New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-01
A MISLEADING VOICE.D

@The Voice." a1ler months silence, labors
through three columns Of its valuable space to
meet The Trbune's criticisms upon its tables seek
ing 20 show that the average Of arrests for drunk
enneSs and disorderly conduoP is about as great
in high-lcense as in low-hcenso cities. 1t
practically admits that these terms are construed
very differently in different cities but insists that
it is right to rely upon results obtained by the
corrective law Of averages
As a scientific proposition this Is amusing Tho
data upon which the Averages are based being
VIGOROUSLY detective tic averages themselves are
not TO be trusted, especially when they are derived
from small number OF cities We have already
explained why these figures are faulty. The
offences chased under drunkenness" and "dis-
orderly conduct vary greatly in different cities.
In Chicago, for example all such offences are
olassed under the head OF disorderly conduct
but under that head are also claessd number
OF other offences. Obviously, IL Is impossible 10
make a fair comparison between tho arrests under
this head and those under the same head in another
city where the classic cation IL quito different.
Percentages based upon figures SO uncertain as
these are not worthy of serious consideration.
OF course there will be found here and there some
official or newspaper in q highhcense city 70
question the effectiveness Of that policy, but the
preponderance OF testimony from newspaper
judges and other careful observers is overwhelming
in its favor
Another reason why these statistics ore not TO
be trusted Is that the administration Of tho law
varies SO much in large and small ciies. In o
small intelligent and orderly community like
Galesburg, Ill, the law governing arrests for
drunkenness and dSordeEly conduct is probably
much more strictly enforced than in great city
like New-York. In this way, q" The Voices
tables make out Galesburg. which has high L..
ecnse. 70 be fifty per cent wickeder than New.
York In proportion TO its population. In other
words, tho faithfulness with which the system
Is administered Is made the mears OF giving it
q bad reputation.
But the most amusing part OF The Voices
labored screed is its argument that the amazing
changes in Philadelphia under the Brooks law
are not due 70 the high-ncense fec, but TO what
it calls the rrohibitory features Of tho law
No doubt this is true in large part No believer
in high license has ever been so fanatical as TO
claim that high fee was tho only weapon Of
repression. But the features OF the law 30 which
IL doubtless aludes, such as the restrictions upon
giving OF bonds etc, and which lave been so
valuable are not prohibitory at all but regulative
They are a natural and legitimate part of system
OF restriction and regulation. They are not pro.
hibiDory In any sense, and in approving them 10
seems TO us that Tho Voice. gives away la
whole case. We should like 20 know which city
The Voice believes TO have contended most sue
cessfully with the liquor traiFlc-Ptiladelph
under high license, ~ Providence under pro-
bibiton, where, according 10 diagrams published
by The Providence Journal" there are no less
shan SEQ places in which liquor il openly sold,
TO say nothing OF drug stores which are drink
ing saloons in disguise, and places where liquor
is sold on the sly.