Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-05-24
1amfastfr fntelIipenrer.
Vr.celcsI temperance Reform.

KEuItGG0h lEuxYNHbmsU ssVs"H
The result Of the agitation Of the
l)uuor license question In Wilkesbarre
ms been that, after due reflection, the
court has refused 10 grant about one
Afth Of the eight hundred applications
there. Judge Rice, In making this de.
cision, said no appeals would be heard +,
~ the court had spent much time In con
sIdering the matter. Nearly all the new
applications were refused, and all cases
In which IL was shown that there had
bean wilful violation Of the law. No
licenses were granted to married women.
Most Of the licenses denied were asked
for in the cities and towns, already over.
crowded with taverns and saloons.
We commend this example to the
court here. IL shows what can I've done
by the fearless and intelligent ex-
ercise of that discretionary power with
which the judges are vested, and
no part Of which they can transfer to
anybody else without resorting to cow
srdly subterfuge or employing an extra
judicial device. Whenever the aggregate
number of licensed places in any COM
munity exceeds the number reasonably
needed for the accommodation Of the
public the judges should, of their own
motion, call a halt and between the ap
plicants decide which is really best fitted
BY his character and accommodations to
supply the public wants. They scarcely
make pretense here of doing anything
Of the kind.
1t Is the common rule that beyond
certain limit the greater number Of
licenses granted, the lower the average
of accommodations for the public; and
since these accommodations are, in the
present state of the law-whch may
not be a good law, but nevertheless
Is the law--the basis of the license
grant, the judges should scrutinize them
closely, and when they find that the pub
lie will be better accommodated with
one tavern OF saloon than with three
their obvious duty is TO determine which
of three applicants is flttest and TO give
him alone the license. In Chester
county a town like Parkesburg,
for instance, has one hotel and a
good one, because its proprietor can
afford to maintain 1t as such in Coates
Vile there are only two, both excellent :;
and other communities have them in
proportion. The liquor men are better
satisfied than II the number WAS larger,
because they can keep better houses, and
make larger profits ; the temperance folk
know that ~ is to the advantage OI
their cause.
The number of taverns and saloon
here is very much larger, and the quail
ty Of their accommodations is inferior
Many of them thrive only by competto
and by pandering to trade the encour
agement of which works decentralization
Villages in this county with half th
population OF Parkesburg or fourth tina
Of Coatesville are given three taver
licenses without inquiry. and none Of th
grantees, with such division of TIL
trade, can afford to keep good house
the same is more true Of saloons in tn
towns. The remedy would be entIrel
with the court, II it exercised discre
tion and courage both. The lack of
combination of these qualities is tn
judicial infrmity that too often hinder
wise and intelligent administration o
license law, which In itself is the pro
duct OF no great wisdom.