The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-07-05

dN Tie Brewers, BoHlers and Wholesale Deal
ers 10 be Giren Their Licenses Forthuith."
The decision was printed in full of the
Supreme Court in Mondays Philadelphia
papers, and what its results will be are fore.
Swallowed by Judge Gordon, one of Judges
of the license court. Judge Gordon, after
he had read the decision, said:
SIT would have abbreviated that opinion
and been more in harmony with its tone if
he had called us heather Chinese at once
and had done with it, How can the fact
that $630,0 was involved affect legal
question or modify a moral one or support
an immoral character? But am comment
ing upon the opini N and this ] should not
do. What the Supreme Court says is the
law, because it says so, and we must follow it
HIS VIEWS AS A CITIZEN.
However, l am not precluded from say
ing, as citizen, what will be the possible
effect, what will be the possible condition of
affairs, resulting from this announcement Of
the law.
II do not hesitate to say that nothing So
calamitous to the cause of sobriety, good or
der and morality has happened for long
time as this communication. 1t means free
rum in unlimited quantities, in unlimited
numbers of places, irrespective of the wants,
welfare or wishes of the community and
without any of the salutary restrictions
upon its sale which the people had been
congratulating themselves upon obtaining
through the high license laws.
A GLOOMY OUT LOOK.
"Instead of well-regulated restriction and
limited number of retail saloons in the
charge of moral, fit and discreet persons and
the reasonable need OF the people, we will
have ungovcrnable, unnumbered and una
mendabie bottle shops and beer gardens
throughout the city whenever the demand
of men, whether of the moral or of the
vicious, will create sale of Intoxicating
liquors.
II look upon the consequences Of this de-
cision with sincere and unqualified regret
Unless the Legislature comes to the relief
of law-abding people nothing but evil can
result, and, as the meeting of the Legisla-
lure is two years of, we are very likely to
haye saturnalia in the meantime"
No person familiar with the history of
high license will be in the least deceived by
this result, though it came sooner than
expected.
The scheme appears 10 have all been
concocted by the politicians and saloons in
advance, and when the law was formed.
One of the large brewery firms which had
been violating the law and was refused
license carried the case up to the Supreme
Court, and while the license of this estab-
lishment was suspended the other breweries
took cafe of its business, supplied its Gus
toners, and when its license is restored thew
turn its business over again, and do not at
tempt 10 keep the trade of the suspended
concern that was placed in their hands. A
fraternal act in business that some others in
different branches of business might initiate
with credit. The liquor brotherhood is
fraternal as Arabs, but like Ishmael their
kand is against every other hand.
So this is the dismal end of the great high
license idol of Pennsylvania. 1t is but
repetition of all the others that have gone
be fore. The Baltimore "iailies" are still
proclaiming the virtues ofhigh license, and
like the children and Mrs. Winslow's
soothing syrup, are crying for it. They
will probably hear Of the Pennsy lvania
decision about Christmas.
AS a fitting climax to this Temperance
farce of restrictive law and high license the
Judges of the License Court of Philadelphia
reconvened on Tuesday and granted whole
sale bottlers aud brewers licenses to all APP
plicants refused at the regular session of the
court. In explanation the judges filed
statement in which they say: "Some of
these applicants were of VIGOROUSLY bad
character, among them being convicts and
common drunkards, who for years had led
the most abandoned lives. Others had vic
lated the laws regulating the sale of liquors
while holding licenses in 1888 and main
tanned places of resort that were frequented
by degraded women, habitual drunkards
and discharged inmates of the House of
Correction. Neve: theless, as no remon-
strances raising an issue as TO the moral
character or habits of sobriety of these APP
plicants were filed, it becomes our duty
under the ruling of the Supreme Court to
grant all the licenses applied for"