Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-05
HIGH LICENSE.
Its Practical Operation Where Enforced
at the East.

| Its Practical Operation Where Enforced
at the East.
The subject of high license upon the sale
| of intoxicating liquors, for the twofold pur-
pose of increased public revenue and con-
sequently decrease of general taxation, and
| that of limiting the evils resulting from
| indiscriminate open saloons and grogge-
ries, is just now claiming unusual attention
of taxpayers and the real reformers in
nearly every State in the Union. DR..
| Lyman Abbott. of New York. recently
writing editorially upon the subject, thus
speaks of the high-license law in Illinois
Official investigations have been made as
the results of this law; and it has been in
| operation long enough TO produce results
| which, if not decisive, are certainly signifi-
| cant. The reports which lie before us, and
| from which our information is gathered,
| are partly official, and partly non official,
| the latter being gathered by the Chicago
| Tribune They bear date last March.
The license is fixed, by what is known as
the Harper law, at $500. In the city of
Chicago this law has increased the revenue
to the city from 100000 to 81, 100000 and
reduced the saloons from $500 TO 1890. In
Hyde Park, suburb of Chicago, though
the population has increased, the saloons
have been reduced nearly one half, while
the income, and the consequent reduction
OF taxation, has been multiplied tenfold.
What is more significant is reduction in
the number of arrests from 1895 to 67S. In
Springfield, the capital of Illinois, the sa-
looms have been reduced 80 per cent. in
number, and the revenue from them has
been increased 2S1 per cent In Peoria the
saloons have been reduced nearly one half.
and the revenue has been trebled. These
are reports from the larger cities. In the
smaller towns similar effects have been pro-
duced. In some of them no licenses are
granted, and prohibition is secured by local
option. In nearly if not quite all the others
the number of saloons has been somewhat
reduced, the amount OF revenue to the
State largely increased, and the amount of
drunkenness and disorder notably dimin-
ished. From six columns of reports that
lie before US we take some specimen re-
ports at haphazard:
Cairo, Ill.-Increase of revenue fifty per
cent; decrease of saloons nearly fifty per
cent; decrease of notable intemperance
thirty per cent.
Quincy-1nCrease of revenue nearly
forty per cent decrease of saloons thirty
per cent.
Tolono-Revenue doubled business of
Police Courts diminished ninety per cent.
Tole0o-All the low groggeries shut up.
Sandalia-No decrease of saloons in
crease of revenue sixty-six per cent; fewer
cases of drunkenness, and fewer disturb
ances.
Morris-Saloons reduced from twenty
four to sixteen; revenue increased from
s., 400 to $4,000.
We need not perhaps, continue these re-
ports. The general result is expressed by the
facts that in the State at large the revenues
of the State have increased from 100000 to
| over 81, 100000, the number of saloons has
been reduced from 1900 to less than 5000,
the best elements of both parties unite in
supporting and enforcing the law, and dis
regard of it apparently finds little sanction
from either the people or their natural
representatives, the Courts, the Sheriifs, and
the iuries