The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-01-10
The High License Bill.

| The Bill which has been prepared by the
High License Committee Of the City of Bal
timore, marks the influence of agitation on
the absorbing question of the alcoholic
disease and crime. Under it the license fee
will be 81 ,00l for selling distilled liquors,
and $500 fer fermented liquors, in Balt-
more city; $500 and $500 for incorporated
cities, and within two miles of their limits )
$500 and $3.50 for other cities. In the
counties licenses are TO be issued to all per-
sons who comply with the provisions of The
law. Applications for licenses are 10 be
recommended by twenty freeholders, and
bond is to be given TO secure the payment of
all fines imposed. Penalties for the viola
ton of the law are very severe, being heavy
fines or confinement in the House of Correc-
ton, or both, at the discretion of the court.
1t will be seen that any pei son who can
pay the license fee and procure the sigma
lures Of twenty freeholdcrs, can secure
license. This tends, not TO curtail the sale
of intoxcants but to restrict the number Of
sellers, and by increasing the quantity Of
business done by the less number of saloons,
make monopoly Of the trade, placing it in
the the hands and under the control of few
rich men.
1t is further noticeable that the law is
provided for the whole State, not for the
city of Baltimore alone. Very severe pen
allies are provided, and numerous hind
RANGES and restrictions among which are the
following:
No licensee can sell liquors to minor,
or drrnkard, or persons of known intenl-
perate habits, or to person visibly affected
by intoxicating drinks. Nor can he sell or
furnish to any person intoxicating liquors
on any day upon which elections are held,
nor on Sunday. And the business (of SELL
ing whiskey) shall not be conducted in any
place to which an entrance shall be allowed
other than directly from public travelled
way; and no license shall place any screen,
blind, shutter, curtain, partition, stained
glass, etc., in such a way as TO interfere with
view of the business conducted upon the
premises.
We ask our readers to take common
sense. business view of this proposed law
and then answer if in the whole realm Of
trade anything so ridiculous can be found
outside of the whiskey business. Is it hon.
est for tine State to take a mans money in
payment for a privilege to do business and
then make contract with him, which if
carried out, would pretty nearly make the
business an entire failure? 1t is not honest
and the man who is so unfairly dealt with
considers that he is under no moral obliga-
ton to keep such an unfair contract, and
consequently every high license law, brist-
ling with restrictions is violated. All high
license laws are frauds, intended to impose
upon credulous public.
| The government has made the liquor
business monopoly by leyying on it high
excise taxes. This has placed its manufac.
ture and wholesale entirely in the hands of
rich men, and the rich monopoly have
taken SO important part in politics as to
be able to intimidate political parties and
political managers. There is scarcely
man liz Congress but is afraid to take any
part against the liquor power. The liquor
power has been driven into The high license
movement for the purpose of placing the
retail trade also in the hands of monopoly.
The liquor power through the medium of
| high license offers bride to the tax payers,
by pretense of paying large share of the
taxes. This phase of the question has been
reached by the agitation of the different
temperance organizations, which is steadily
appealing 10 the moral sense and the INTEL
ligenoe of the public, TO take grounds against
the liquor evil, and the Prohibition party
which is endeayoring 10 gather the host Of
enemies to the traffic. into a solid phallnx
TO hurl against it and deprive it of the sup
port and encouragement of all law. The
final battle must be fought at the ballot Eox,
for no business can be stopped while it has
law to sustain it. The high license moye is
a ruse to distrac THE saloons enemies atten-
ton and keep them divided as long as pos
sible, hoping in the meantime TO hold its
ground and tighten its grip by subsidizing
the State with liberal license fees.
We ask our readers 10 look at the utter
foolishness involved in this high license
scheme. 1t sells the saloon keeper right
and then tries to cheat him out of il by
placing restrictions in the contract. Free
whiskey is far preferable to high license or
any license. That would place the business
on its own merits. If there was any good in
il the public would discover it. There be-
ing nothing but injury to the public in it,,
the business would be denounced by every
one, and the courts would be appealed to to
abate it as a common nuisance that was
everywhere declared to be public injury.
lis only excuse for existence is the money il
pays into the public treasures, and that il
virtually tilches from those least able to
bear the loss and gives them no benefit
whatever in return for their money, The
only way TO put down the liquor traffic is
to vote it down and outlaw it. Both the
old parties are in favor of license, high or
low, and license will never stop The evil.
Temperance people will have to come to-
ppthar and vote touather Tbav 49,, = n