Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-02-01

Services every Sabbath morning at 10 o'clock
Catechism at l P. NJ. Vespers at ?. NJ.
Senator Rices Idea of Treating In
temperance.
The bill of Senator Rice, starting
from the assumption that high Ii
censc is the most effectual means of
removing the abuses of liquor selling,
presents features of unusual interest.
1t is not only bill for high license,
but it Incorporates with that principle
the principle idea of making the
seller responsible for any damages
that can be traced to him, and it SO
surrounds the permission to sell liquor
with provisos, restrictions and penal
ties, as to make it probably as severe
as anything short of positive prohibit
ton, and ten-fold more effective. By
this bill, license is to be granted upon
the petition of thirty resident free
holders, upon the payment of not less
than 500 for each license. Two
weeks notice is to be given, license
shall be refused to those who are
proved guilty of violating this or any
other license act, and one granted may
be revoked for similar cause. Fines
are prescribed for selling to minors,
Indians, insane persons, or habisual
drunkards for selling on Sunday,
election day, or after II o'clock at
night For the last named class of
offenses the penalty is wisely fixed at
800 Those selling without license
shall be subject to a fine of not less
than 500 or more than $500, or to
imprisonment not to exceed one month
In cities of over 10, 1000 inhabitants
the license fee is fixed at 5000. Be-
sides these regulations, the bill incor-
porates the principle that has been
elsewhere adopted of making the Ii
quor seller responsible for all damages
that may be proved to result from his
direct action The seller is required
to give bond for $4,000, and any mar
ried woman may recover damages on
this bond for injury sustained by her
self or children on account Of his
traffic. Druggists licenses are to be
granted on somewhat more liberal
principles, but each is required to
keep a record of the name of the per-
son to whom liquor is given or sold,
with the date, kind, quality, and the
purpose for which it is procured.
Finally, the bill concludes with sec
ton that, if enforced, will dc, per-
haps, as much as all the rest to dimin,
ish drinking. by declaring it to be the
duty of all vendors Of Intoxicating
liquors to keep the windows and doors
of their places Of business unobstruct-
ed by screens, blinds or other articles
This is a measure of the kind tc
which every friend of real temperance
can give his hearty assent and support
The most enlightened of temperance
reformers are convinced that high
license law is, if not the sufficient
remedy for the evils of the liquor
traffic, at least the proper way to be-
gin genuine reform. Under such
regulations as those established by the
excellent proposition of Senator Rice
the worst of the rum-holes and grog
geries that now disgrace our civiliza
ton would be swept out of existence
Those who pay the high license fee
required would constitute a natura
police of the most effective sort, be
cause they could not afford to have
their business trenched upon by VIC
laters of the law. The removal o.
the screens that now hide every saloor
window and door would prevent tht
habit of social tipping over a bar from
hiding its head behind the assumed
shield of social responsibility, ant
would shame many moderote drin k
er, already yerging upon danserou
ground, from practice which would
be open to the survey of all his soeia
world. The provision that the famil,
of the drunkard may sue for damage
has been tried, and although produc
tive of less beneficial results than wa
once hoped by its advocates, is al
added impulse In the right direction
1t is probable that the minimum o
5000 is about the right figure to strike
the necessary mean between the sun
which any seller Of wretched whiske.
can afford to pay, and the other ex
IRENE of an amount so large as to b
virtually prohibitory. and to make i