The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-03-14
LITTLE RHODE ISLAND.
WOEFUL EFFECTS OF THE REPEAL
OFTTHE PKOHIB1TORY Law.

A Statement from High License Men Adj
mitting tho Evils Of the New Law-They
Think, However, that Higher License
Would Help Matters.
A recent letter from Providence, r.
l., says:
The conservative and exceedingly
high-toned citizens of Rhode Island.
who joined with the li~auor.dealers to
repeal the plohibitory law, are growing
very FESTIVE under the high" license
system that has been established to
take the place Of prohibition. These
excellent gentlemen promised the State
that if prohibition were repealed there
woald come such an era of genuine re-
striction Of the rum traffic as had never
before blessed Rhode Island. The de-
sire OF their hearts was Accomplished;
but now, when asked to show what
has been gained, they are obliged to
admit that there have been nothing
but @oefnl results.
They think, however, that a higher
License and a larger restriction would
help things, regardless of the expert
ence OF the neighboring State of Massa-
chusetts: and some of the most promi-
nent of them have sent in the follow
ing petition to the Legislature:
T6the General Assembly of the State of Rhode
Island, etc, the Petition OF The Undersi ned
That ut the date Of this writing [Jan. PSI the
numbar Of licenses issued for the sale OF strong,
cities and towns in this State is us follows: In
the city OF Providence, 54l; in the city of Paw
tucket, 1913; in the city of Woonsocket, 80 in the
city of Newport, IS; in the town of Cumberland.
~; In the town OF Warren, %; in the town OF
Lincoln, ~; inthe town OF Warwick, 46 in the
town of Johnston, %; in the town OF Cranston
70; In the town of Bristol, II; in the town OF
East Providence, 10.
That the proportion of licenses to the popula-
ton in tho aboye cities and towns is as follows
In the city of Newport with 22,t0) Inhabitants,
/ to Isl in the city Of Providence with 1870, OOJ
inhabitants, ! to al in the city of Woonsocket
Pawtucket with % 900 inhabitants, 1 70 1873; in
the town of East Providence with 5000 inhabit.
ants, l to "A in the town Of Cranston with
COCO inhabitants, l to 400; in the town of Bris
tol with 100 inhabitants. l to 1886 in the town
of Johnston with s, 800 inhabitants, l to 32s in
the town OF Warwick with 1900 inhabitants.
hhbitants. l to 2G0; in the town of Warren Will
4,a0) Inhabitants, l to 1872 in the town OF Cum
berland with 5000 Inhabitants. 1 to ia.
The number of licenses above reported is
taken in every case from information furnished
Jan. Is to Jan. % by the License Commissioner
of the cities Or the Town Clerks of the towns
and the estimates OF population are mainl,
from the same sources. The statistics givcI
show the number of licensed places wher,
liquor is sold to be greater than that OF an,
other class of business; in the city of Proyi
dence six times more numerous than the regis
tered pharmacies, more than five times more
numerous than the public schools or tn,
churches.
In view of these facts your petitioners bel
leave to submit:
That the greatest danger from the sale of in
toAioatins liquors comes FROM the multiple
ton of saloons beyond II proper limit, thereL
increasing the temptation to drink beyond tina
of the natural promptings of the appetite, an
ing a resort to unlawful methods of securin
patronage.
That the end of all legislation concerning tn
liquor traffic should be to keep it so under til
control OF law that its necessary evils may b
minimized, and that it may not, except to n dc
gree that is unavoidable, Ieutralize or destro
the work of education, philanthropy and It
ligion.
That tie present license law promotes intem
perance by allowing the indefinite l,:iltiplica
ton OF saloons, thereby creating q power Whic
is tho more difficult to control the larger
grows, and which eNerts an injurious intiuenc
upon the morals of the people of Rhode islnnt
We therefore pray your honorable body t
amend Paragraph 2, Sec. &, of Chapter SIG Of tn
Public LAWS, SO that it shall read rs follows
afor Il license to sell pure spirituous. intoxica,
ing, and malt liquors %atretail only, $500 for uh
city of Providence 800 for all other cities an
towns of over lJ,00O inhabitants; $500 for u
towns of from 4, OOO to l., 900 inhabitants; an
for all towns less than 5000 Inhabitants, 500. "
And to further amend said section by the nd
dition of the following clause:
The number of licenses issued in any city q
town of this State shall not be in excess of on
license for every 900 of the population, nc
cording to the last official census Of said city c
town.
And your petitioners will ever pray.