The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-02-15
LIQUOR ETGEST,ArsON 0FTzsE
FASa = EAR.

In an address recently delivered be-
fore the Missouri state bar association
at St. Louis, Mr.. Henry Hitchcock
presented a review OF state legislation
during the past year on the liquor
question. The address abounds in in
teresting and important facts. Mr..
Hitchcock shows that during the wear
! legislation intended to restrain or pro-
| hibit the sale of liquors was enacted in
six states, differing very widely in So
cial conditions, viz: Kentucky, Mis-
sissippl, South Carolina, Massachu-
sets, Connecticut and Iowa. In Iowa
| it took the form of n constitutional
amendment, absolutely prohibiting
the manufacture aud sale within the
state of any Intoxicating liquors what
ever One of the courts has, however,
pronounced the amendment invalid
because it was not submitted to the
| popular vote in proper form, and the
question is still under appeal. In Ken
tucky, the Legislation has taken the
curious form of special acts prohibiting
or providing for the regulation of the
sale of liquor in particular counties or
districts, apparently IN satisfaction of
| the prevailing sentiment on the sub
/ y
acts, too, show that in some localities
the state Of opinion which once called
for such legislation has changed, for
they repeal the prohbitory laws now
in force in these localities In Nissis-
sippi things have taken similar
coarse. The sale of liquor is prohib-
tied in fifty different towns and with
in five miles thereof. One act pro-
bibits in all the towns OF Il particular
county except one, and inalothel per-
mits the sale OF malt liquors only.
Another acts relieves from the opera
tion of the law which prohibited the
sale of liquor within seven miles of
two specified churches, that portion
of Territory lying north of Strong
river and east Of Pearl river In
South Carolina we find n similar
series of special acts prohibiting liquor
dealing in certain localities, and one
general one, providing for a local vote
in any town, city or village, on the de-
maLd of 0ne-third Of the legal voters,
to decide 10y q mHinrity whether there
hail uc "llcrp4e Cr "uO license but
cXempting domestic wine sold by the
gallon from the jurisdiction of the To-
cal majority.
In other states, as Massachusetts,
the existing license laws have been
made mnre stringent. IN Connecticut
the question of license or no license
was RENTED to majority vote at
town meetings, and liquor dealers
were made punishable for selling to
habitual drunkard~, minors or intoXi-
Gated persons, besides being made liza
BILE in civil damages for injuries COM
mitted by men made drunk ON their
premises. Ia Texas the local option
law already i'm force was slightly
amended. In Ohio the so-called pond
lawn eudeaVorcd To evade the cOnsti-
tutonal prohibition Of licenses by i'm
posing heavy special tax on liquor
dealers, but the supreme court pro-
nounced II tuucoEstitutioual. Another
act closed on Sundays all "places" in
which liquor was sold or exposed for
sale on other days, but the difficulty
of eufOycGin@ it have been found so
great that il remains a dead letter.
No doubt is true, rs the New York
Erdmg Post remarks, that the in
creasing tendency to legiSlate upon
the liquor traffic i'm various parts OF
the union marks "a defined growth
in the public mind of new ideas on the
subject; though Just what the result is
towards which il all tends may for
some time vet be obscure, and there
fore matter of dispute. But there
can he 40 doubt that these efforts in
dicate and increasing public contempt
and condemnation of excessive drink
ing, which, whatever the efficacy or
inefiicacy of liquor laws, must result
in promoting temperance. That the
consumption Of liquor may he greatly
diminished without prohibitery or
even restrictive laws is shown by the
changed habits within generation OF
the well-tO-do classes both here and in
England. The same phenomenon, re-
sulting probably from the same cause,
j. now visible among the English
working classes. In England h q
spread of popular education has al
ready exerted marked inhGeuce on
the yield of the liquor taxes which
now constitute about 30 per cent Of
the revenue, or about Sl55,0 600. 900
Should this tendency to diminished
consumption Of intoxicating drinks
continue, il would create financial
problem greater than any Mr.. Glad
stone has had 10 contend with; and
that it is likely to continue and to
grow no one dOubts.-Er.
The Portland city assessment roll