New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-13
TEMPERANCE LEGISLATION IN
AMERICA
A REPORT TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

|
| ADVANTAGES OF HIGH LICENSE-GREAr Pko'
GREss IN TEMPERANCE.
From report BY Ed,cards secretary Of Lesafo" a.
Washington
On the relative advantages of the prohibitory sys
TAM and the g license systcm,n II IS very dincuit
TO arrive at any decided OPINION he partsans OF
| each systom MAINTAIN that tho one they Uphold has
| moved and Will prove confer the greater benefits
| On the communities where Il Is carried out
hen the OF temperance is held IN view, inc ,
system OF prohibition mos na'I ibs grdpr and lust
enforcement OF this system is surrounded with so many
earnestly aud imparaliy studied the question, SIM
Pie impOsSibllity Total abstinence cannot De iess
/ lated into nation. Men Will obtain drink. when they
have an appetite for IL, and long that appetite
exists-ana exist IL Will until tho world mas ledchou
far higher of education than that OF the pres
| ent tinie-peOple VIII Us found TO supply them with
drink, no matter what risks they may run Oh PUNISH
men for Violation OF law the greater tho risk the
eaer will be the profit they Will look for from their
Illegal trarc, which IS moreover, carried on WIN
greater amount of adulteraton than unaer all o'her
rnder neatly all the prohibitory laws which obtain
In the dihorent states aud districts, etc VI mus
try intoxicating liquors may be imported INTO sucu
states and districts but not sod except by importers
in The original packages Tho meaning oi ah's = nns
! drink, whereas the poor man, however temperate 10
may be, cannot Obtain quany smai I'm tn AZ This
fact alone would tempt most people with inc e1cep
ton of horities charged with tho eniocohoh
of the law 10 assist ia IT'S VIOLATION and, as IS show
! I'm many where law Is peipotuaily violated,
/ II has become dead letter This must be prelu-
! d,ciaI If people are allowed to disregard one law
they soon learn to have contempt and disregard for
To ouote the opinion OF a high Official In one of tho
principal cities in prohibition sato, Who IS, and al
ways has becn total abstaner, ana VINO mas i ,
every steadily and without FAVOR 10 eniOfco
the law from the it came INTO oiIect, probation
pure and Simple Is In this state an mp"ssloIIty con
f., srdiy for the prohibition law Itself gives the I'M
porters a right TO sell liquors In tue ofsinh Pa.h
ages and rich man can buy hqao, Dy , rhe quah'y'
| while a poor man cannot buy drink THIS, az naSt,
seems unfair. There are prohibt"nsts WHO 20 th as
] IufUX
| II NAV be urged that as a rnle, It docs not gen.
orally affect the community at large TO the same
If rich man become addicted to drink as IN the
the victim produces nothing whereas in tho other he
is of value to the state; bat for all that law should
apply equally to all classes. Its value and efficacy
Prohibition impericctly as 1t Is possible 10 carry
70. has done great good in many ways, but harm In
Others II has swept away the temptation offered
by open bars II has greatly reduced The number OF
arrests from drunkenness from 315 to 300 lever
inebrlateI persons seen in tho streets tie mum
Of the petty offences which may be- attributed 10 tho
abnse of Hquor are fewer, The chief good done by
ceres etc. by workmcn's families, is larger than
formerly. ON the other hand, it has Induced many
people TO sell liquors surreptit!ousy who never
dreamed Of doing before. Tho profits are 50 large
that liquor IS sold In every hole ana corner "he'e
is Impossible TO detect It. evidence be got TO
| convict the law breakers when discovered
Undoubtedly. The city has been quetor and more ore
license system There IS not open bar the whole
town and liquors can only 10 sold with the greatest
precauton. Bot a. before stated. 1t is sold, and 1t
exists everywhere. In dwelling houses cellars gar
rcts and every Ouof the way place. and II is with
the greatest difficulty, on account OF the very SLOW
process of collecting evidence that 1t can DO sezed
aud conviction arrived at
Liquor is brought into the city by the transportation
Companies I'm every Unable way to conceal Its OK
lsence and attempts at lis seizure In transit must
be attended with great risks.
Tie law as It stands has much IN its favor, much
against 1t. The liquor traffic carried on as II IS,
down to this point only b. the most continual and en-
ergetic efforts of the authorities, for tho enforcement
Of The law encounters The most pertlnaclOuS opposition
on All sides aud every assistance In its violation Is
given It's enforcement also engenders bad blood,
hut that must 10 expected when law of such
Dature las TO be- acted upon Prohibition In tho
srlctest sense. enforced rgIdly aud equally among
all classes the Executive and receiving he support
Of all pc sons. would doubtless be benefit to man
Kind, with view TO he total suppression OF ihtci-
onrancc but tho Laws framed II generally Is defeats
It's aims to say moi hing Of The nearly nsurmountabo
OTIS aces which have to be cOniendcd against suoh as
self interest capital Invested. public sentiment, OPP
Dos ton on the part of doaerS and consumers ques-
ions and points Of law that have 10 be scttcd by INC
slow process OF the courts, the difficulty Of obtaining
convict In such except upon tho pfouucuoh Vi
the most overwhelming evidence.
The revenue must naturally suffer rom prohioltory
laws. owing to the difficulty OF obtaining stats'ics
been made 10 this pect In States, etc. where pro
Ibitlon exists with view TO further tho cause Of
,nmncranrc: bat It has been very large one.
II i maintained, and with evident reason that the
high license systom7 really advances that cause as
much as and to greater extent than prohibition, and
AZ the same time brings about large Increase of
revenue As far as they CO. statistics show that tho
hrh-censc system has certainly reduced the number
force and naul ally tho opportunity Tor nemierance
is lesseued by this reduction The enforcement OF
nrohlbitiun Is only not assisted but opposed by
The general public, whereas those who pay high
license will naturally help the auihorios In the con
yction of breakers OF the law under the fundamental
nrlncipe OF self preservation. Under the highlceuso
system II IS shown that tho Smaller and moro dis
reuuta able places where intoxicating liquors sold
are bound 10 disappear, and the worst temptation of
all the sale OF drink at groceries, has been stopped
II may be said that every one wanting drink has 10
think CO before doing so. Ia spite OF the adverse
views Of tie prOhlbOnists II Is strongly maintained
that the hgh-license system has thrown the liquor
traffic into the hands Of moro respectable class OF
10 pay the high license for the dealers. This may be-
true but If 1t Is, It be very Justly assumed that
the brewers VIII take care that the dealers for whom
they do pay. belong To al least good class Of
dealers those who we'll enough oil to pay for
themselves The Increased license fees.
In The Town Of Chicago, rs stated above. the NUN
Of the enormous Increase Of The population The reve-
nue. from license fees has been Occupied, and the
consumption Of liquor diminished A most judcIous
and cfcaoons addition 10 an act requiring tic pay
Weu OF nigh license j. the PROV ision that a bond for
large sum, amounting In some cases 10 1000
$1,000. must hc given with surctcs by The llcensec
guarantee for the keeping Of respectable house,
for the opening Sundays, and that liquors be
not sold 10 minors, habtual drunkards. etc. a very
rigid, careful and impartial ia, pecton Of all liquors
sold, with View to prevent adulteration, should DO
required by law, and Il should be- made strictly Illegal
employ In the liquor traffic minors Of either
In conclusion, 1t may bo stated that 10 whatever
Influences it may be due, whether to prohibition
or TO high license" tho cause Of temperance has
made great strides within tho last few years
THIS advance IN the right direction should ven
uc 10 think bc attributed rather 10 the general enor
progress made the country than to any Special
legislation on the matter