The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-30

Views OF Leading Temperance Paper or
the subject-How 1t Works


New York Journal of Commerce.
Some people who until lately were rigid Pro-
niDitionists, are now earnestly asking this mat
ter-of-fact question: Whas is the largest revenue
that can be extracted from the liquor busiuessg
Iney no longer seek to kill off the traffic with
which they would formerly make no truce. The
maximum license fee in the nature of q fine,
winch will permit only the fttest to survive,
ana drive all others to close their DOORS and pro
duce the greatest income to be applied to hos
pitals and charities-this is the object that some
old Maine law men are not seeking to substitute
for half-abandoned hobby They receive the
ARGENT support OF great many temperance
men who never would follow the lead OF Neal
Dow. large majority of citizens who had been
lndlfferent to the question in all its phases ind
themselves warmly sustaining plan which nils
treasures and diminishes drunkenness and crime
wherever it has been tried. Judges, prosecuting
attorneys and policemen all heartily approve OF
nigh license, because it tends to drive corner
groggeries and dives" out of business, and make
SO much less work for the guardians of the peace
For once public sentiment is strong in favor OF
what may be called practicable temperance re-
form Hence the marked increase 10 license
rates which is taking place all over the country
The advance has been so marked and rapid that
some persons have thought it must soon reach a
point where it would fail of effect The evidence
OF such failure would be the great diminution,
instead of increase, of the gross license receipts
and the successful evasion or defiance OF the law
by the very class of men whom it is desirable. to
force out of the liquor traffic, with correspond
Ing reaction toward intemperance and crime
AT present this point has not been reached. No
body can say what maximum of license fee
would produce ths result which is feared. We
only know that up so this time the greatest rev.
enues have been derived from the highest aver
age rates, and that the men who pay them are
the most unremitting and successful opponents
of unlicensed liquor selling Policemen may
fail in their duty to spy out and break up the
contraband trade, but the dealer who pays 5000
or 81 600 year for his privilege may be
trusted to tolerate no rival who pays nothing. In
Chicago the fee was advanced from $50 to 5000.
The result was an addition of ST, 600 to the
city revenues last year and decrease OF $50 iiq-
uor saloons. In Joliet the rate has been raised
to 81, O0O and many persons thought that the
point of failure lay inside of that high limit
But on the contrary, although the number of
drinking places in Joliet has fallen. from 129 to
twenty eight-which still leaves all that inveter-
ate drinkers really want-the income from IL
censes has greatly increased. At no place with
in our knowledge where the high license system
has been introduced and strictly enforced has 1t
failed to give satisfaction to the majority of
voters. These are the reasons why it is spread
ing all over the country. Sooner or later 1t will
reach New York, and the liquor interests may as
well prepare for its coming as something newt
able. 1t has already struck Boston. where the
state of public opinion on this question is indeed
different from that of New York. Nevertheless
any experiment. in political economy and morals
which IS prosperous there is something that COM
meuds itself for adoption in every other large
American city. High license is in the air. and
New York will not long escape it.
In Boston the police commissioners have
charge of the licensing. For three years they
have been feeling their way toward higher rates,
with view to discover the maximum Of which
all the experiments are IN search. Acting under
the instigation of the Law and Order League of
Boston, they have advanced the rates to points
at which a breakdown was confidentially ex-
pected by some of the best friends of license.
But somehow the liquor dealers of the best class
have survived the tax. added hundreds of thou
sands to the municipal revenues, lessened the il
legal traffic. and with it drunkenness and crime,
and all this time there has been no lack of liquor
for the thirstiest soul. Emholdened by the sue
cess of the plan thus far, the police board this
year have not waited for the usual promptings
of the Law and Order League, but have volun-
tary marked up the license fees to very high
figures. We note some of the changes made to
go into effect May and to last one year.
For licenses of the 6rst-class to sell al kinds
of liquors to be drunk on the premises: Inn
holders from 5000 to $780, and common victual-
le-s from $3.50 to $3.50. For licenses of the second
class to sell malt liquors, cider and light wines
co6tsanipg not less than Is per cent of alcohol,
to be drunk on the premises, from 1925 to $1T5.
The increased rate of the second class, it
will be observed, is still low in COM
parison with that charged for the right
of selling spirituous liquors. Herein is a
concession to the views of those who hold that
the best temperance reform is that which weans
men from whisky, gin. brandy and rum by the
substitution OF milder beverages. This idea is
still further carried out by the creation of
class of licenses at 1925 for the sale of beer and
cider alone. to be drunk on the premises. Other
changes generally in the direction of higher IL
censes are made affecting the distillers and
wholesalers but those we have mentioned are
the most significant
The net addition to the Boston revenues in
consequence of the increased rates is estimated
at $100 900 a year If the scheme should work
as we'll as expected, the maximum next year will
probably be put at ST. 900. and even that may
not be the end thereof if the experiment should
still continue satisfactory. Therefore, it's opera
ton will be watched with great interest all over
the country as involving the most searching test
of the license.system hitherto attempted.
The Most Remarkable Business in the Country.