Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-30
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A High License Lesson.

Pnllauelpnla is supplying mOSJ IN
structive lesson as to the value of high
license in restricting the saloon inter-
est. The law passed at the last session
of the Pennsylvania legislature is very
stringent. The cost of license in
Philadelphia is $500, and the person to
whom it is granted is required to fur
nish two sureties in the sum of $1,000
each for his good behavior. The law
establishes a license court, which has
absolute discretion in determining
whether saloon shall be kept in any
locality. The court can pass upon the
character of an applicant for saloon
license and reject him for what seems
to be good reasons, such as former
violations of the law, keeping a dis
orderly place, being of Incorporate
habits, never having been natural
lied, having billiard or pool tables in
connection with his saloon, beating his
wife, and in short doing anything out of
the way that may be brought to the at
tention of the court. The judges have
proceeded thus far IN the enforcement
of the law without fear or favor, and the
results have been surprising.
There are at present six thousand sa-
looms in Philadelphia, but if the proper
tion of licenses granted to those refused
so far shall be maintained, the number
of saloons and hotel bars in Philadel-
phia after June next will not exceed
fifteen hundred. Among those whose
applications have been refused by the
court are active politicians of both par
ties, councilmen, and men who have ex-
ercised some influence which they sup
posed would protect them. Some whose
applications were rejected have been in
the liquor business for lifetime, but
if their reputation was not good they
had less chance than those who were
just starting in the traffic. The court
has been especially careful to restrict
the number OF saloons in the worst To-
calitles. Thus in one ward, described
as the roughest and most degraded por-
tion of the city, the number of saloons
has been reduced from two hundred and
thirteen to thirty-three. In another
ward, which is almost entirely occupied
by business houses, it has been deemed
expedient in the interest OF the en-
ployes of such houses to allow only
sixty-six saloons against two hundred
| and forty-seven last year. If, as the re-
suit OF the wedding out, there should
| still be left even as many as two thou
sand saloons in Philadelphia, the re-
| ducton of four thousand drink ng
| places would be very material gain in
the interest of temperance which the
rational friends Of practical re-
| form could point to with gratitica-
tion. The greater part of those aban-
doned, also, will be such as were of the
most demoralizing class, carried on by
men with no regard for law and no
| concern for the public welfare. Those
allowed to do business will be in the
hands of men whom The court deems
responsible, and who in order to retain
their license must conform strictly to
the requirements of the law, any viola
tion OF which renders them liable to be
summoned before the court and have
the license summarily revoked.
The great majority of the people oi
Philadelphia are said to be well pleased
with the outlook, and there can be nc
| doubt that their satisfaction will be
very much greater when al the benefits
OF the high license system are realized
We do not know of any community
where it is in practice that would sur,
render it for any experiment in
dealing with the liquor traffic, and
Philadelphia is not likely to prove
an exception. All testimony approves
it as the only wise and practicable way
of restricting and controlling the liquor