Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-27

sion by the defendant OF a government
license bearing his name prima facie
evidence OF his guilt. Mr.. Wright de-
mauded that the collector before Issuing
tho license correspond with banker or
some other reputable man in the town
in which it is proposed TO do business
and inquire whether tho name sought
to be placed on the license is the real
one of tho applicant and to refuse u liz
cense in all cases where the contrary APP
pears, and also keep his books open, so
that any one applying at the collectors
office may examine the record and as
certain who has been licensed to sell
liqnor.
Collector Webster, In his reply SAYS:
"Of the 800 licenses issued from this
Office but go bear mythical names. 1t is
not within tho power of the collector to
withhold license from any one who
meets the requirements OF the law, and
the applicant IS entitled to whatever
name he wishes placed on the license,
provided his real name is stated in the
application. 1t is not compulsory on
the part OF the collector to expose his
list of applications, nor does the good
of the service dictate that he shall. The
violation of the state law is not his con-
Germ, for it is not an offense against
the laws he is sworn to
enforce. On the other hand, the ex-
posure OF the list would injure the SER
vice by subjecting those whose names
appear on it to prosecution under the
state law, and by thus inducing them
in the future to add violation of the fed
eral law requiring that they procure
licenses to sin against the state law.
The effect would be to diminish the re-
ceipts of the revenue department from
licenses and to increase the expense for
the detection and prosecution OF crime.
''The Iowa prohibitory law" con-
tinues the collector, has already had
this effect. The sixty licenses bearing
mythical names were issued to dealers
in the counties of this district, in which
the most vigorous efforts have been
made to enforce the prohibitory law.
These efforts have been costly, not to
the people of the state alone, but have
resulted in great expense to this de-
partment by requiring us to detect and
punish persons uulawfully engaged in
the liquor business therein. From your
county (Mr. Wright's) we have taken
into court nine boot-leggers and con-
victed them of violation of law by
carrying on the liquor business without
having government license. From
Governors Larrabee's county (Fayette)
we have convicted forty-nine. His
county has cost us more for criminal
prosecution than any other in the state.
On the other hand, Dubuque county,
which yielded US more revenue than
any other, has cost us little. We have
had but three criminal cases from Du-
buque county, and none were for boot
Logging.
"From these facts" continues Mr..
Webster, sit may be inferred that
Governor Larrabee made q mistake
when he stated to a Nebraska audience
that prohibition was inforced in eighty
five of the ninety-nine counties of Iowa.
On the contrary there is not county
in this district, nor town OF 800 inhab-
tants or over, for which retail liquor
dealers licenses have not been issued,
when taken together with the number
of bootleggers convicted, indicates an
increase in the number of dealers as
compared with the number in existence
before the prohlbitory law took effect.