New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-08
LyoUO6 LAWS OF THE UNION.

THE TRIBUNE continues to-day its summary
of the LIQUOR laws of the different States of
the Union, together with the testimony of lead
ing Republicans. Democrats and Prohibitionists
as to their workings. The States presented in
this issue are Nebraska, where an extreme
" strict High-License law has been seen in
practical and highly successful operation for
more than two years; Maine, the State where
the Prohibition idea was born, and has con-
tinued to be the ruling policy for more than
thirty five years Kentucky, where the hquor
traffic goes on its free and easy way, with mucn
less interference from the State than many
forms of more legitimate business; LOUISIANA
where license fees are graded according to the
receipts of saloons, and where there is Local
Option law, under which majority OF the
voters of a parish or ward can prevent the issu-
ance of licenses; and Michigan, where one OF
the most elaborate and carefully devised Of
High-License laws, embodying also Local OPP
ton. is only few months old, but is already
generally accepted as an effective reform meas
ure. This furnishes an excellent contrast and
makes q body of information which must De
valuable to all who are engaged in studying
this vexed problem, as we shall all have to be
for many years to come.
Il will be noticed that both in Nebraska and
Michigan the Higb-License laws are commend
ed in the warmest terms by Democrats as well
as Republicans. The only dissenters are the
Third party Plohibtionists. There is gen
eral agreement of the mass Of citizens, who
must be supposed to be fairly represented by
the representatives of the two great parties,
that High License keeps down the number OF
\ nbnol 10 inf and reduces taxes
by compelling traffic which keeps the aims
houses and prisons full to pay large share OF
their cost The reader will be struck with the
exacting character of these laws. The traffic
seems to be surrounded with every possible re-
striction short of absolute prohibition, and the
almost inevitable inference is that in rural
communities, if not everywhere, far better
practical results can be obtained under snch
laws than under Prohibition. Such is the con-
clusion of one of the most intelligent observers
| in Nebraska. 1t may be observed incidentally
that this same testimony dispOses effectually OF
recent claim Of the Third-party Prohibition
lists that High License has proved failure IN
Omaha. That city has had an experience al
most identical with that of Chicago. The total
number of saloons has not increased, though the
city has grown enormously in population ana
drunkenness has diminished one-half. This is,
in its essence, the invanable record of High
License. and that fact is an argument for ITS
adoption here which is simply unanswerable'
| II should be noted also that the testimony from
Nebraska and, indeed, from all High License
States, is that that policy is quite as effective
in the rural districts as in the cities.
We have been and shall be impartial in this
matter, and therefore direct attention to the
cordial approval of the Maine liquor law by the
Republicans as well as the Prohibitionists OF
that State THE TRIBUNE has no quarrel with
Prohibition, where majority of the people he
lieve it feasible Nothing is more apparent from
the showing we are now making than that each
State. and even each locality, should be the
Judge Of its own needs. Our quarrel is with
the Third party Prohibitionists, who seek to
kill the party that has put upon the statute
book every Prohibition and High-LicenSe law
to be found there for the sake Of party that
has never yet put law upon the statute book
and probably never will.