The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-13
gifFlu,olld nispatfh.
acknowledgements '' 1900
High License.

High License.
In some of the western States the tenn
Derapce movement has developed into a
MAN for Diminishing the evils OF iniem-
nerance by reducing the number OF places
at which intoxicating liquors can be pur-
chased. The reduction in the number OF
places at which liquors may he purchased
IS to be accomplished by laying heavy 'aN
upon the privilege Of selling wines anu
ardent spirits or mixture thereof ina'
Is 10 say, II Is assumed that II uhuer
licensc-tax OF one hundred dollars per ah-
mum there are one thousand dilhA'hs-
houses I'm State, there would not DC more
than two hundred and fifty il the license
tax were increased 10 two hundred oonars
per annum. No doubt this Is partially
true. II the lccnse-tax were increased ny
one hundred per cent, the dimlnutioh III
the number OF clearinghouse would pro-
baby be not SIMPLY fifty per cent.-the
corresponding numDer-but in much
greater proportion.
Blythe way, let us say that though an IN
crease Of the tax from one hundred dollars
TO two hundred would be an increase by
one hundred per cent, il would be neees-
sary Ia abolish drinking-houscs altogether
i'm order to reduce their number BY one
hundred per cent. Hence, il is difficult 70
state the proposition Of the hiZh-license
advocates in terms OF percentage MI
BrEcuER said concerning the children who
survived i'm the Tewksbury almshouse,
"there was no percentage about II; they
all died" Mr.. BEECHER never could I'M
derstand percentage. In the Tewksbury
ASYLUM case. the number Of deaths was Just
one hundred per cent. according to his own
statement. But In the case before US. we
shall have to state the percentage in other
terms of proportion.
II, then, the number OF saloons be re-
duced one half, that fact viii indicate that
the price OF the license has been increased
saw one fourth; and so on upwards and
downwmds. The theory is-and it has
facts for foundation-that four men can
pay license-tax Of one hundred dollars
wear for every one man who can pay
license-tax OF two hundred dollars year.
Well, this high-Iicense scheme seems TO
be growing in popularity in the West.
Several States have enacted it into a law;
and the indications are that the movement
in favor Of it will spread all over the
Union.
"The thing that has been is the thing
that shall be, aud there is no new thing
under the sum-" says the Wise Man. And
here we have another illustration OF the
truth OF SoLoMoN's dictum. The emo
nopoliesv which in old times the Kings OF
England used to grant to their favorites
were i'm their nature and operation very
much like the high-license scheme. This
would at once appear if the saloon-keepers
under this scheme should find il necessary
TO prosecute all persons who might sell
liquors without license near their places OF
business. Their claim to monopoly
of the liquor traffic would at once be
apparent. And this viii naturally be the
next stage in the evolution OF the tempe
rance movement. Each liquor-dealer who
paws his three or five hundred dollars a
year, or more, will be granted "monopo-
ly" over so many squares in town or
city, or so much territory in the country
districts. and will be empowered to look
after his own interests. Then we will have
gone back several hundred years and be-
gun again where our fathers left off before
England ever had q constitutional mon
arch-one, we mean, holding his title from
Parliament, or the people, and not in yir-
tue of his birth.
And how vigilant in the suppression oil
the unlawful traffic in liquors these mo-
nopolists" would be. There would be no
need for policemen to track the law-break-
ers 10 their hiding-places. The saloon
keepers would see to it that there was no
Illicit traffic in liquors in the territory en-
braced within their monopolles." We
commend this new feature, or coming
feature, Of the high-license scheme to the
attention of the agitatorS in Kansas, IN
diana, &C., &c. Surely if to make liquor
seller pay one thousand dollars year for
his license is an effective method OF dimin-
ishing drunkenness and its concomitant
evils, that method would be rendered still
more effective il each liquor-dealer were
granted an absolute monopoly so far as Il
certain territorial district was concerned