Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-03-21

ano,ner opponen,or the license R,,

Another Opp0urnt1 81 the License Bill
Edftr 0os tie d JoThd.: 1t vas with
pleasure | IHad the comments OF your
oorrst pendent Smoker" and your lead.
ing article in Saturdays paper upon the
license bill now before cur Legislature.
10 reading over the bill see very little
that is good and very much that is bad
and impfaotioable. hnvs no doubt that
the ofisinators Of the bali think II 10
very cunningly devised arrangement to
bring about their pet scheme, prohibit
iicn. will deal with the bill as q pro-
hibitory bill, for 1t IL that and nothing
else, with very thin and transparent
covering.
Under the provisions of this bill, with
the meddling methods OF the so called
Law and Order Society, it would be I'M
possible for hotel to exist in the State.
As bit of history, between the years
1866 aud 1857 we had q prohibitory Law
10 this State knorn a. the Maine fuuor
law, aud what was the consequences Az
an instance, in the town where I then re.
sided previous to tho passage of the bill
we had two places licensed TO aeIl liquor.
In less than bix months after tbs hill was
In force We had ct least 30 "iug taverns',
In full blast, run by negroes and an ire
sponsible class OF shi,es. The law had
but one effect ard TINT wan OF demorall-
cation. The same condition existed sll
oset tbs Sat- With this sxperiapoe
think We have had enough OF prohibi.
ttnn how Ia regard 20 she bill published
IN your paper M4len iss Hna now
under discussion, sections and 10. SEQ.
tion II with the word 'fs nalen stricken
ont, and section Is have In them little or
nothing that could be objected TO. and an
amendments TO our present liunor Law
aud with proper enfOSosm ent OF the
sane, would be all in that line tibet We
would rq hire Section IL could not be
enforced ny any hotel keeper; it would
De simply an imptsloility. Sections 4,
aud are prohibition, OF gag law In It's
purity The r,mining te1iions OF the
Diil are In a great measure like unto
them Ia face OF the decision OF our
highest eourls was snrprissd that the
local option provision was ever read in
the Honse, for certainly, the members OF
the Stnate or House, could not give Ii n
moments serious consideration
Inc writer OF thls article Is a native of
the State his ancestors came with thu
very hfst settlers OF Wilmington; no has
10 no way any interest In the liunor
frame and IS strictly temperance map:
mas Travelled over most OF the United
states; has visited "prohibitioa Nainem
ma times within the last 80 yeara. and
massachusetts, when prohibition pre-.
vailed thsre and since; Rhode Island and
local option MarS land aud New Jersey.
| oly ooservsttona and experiences have
Convinced me that the whole subject OF
pfohlohion aud local option is a sraud
and aumhug OF the first water and That
they never prodnoe ths good results
Claimed fot them by their earnest advo.
oaieg, bnt lead 10 secre. and private
dnnfing and in the end male fanatics
apd hypoorttes on the one side and viz.
ls,ors VI the law aud drunkards on the
Other. - w tne
Inc only good have ever seen accom-
p.is.ea ~ leaislAtton on TIE liquor trade
ues oetn by the high license acts. I do
my attribute az much good to the HIGH
rae ct license az | do to the reatric,iya
90 urea In granting loen,e only 10 mao.
Pc OF good moral charactors Wh,le
t'tohapt i intnA III NAV DR
u'H9s y hlgu GO TO ha prohibitory. Now
I, y g'tlea as large as Wilmington. pyobablv
Wv Castle, Smyrna and Dover, there
miRht be some Increase ia the present
te'e'' out in small to gns the rate Is nov
az h'Ra as can be borne. Hotels are nm
a',aointe necessity by the travelling pnblio
, nave never seen house of public enter,
saiomeu' properly IN tintsiued in this state
NNbeut the privileges OF a bar. Tn, re
= not 20 mnch l'qior druok, or monev
Y 'ls IN the lraffi a. thu cold water al.
Y5ee'es would have us bslieys. Tina
fn'f'n'na estimates are without fact ar
inatdhlion, have nevar aesn a tenpsr.
a1ra man made by statnts law.
nov u our temperance societies would
10y ASIDE heir fanaticism, lot legislation
s s,I,i and preach temperance In a
..tsVel9us and practical way, thew wou,d
s sueu deserve and hays the respect. irflu.
euce aud moral assistance Of ali gond
elsEsns aud in the end would do mnch
70 lessen tho evil OF intem peranes.
LAw-ABIDING CITIZEN.