The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-31
THE HIGH license LAW.
A Statement Of Its Operations
in Pennsylvania.
A DECREASE OF so PER CENT
III the Number of Drinking Places In
One Year and 100 Per Cent In-
crease In Rcvcnuc-An Effect
i've vcLaw-Intercstins Details.

land county, few days ago handed
down his decision in the applications
before him for licenses to sell liquor,
there was ended for the time campaign
between the liquor interests and tenn
pemnce advocates Of Pennsylvania that
has been in every respect remarkable.
1t began seven months ago, and bat
ties were fought in every county in the
State.
The Brooks High License INV went
into effect june 50, 1887. Prior to
that time oil licenses for 1887 had been
granted, and, save in Allegheny county,
where several hundred licenses expired
in November, there was no opportunity
to enforce that section Of the law re-
striCting the number Of places where
liquor could be sold legally until the
license courts for 1883 were held, These
began in January, the President Judge
OF each district determining the time.
The last cases were disposed OF last
Monday. In every county vigorous
efforts were made by temperance people
VI ull CIAhScbt anu IlCulUSio VI wv
Women's Christian Temperance Union
particularly, to prevent the granting
OF rs many applications as possible. Pc
titions against the granting OF any
licenses within certain districts, and re-
mOnstrances against individual appli-
cants were circulated in every city, town
and hamlet in the State. In many OF
the interior counties mass meetings were
held to arouse public interest. Minis.
ters Of the gospel Of every denomination
from their pulpits exhorted their con-
gregations to aid in the work. Erie
county ladies' paid experienced canvass
ers to go over the whole county, and the
result was general remonstrance con-
tanning over 10000 names. The oppo-
nents OF license in Mercer county caused
to be printed the names OF all signers OF
petitions for license. A number OF
church members and officials figured in
this list, and they were given the altern-
ative OF taking their names off the petit
tions or leaving the church. In addition
to all this, attorneys were employed in
every county to represent the remon-
strants in court.
EFFRCTS OF OPPoSlTIoS.
These open preparations for battle de-
tered many liquor sellers in all parts OF
the State from applying for a renewal Of
their license. Another lettering cause
was the high tax imposed by the new
law. Under the old law license cost
only $50, save in Allegheny county,
where the rate was $500 for wholesale
and tavern license and 500 for license
to sell malt liquor. The Brooks law
made the license in cities of the first
three classes $500; in other cities $500;
in boroughs $50, and in townships $75.
The Brooks law also requires the appli-
cant to be a citizen OF good moral charac-
ter; that his petition shall be signed by
~ citizens OF the ward in which he re-
sides, and that he shall give bond in the
sum OF $1,000 not to violate the law.
The effect OF the new conditions was
especially notable in large decrease in
the number of applications for renewal
of license in Philadelphia and Pitts
burgh and other cities where class OF
drinking places known as doggeries
flourished. In Philadelphia over one
half the liquor sellers declined to apply
for licenses under the Brooks law, and
in Pittsburgh and Allegheny county
one-third dropped out. Notwithstanding
this, however, 1880 applications for IL
cense TO sell liquor were made through
out the State. The applicants every,
where employed able attorneys and
brought every other influence at their
command to bear upon the courts. The
result of the contest, now given to the
public for the first time, is astonishing.
REMARKABLE RESULTS.
OF the Ii 800 applications for license
only 1924 were granted, as against
1858 granted under the old law in 1887.
In nine popuFous counties Of the State
Armstrong, Forest, Greene, Hunting
don. Indiana, Potter, Somerset, Warren
and Washington-no retail licenses
were granted and three others-Fulton,
JuniNta and Mercer-are almost dry.
Pittsburg and Philadelphia each have
only one-fourth the number Of licensed
drinking places they had year ago.
Nearly every county shows heavy fall
ing oil, and only one-Dauphin- an in
crease in the number OF places where
liquor is sold legally. Yet the 1924
licenses granted in 1883 yield revenue
Of 81, ,S35, 1868, while the 1853 licenses
granted in 1887, under the old law yield
ed u revenue OF only $076,l7O.
VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS.
Thointerpretation Of the law has been
almost as varied as theloCalities to which
it was applied, almost every court max
ing some ruling that the Supreme Court
will be called to pass upon. In Phila-
delphia and Allegheny counties the
judges took the position that the court,
after hearing evidence, must be the
Judges of the necessity for the license
and the propriety OF granting it to the
particular applicant. In other words,
they ruled that under no circumstances
was itmandRtory upon the court to grant
a license, even though the petitioner
proved he possessed every qualification
required by law. This position was sus-
tained by the Supreme Court in refusing
the applications Of certain Philadelphia
applicants for mandamus on the lower
court to show cause why licenses should
not be granted to the petitioners.
In Washington county Judge Nc.
Ilvaine refused all applicants for retail
license, and in the case Of manufacturers
ruled that the law gave him no jurisdiC'
ton. He directed them to apply to the
County Treasurer, and that officer, by
direction OF the late Auditor General
Norris, issued licenses in accord with
the act OF 1887 governing wholesale
licenses.
Judge Sadler, Of Cumberland county,
decided to grant or refuse licenses as the
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