Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-03-08
w. G. T. U.
A REVIEW AND CRITICISM OF THE
LIQUOR LAWS OF WISCONSIN,.
Written for the W. c. t. U. Convention, Held at
Durand. Dec. 10, 1857.
By Me. M. A. B. SMITH.


three years later, laws which had pre-
viously been enacted were revised and
compiled, and became the Statutes Of
1889.
In these Statutes. provisions were
made for the sale of strong OF spirit
uous liquors and Wines" quite similar
to those which exist at the present day,
though the license fee was very small;
and penalties were pronounced upon
violations of the law, such as selling
liquor to minors or to Indians. To
show the value placed upon the head
Of young white man under twenty-one
years of age, in comparison with that
OF an Indian, by the Legislators, let me
cite the difference in penalties attached
for violating the law. For selling to
the white boy there was a penalty fixed
of 500 to be sued for and collected by
the parent or guardian of such minor,
but if sold to the Indian it might be
$3.50.
Query: If liquor is good for the
white man, why not for the Indian?
Ii liquor is bad, always bad and only
bad for the Indian. why not for the
white manP
A popularity of the penalty attached
for selling to the Indian, might be bene-
fetal if continued to the present day,
that of paying half of it to the one who
makes the complaint. If such were
the case now, more complaints would
be made if from no other than purely
selfish motives.
The law with regard to the Indians
was really prohibitory law but its
scope very limited.
The conditions of license and penalty
remained much the same until the adj
mission of Wisconsin as state and the
Revised Statutes of 1849 appeared
by the new statutes no license fee was
required, although the state virtually
consented to the traffic by taking the
bond required, as we shall see All
previous laws with regard to the traffic
were repealed and a radically different
law enacted in their place. Chapter
xxx. of the new statutes has been
known as the Bond Law or Civil
Damage Act" and was in substance as
follows:
Sec. | provided that no person
shosd vend or retail spirituous liquors
until he should execute bond in the
penal sum of one thousand dollars,
conditioned to pay all damages that
community or individuals might sus-
tain by reason of such traflic;to support
all paupers, widows and orphans; pay
the expenses of all civil and criminal
prosecutions made, growing out of, or
justly attributable to such traffic.
Now this section appears very fair
on the face of it and was made thus, no
doubt. to quiet the consciences of the
temperance element of that day, while
at the same time it aimed to deal gently
with the abominable traffic.
The legislators conceded by their
wording of this law that the traffic
makes paupers, widows, orphans, and
criminals, and that they must be sup
ported in some way; hence the proviS-
ions of this thousand dollar bond How
far would one thousand dollars go, even
if you could estimate the value of life,
toward paying for the husband who
has gone down to drunkard's grave;
for the eart-aches caused by the utter
neglect of wife and family; for the ex-
treme poverty which often ensues be-
fore death comes to claim its victim?
How far would it 60 toward supplying
the loving care which true father has
for his children, implanting in their
innocent minds love of the brave and
noble deeds of which their father should
be an embodiment? How much would
it relieve the remorse of the criminal,
who is perhaps languishing in the peni-
Tertiary for some crime committed
while under the influence of liquor,
to know that this same Legislature which
made it possible for him to get drunk
in realty planned for it, had provided
this bond TO pay for his trial and con-
viction, and for the damages to his
family? This was all in tho theory
that such a could be enforced but like
other laws the necessary proof must be
forthcoming.
In the first place: who could swear
which drink completed the ruin or ended
the life of the father, and where that
drink was obtained? When was the
last cent spent that made the pauper?
Which glass made the man a drunkard
or induced him to become a criminal?
Which transformed the man into de-
mon?
Talk about patriotism and philan-
trophy! Can you imagine man pos
sessed either of love for his country or
love to his fellow men, who would vote
for, or uphold such a law? My ques-
ton may sound harsh but does it seem
possible that any man, or body of men,
with any moral convictions, could so
deliberately plot for the ruin of othersP
And yet this statute was too strong; it
came so near making the saloon-keeper
liable for what he had done, that it
was repealed soou after, as will appear
later Let me frame section in the
place of the one under discussion.
No person shall hereafter vend, retail
or give away any spirituous liquors or
wines, to any person, under a penalty
of 1000 for the first offence; for Sec
ond offence penalty doubled, with six
months in the penitentiary.
Think you that the third offence
would be committed? | would take
just as good care by law of the white
man as the Indian.
Section provided that any mar
ried woman might institute and main
tain suit ia her name, for all damages
sustained by herself and children, on