtained In abundance st
every hotel, and at every drug store, and In
every saloon In every town In the Btats.
No attempt is made by any Official 70 step
the sale. II the officers had IN idea that
prosecution would drive man out of the
business, II would not DO made. IL would
lie killing the 9oo;e that lays the golden
eggs or so ices In each csss. There are
No Clab Rssns n ths sests,
such as are resorted TO In Maine, for any.
body can get all he desires In any to1u
he desires without them. IL the lay was
enforced determinedly and vigorously ppoa
all dealers, and prosecutions brought %
often o. once month, every public bar o.
other drinking place In the 6tsA0
could be closed up six months; II 10 doubt.
fuI, however, II this would reform every
drinking man or stop drinking in the Btsts
entirely. The moral suasion. clubs In the
State have induced HUNDREDS OF men 20
quit their cups; but the prohibitory liquor
law has not reformed drunkard OF stopped
the sale Of Q single drop Of liquor; 10 hss
been utcd 20 squeeze the dealers here and
there, and to compel them, through poorer
liquor or larger sales, 10 increase their pro.
fits; otherwise II 10 . desdlstter In New
Hsmpshjre ]. J.. B.