The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-05-16
The Work Of the Law and Order
League.

No Temperance movement has ever
gained such hearty sympathy from all
good citizens as the Law and Order
movement. Having for its aim not the
propagation of any peculiar Temper
ance views, but simply the enforcement
of law, it appeals to the judgment and
conscience of all men who believe that
regard for law lies at the basis of social
order 1t finds sympathy with all save
the extreme Prohibitionists, who be-
heve that all license law is q sin and
ought not to be upheld. While we be-
lieVe Prohibitory law to be the only
rational method of restraining the liq-
uor traffic, good reaFons exist to urge
the strict enforcement of a License law
when it is on the statute books. Tho
general reason that law should be re-
spected may be passed overfor the COM
sideration Of the special reasons for the
expediency OF compelling liquor dealers
to regard the law.
In the first place, the Law and order
movement practically unites all good
citizens against the liquor traffic. 1t is
well-known fact that on the question
of license or no license the votes of
many of the most intelligent and up
right men are cast on the side of the liq-
uor interest. When the question of
maintaining the law is brought to them
their vote is found on the side Of Law
and Order. the side of Temperance.
The result is that instead of having two
parties arrayed against each other, the
License and the ProhiDitory, each con-
tanning good citizens. we have two new
parties with a sharply drawn line he
tween them. On one side the law abid-
ing. OH the other the lawless. The liq-
quor interest is thus plainly shown to
be what it really is, the lawless element
in society,
Furthermore, so far as License law is
enforced, SO far it is prohibition. Only
the prohibitory clauses in License law
are the effective clauses. The enforce
ment of the Sunday law prohibits for
one day out of seven. The enforce
ment of the Night law prohibits for six
hours out of the twenty-four. The en-
forcement of the law regarding minors
PROHIBITS the sale to all under twenty
one years of age.
The work which the Massachusetts,
League has accomplished in its two
years of existence may be fttingly
noticed here. In those towns where a
'sNo' vote has been obtained, as Water
town and Somerville, it is making Wig
orous efforts to Danish liquor from the
town. No less than six indictments
were found against a notorious rum
seller in WATERFOWL through the efforts
of the League. The Cambridge branch
League, which was formed but two
months ago, has recently secured the
conviction of six dealers. The town of
Marlboro had sixty liquor saloons year
and half ago. Now no one dares to
advertise that he sells liquor.
In all of the Learly sixty towns in
which branch leagues have Eeen organ
lied, convictions for Illicit selling have
been doubled and tripled These con-
victions are not spasmodic, but a part
OF well-defined policy to make liquor
selling, contrary to law, disgraceful,
expensive and dangerous. We trust
the work will go on until all of the
three-hundred and forty-seven towns in
the State see their good citizens bound
together with common purpose of
enforcing law and establishing order
Golden Rule.