The Dawson journal., 1883-02-08
Local Option and High License.
Indianapolis News.


That earnest advocate of prohb ton
DIR. Gerrish, has come here as he told
the .Nel0s yesterday, to be Sin at the
death" of the amendments, but he
comes expressing his belief in ga res
direction and Ife,' and his determi-
nation in common with prohibitionists
to begin again with zeal encouraged
by defeat. Should the doctors death
diagnosis be correct, we ask him and
all proaibiiionists to come and let us
reason together and see il it would not
be wise to propose to the Legislature
for action the policy sta ed in the cap
5ion of this editorial: ''Local option
aAl nigh license Local option has
been a success wherever tried. Local
option is in harmony with the true
principles of oar Institutions 1t is a
lool expression of the mlDrity Its
enforcement - localized DIRECTLY where
the poud rance o. sentiments is in
It's favor It is not the sentiment of Il
rural district INFO Ell upon a city, or
even of one city ward imposed upon
another. II is, the expression of the
people themselves directly concerned.
1t takes the whis.ley question out of
politics, whore it corrupts and works
BARN, and puts it squarely into the
everyday lie Of the people, to be
there ,ealt with as the people desire.
1t is constant in its operation 1t is
gradual. 1t goes no faster than the
weight OF opinion calls for it :: and
keeps peace with it as the mercury in
the tube follows the temperature of
the air. 1t is an educator from wear
to year, and as it spreads it confines
saloons to closer limits, and breaks the
saloon s. stom as factor, and a most
corrupt and dangerous factor, in poll
tics 1t gives salJou5 life in a commu-
nifty that's wants theta TO live and that
supports them, aud it cuts them out
from a community that does not want
them. Thus it is doubly fair to the
Saloons aud to the people. 1t does
not on the one hand compel the saloons
10 cease to exist where they are desir-
ed, and 1t does not on the other hand
allow them to exist where they are moi
desired. Nothing cou.d b. more last
aud equ table, nothing more democrat
ic, nothing more in harmony with the
genius OF GU Institutions and the dis
position Of our neope, and nothing has
ever been or can be more successful
FOR its success has been and is perfect.
We urge this upon the Temperance
folks. upon the Legislature, upon both
political parties.
Along with this part of it is the
question of high license; question
so tuli of virtue as to be its own re,
ward. 1t has been tried in Nebraska
for year and u half with the most ben
Efficient results. 1t is a perfect sue.
cess. Briefly, il is State law which
| places the license for the sale of intox-
icating liquors az $1,000 in cities of
the second class having a population
less than 10000. A bond Of $1,000
Is required of every applicant for a
saloon license and the names of 80 res
ident freehnlders Of the town or pre-
crct setting forth that the applicant is
man of respectable charac er and
standing, and resident of the State.
Previous to this a law requiring Ii
cense of the same amount was in exis-
| tence IN Omaha, and had been for six
years, but it was only municipal or
dlaance, merely permissible under
State law, and it never was at any time
Of its existence enforced as the State
law of the same kind has been enforced
e very hour Of its existence. What is
tho result which the year and a half
of trial has demonstrated} In Omaha
city of 10000 inhabitants where the
same municipal ordinance had existed,
the State law has reduced the number
Of saloons from $50 to 90, and the lat
ter contribute $4,000 (instead of
$50, zoe, as fornery,) fo' the main
tenance Of schools, which was previ-
ously levied upon the real and person
al pr )perty OF the city. The proceeds
from this State law, be it said, are set
aside Tor the school fund. In snolIs
towns where there were formerly eigh-
teen O. twenty low doggeries there are
now bat two or three reputable and
law-abiding saloons. There is less
druokenhess, lesspooI liquor sold, and
less loodna and rowlism In quite a
numoer of our towns, ranging in popu-
la ion from 500 to 3 200 peoslc, prohi,
bition evist. 1t may be seen from from
this that the law is enc OF local ontion-