Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-16
LIQUORS DEALERS CAUTIOUS.
THEY WANT LEGAL ADVICE ABOUT ORIG
INAL PACKAGES
A Law and Order Attorney Who Expects a
Great Deal of Trouble In PhiIa elphin-

A LAW and Order Attorney Who Expects q
Great Deal of Trouble In PhiIa lphin-
The Decision Sure to Help the Prohibi-
lion Party.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1sPArcH.i
PHILADELPHIA, May 15.-On the sub
ject of the recent decision of the Supreme
Court in regard to the sale OF liquor in
original packages, Joseph A. Bonham,
counsel for the Liquor Dealers Association,
said:
If any client Of mine should call upon me and
ask my advice about opening store and con-
Quoting an original package business, he not
having license. should advise him not to do
1t as it would be very risky thing to dos
1 understand that the gist of the Su-
preme Courts decision is that they hold that
in the absence of Congressional permission
to do SO the State had no power to interfere by
seizure or any other action in prohibiting i'm
portation and sale by the foreigner or non-resi-
dent importer. From this should say that the
decision did not confer upon the resident of
any State the right to sell liquor in original
packages.
Lawyer William II. johnson, who had
large practice before the License Court, did
not think that the original package decision
would have any effect on the sale of liquor
in this State. When asked his opinion of
tue ucClSlou prODdDlt cueCb III ulld-
delphia, Lawyer johnson said:
do not know that there is anything in this
original package decision more than that man
could sell package of liquor and deliver it
where he was requested. In the case which
called forth this recent decision of the Judges
OF the Supreme Court the liquor was ordered
to be delivered in a prohibition State,
local law against the vending of
Opinion of shs who RsSs besn
quoted, but think they have overlooked the
principle that is at the bottom of the decision.
1t is nonsense 10 say that anybody could open
an original package establishment in Pennsyl-
vania and defy the local law. No person can
sell liquor in Pennsylvania without they are
licensed. and have read the law incorrectly if
the United States Supreme Courts decision in
the Iowa case has not always been the recog-
nized law of the State of Pennsyl ania.
Lawyer Lewis D. Vail, attorney of the
Law and Order Society, was much interest
ed in the recent decision, and believed that
it would cause considerable trouble in this
city, rs he feared that under it citizen Of
Camden could come over the river and sell
liquor in the original packages and defy the
present law of this State. He said:
If this last decision means that anyone can
come into this State and bring in half pint
original package and sell il without being sub
ject to the laws of this State requiring license
TO sell liquor, walking speak-easies will flour
1911. N mah Souiu 81 wei ~ Sdiuucu uuucE
this decision. unless 1 misunderstood it, and
fill his pockets with half pint bottles of whisky
and bring them over the ferry and sell them on
our streets without being amenable to the
his original packages of liquor over from
Jersey in a hand basket and set up little
stand on the street corner and retail his little
stock from day to day. l have not. however,
been able as yet to get the full text of Judge
Fuller's decision, and am very 10th to believe
that he meant to decide that this is the law.
R,,ff fror uIof T hau 1nnly tLo
was about the Size of it. l, however, believe
the decision is good thing for the Third or
Prohibition party, as it places the liquor issue
sQuarely before the whole country. 1t has al
ways been contended that the temperance
question was merely local ISSUE Dut the
decision explodes that pet theory of the anti
Prohibitionists. Judge Fullers decision proves
that it is a national issue, and not one merely to
ha disnn of w q States