Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1886-04-24

500, 600, where u 0tueT years tDey
reached 81 500, 900.
After The enforcement. Of good
Iaw Ia Massachusetts,, i Is said. that
not one-tenth 81 much liquor was
sold ID the State IS there was Que or
two years before.
On eight Sabbaths before the en-
forcement Of the Excise Law in New
York city, some years ago, there
were .OT8 arrests for drunkenness,
end on eight Sabbaths after the en-
forcement of the law there were oLly
523 arrests.
The convictions for crime In New
! York scslhoat prohibitory law were
10 the proportion of one to every $40
in population, while the convictions
for crime 10 Maine nth prohibitory
law were in the proportion of one to
every | ,6S9 of population.
Crime diminished Is per cent in
the State of Connecticut under the
prohibitory law of 1853, and where
the license system was restored it in-
creased so per cent In single year.
The British Parliament some years
ago passed two laws, namely, to close
the public house in Scotland on the
Sabbath, and to enlarge the Jail in
Edinburgh. The law to close the
public houses went into effect at once,
and at the end of one year it was
found that the number of criminal of
fences bad been reduced one-third -
At the end of the second year they
were still further reduced, and the
idea of charging the Jail was aban-
doned. After several years of the
observance of a good Sabbath law,
one entire wing Of that Jail was unec.
cupied.
Vineland, New Jersey. prohibits
the sale of liquor within its limits
When the population was 10000 the
overseer of the poor said, that for six
months no one had required assis-
lance at bis hands, that for whole
year there had been only one indict-
ment for crime, that police expenses
had been only SIS, that there was no
debt and that taxes were only one per
cent on the valuation.
Very many facts like these can be
gathered to show the Importance of
good laws.
Since the law has SO much to do
with the amount of intemperance, it
| is not to be wondered at that earnest
temperance men, all over the country,
ere invoking the aid of the law as
they have never done in the past, and
that men less ardet ia the cause of
temperance are not so much opposed
to local option or prohibition as they
were years ago.
That there are objections 10 this
feature Of the temperance reform we
are willing to admit, but none, as we
think, that cannot be answered.
We are told that men ought to re-
sist the temptation to drink, and not
need law to assist them in this resis-
lance. But if this can be pleaded
against law to restrain intemper-
ance. it may be pleaded against the
laws restraining criminal indulgeDces
Of every kind.
1t is said that a local option or pro-
hibitory law cannot be fully enforced.
| But this Is true Of almost every
criminal law, and we do not lose
faith in law on that account. The
agent of the Society for the Suppress
sion of Vice says, "From 25 to 40 in
dividuals are constantly advertising
lotteries in The papers. and yet lot
terles are illegal everywhere If
they were not illegal would they not
be greatly increased
There are evasions OF all our laws,
and we do not expect to see local
option or pr0hibitory law any more
faithfully executed than otter laws.
Others say the revenue of the State
must suffer. A deputation of brew
ers came to Mr.. Gladstone with this
objection, when a change was pro-
posed 10 the license laws Of England.
sGentlemen," said Mr.. Gladstone.
'syou need not give yourselves any
trouble ab ut the revenue. The
question of revenue must never stand
I.in the way Of needed reforms. Be-
sides with sober population, not
wasting their earnings, | shall know
where 10 obtain the revenue
New York pays twenty-seven dol
lars TO restrain and punish the crimes
caused hy intemperaDce for every dol
lar received for licence. and some
thing like the same proportion will
be 4 und in every city IN the land be-
tween The expenses caused By liquor
ana tho recoinfe for lironea rhie