Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-08-01
uieh License For Liquor.

The court of errors and appeals Of New
Jersey have affirmed the constitutionality
Of the high license and local option act
RECENTLY passed by the legislature. The
high license feature was unanimously
sustained, while that pertaining to the
local option was held valid by the close |
vote Of eight to seven. 1t was claimed
against tie second provision that, as the
people of a community could by vote de-
eide whether or not they wanted liquor
sold within their vicinage, it was dele
rated power from the legislature to make
laws. Aud 1t is a well known principle
of constitutional law that delegated
power cannot be delegated. But the
court held this was not q valid objection.
The old law provides that a license can
only issue on the recommendation OF
twelve freeholders, while under the new
enactment, it requires q majority CT the
people of the county. The principle is
the same, but the application broader.
Governor Green wrote confessedly
able veto message of the new legislation,
and its soundness Is shown by the c'ose-
ness OF the vote on the local option fea'
ture of the act. 1t is well TO have de-
cision upon it and the people OF the
state will now be apt TO rest content
when their highest court has pronounced
upon o much debated and serious ques.
ton.
The unanimity with which the high Ii
ahnw9
how the conservative element everywhere
recognize this as the best means OF
regulating liquor legislation. In this
state the high license law has done all
that was promised for it and more. 1t
went into effect on June so, 1887. In
the Gr,t place it vastly reduced the num-
ber of those applying for license. In
Philadelphia over one-half OF the liquor
sellers declined to apply for licenses under
the Brooks law and in Pittsburg and Al
legheny county fully one third dropped
out. There was total of II 500 appli-
cationsfor license in the state and of these
only 1874 were granted against 1l,553
granted under the old law in 1887.
The Pittsburg Times has compiled
ths figures and facts on high
operations, and they are very in
structive. In nine pOpulous counties o
the state-ArmstroDg Forest, GreeIe
Huntington, Indiana, Potter, Somerset
Warren and Washington - no retail
licenses were granted, and three others
Fulton, Juniata and Mercer-are almos
dry. Pittsburg and Philadelphia eacl
have only onefourth the number o
licensed drinking places they had yea
ago. Nearly every county showsa heav
falling off, and only one--Dauphin-a
increase in the number of places wher
liquor is sold legally. Yet the 7,72
licenses granted in 1855, yield revenu
OF 1885 ,963, while the 1853 license
granted in 1857, under the old law yielde
revenue of only s976,l7o.
In this county the figures given are a
follows: Number of applications 70
license In 1858, 3G9 number of license
granted in 1883, 339 number of license
granted in 1887, 396 total revenue iron
licenses in 1857, sl7,6 total rev
enue from licenses in 1883, s5i ,025.
So 1t will be seen that high license Ina
vastly decreased the number of drinkin
places, while trebling the amount c
revenue derived from the sale of liquol
1t remains to be seen whether there wi
be prOportionate decrease in crime az
cording to the number of low groggerie
that have been abolished.