New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29
misder1eanor punishable . siraslar oHeuse wouaa
BY any other person.
FROM GOVERNOR Mc0rLL,s POINT OF VIEW.
Governor McGfn wrftes as follow:

| Governor McGin writes as follovy:
The laws Of this State governing the liquor traic
1 law avn was enacted sSs h Il feSrasry ss
terms did not 70 into effect until July I. 1881 ia
sss and the city council stu a'S further extended shs
date Coy general CONSENT when The Law Should 20 Ro
Law the license FEE 70 sen lntcisatIns liquors I "a
cities and places Of less population including small
ags s1a Ss sssI q 2, But sStO
nonths-not long enough TO gve II 4 fair lest In
deed. IN S. Paul. II has not yot rope into sicri As
shove explained think Y safe to say however
the first ysars operation q the Law win show rcac
In St Paul Their. are at present sSoat $50 saloons
it is not expected there win be more than $50 under
fxed BY the CITY Council. has been 800 or s75 900
for $50 saloons Under the Hlgh License law. with
decrease Of 400 in the number Of saloons. and an
Increase Of s27sOoo in revenue for the payment Of
Incident 70 the maintenance Of public order.
believe the High License law tho best practical
II is claimed by fits friends that It the
liquor traffic. but that Il reduces and crcunscribes IT,
the same tine raising revenue fron the traffic itself
TO bear the burden OF police EXPENSES. ! could name
to reductions in the number saloons under this law
the cause OF temperance has made marked headwsy,
law Is popular In the State and do not believe It
could be repealed. even were the party in power
overturned. 1t is REGARDED practcal solution OF
prohibits. but Prohibition law voula not do that,
and under the latter we would derive no revenue to
pay the expenses Of enforcing public order
o. f"u'' MILL REPUBLICANS. A. L. "coii1-
N J. Daniels gives the following expression Of bis
views:
~ onr High License law has reduced the number
Of saloons at least one third, and doubt has had
the restrictions and regulations as to habtuai drunk
ards and miners there can be no doubt vhatovor as
teI It Is my opinion that a. the present time a
Hsh License law such + now n operation cam
a. prohoi t laT. a. the people arp not yst pre-
Following Is the reply Of General A. B. NettIctoni
~ Tho liquor legislation Of Minnesota enacted one
year ago. consists Of several separate laws Their
laws, FIVE in number throw abou. tbs liquor trac
less than dozen different sharp restrictions. men
ing shuts the saloons on the afty-twO days Of each
year when most actual possible patrons OF saloons
temptation Second the annual restriction tax Of
$500 each saloon In tho country and country towns
and d 900 each in cities, with Imprisonment as an
unavoidable part OF tho penalty for zach violation
does this /. II permanently closes one-haf Of the
saloons in the state the first OF It's enforcement
will close further percentage the second year. and
prevents the opening of now ones. 2. It wholly
abolishes or prevents saloons IN many communities
where they would exist and prosper under tax or
q low tax. It largely drives saloons out OF the resi-
dence portions of cities, and thus at least, partially
frees the homes of the people from close proximity
to these schools Of vice. 8. In the manner It
largely diminlshes drinking and Drunkenness since
mui,itudss Of men who Would frequent saloons. II
near Ct hand after q days work, will not go far to
reach them Mere distance overcomes temptation
with most men who are not confirmed tIppers with
tipplePs appetite. 4. So far from making rum
selling respectable this high special tax brands the
trsfic as destructive and advertises It's dangerous
character 1t brings TO the traffic III and not good
repute
(2l with tho two additions named In my answer
to question o. consider this body Of liquor laws
tho best for the purpose except where Is practca
TO enact and 10 enforce, with reasonable thoroughness
and permanence, state laws completely Supprcssins
laD (p There should be State law providing local
oi cities, Probably two-thrds Of our connles would
entirely abolish saloons at first election and more
to the few counties In which largo towns situated,
and the contest for complete suppression would bo
on saloons should BE- Increased 10 900 and 600
each. (cl AS soon as the present rapid advance In
public sentiment has reached point which would
insure enforcement, State law should DO enacted
given date. A. .. NETTLEToN.
Minneapolis, MINI.
One OF tho gentlemen to whom the letters of In
Quiry were sent forwarded them 20 DIR. Samuel @.
Smith, because Of his interest in and familiarity with
the subject. He s ranked with Republicans only Oh
conjecture. He writes as follows
a. The now laws have not been IN operation long
enough to warrant positive statement to their a
tend to establish their value Particularly is this ruo
Ia many rural communities where high hcepse and the
best practical result thus far attained Is the complete
evertnrov OF ths liquor interest as dominant political
viii admit that are, on the whole far better
on q ts .se n Be By
experience. II the tax is not sufficient TO diminish
ro It IS not SsS It is clear that IV ANYTHING d less
than $1,000, for all classes Of neoxioants Is not high
vine and LIQUORS, IN favor Of the tormer viii prOyc
q deuson, because the saloon Keeper cannot be
trusted Iowa experience Of years ago establishes
(2) Our liquor laws better for US, at present,
than any other statutes with which am familiar.
(3) We should have local option law, giving each
county right to present the question Of prohibition
TO its voters, under careful restrictions. and no,
liquor laws cannot be studied except with reference
for the %hS h snd IS
Heterogeneous populations Of our grest elites MN in
P qSh It seems to me equally clear that Hh
License or any form OF restriction short OF destruo
- ST. Paul MINI SAMUEL c. SMITH
PRoHIBrTIoNIsTs.
J. NJ. Underwood IN reply writesi
q very Little
)3) The Government should to carry on the |
saloon business by colec ing large revenues on liquors
turn Is paid back the producer by the poor con
strict prohst0Ey law sHod % ,T passsu
10 convict. The fines should be large and penalties
for tho s yosS e s aRa sboUs e % FITS
enforcement by a state police. The fines should go 70
the support OF charitable and educational interests In
tho tow or city where they collected No law Is
Of any that Is not enforced.
Lake City MINI J. VI. UNDERWOOD
James E Child Is Of the following opinion
(1l I think not
lei do not think ft is the purpose Of the law b
-eprcss intempersnce at ALL
(3 Briefly law prohibiting the sale OF all intoxi- |
Gng liquors except for medicinal and manufacturing
purposes and for use in the arts. The statutes OF |
Maine or Kansas would most effectively accomplish |
hat purpose, l think. A license law, whatever It's |
provisions win not ropross intempersnce, for the
eason that the saloon Ia politics. holds the balance
II power and neither OF the old parties viii dare to en-
orce Its prOhlbtOry features. We have had what |
5 termed high license" In Wsseca have added |
)ne saloon during tho past year In the state at |
arge high license has reduced the number Of saloons,
put there Is evidence that less liquor Il drank or
hat there IS less drunkenness High license fur
dishes as much liquor and of worse quality, |
thinkers say, ana the only dimlnution IN consump |
ion OF liquors Is owing TO total abstinence CONVEX
ions and the moral reform which is gradually going