The Progress., 1892-12-10
TIE lEOAL STATUS OF THE IL
QUOR TRAFFIC.

! Councilman Kane. the father of tht
| universal bar room ordinance, defends II
against public ceEsure and possible in
| ierference Un the assumption that the
sale of liquors has been placed by the
Supreme Court of Louisiana on the same
bases of legitimacy ana utility as obtains
| Win any Othcr commercial business,
and that, therefore, il is beyond the
right of any citizen to object to the OPEN
| Jug of barroom and the sale of liquors
AT any place.
IL is much to he doubted if the court
has directly made any such formal dec
'arailon, aud tn assumption that any
dellverance by implication must be
taken as authoritative is highly question:
able. There Is scarcely a State in our
Chon, aud perh Fps not a civilized coun-
Try, where the sale of intoxicating liquors
Is not placed under restrictions that
mark 1T as L',i' rated o. H. If not actual
~ prescribed calling. In some States
IL IL absolutely pr. .hib ted. In others "a
majority OF Tn" '-lt'z"ns or voters have
The power aJ Their will and pleasure to
1orOid the trai:i'' entirely. In others, a -
pllcants Tor licc"Se 10 sell liquors are re-
qlifeu 10 pr odurv evideuce of good char
acteT. In Othe communities the busi-
ness is Ie-tricted by very high licenses.
Now. everybody knows that there are
RESTRICTIONS whicn are never applied To
any reputable b,i>iless. No such re-
straints are ever imposed on the sellers
Oh any other So Ot material merchau-
uise. The - restrictions are the plAinest
sort OF eviden' e mat the dispensing uf
intoxicating drInHs held in all cO,In-
tries ana Dy The ILLNESSES of the people TO
DE an evii, deInOr iiIzIng traffic, tolerated
Decause IL appears 10 be impossible To
eradicate the diiuk habit from human
nature. and III % Measures TO reduce the
n A..
suits than do effuris 10 extirpate und ex-
tlnguish.
we nave no iufOrmation that 1t was
the invention of the State Constitution
10 relieve the liquor traffic Of
the disesteem and disabilities under
whlcn IL Is elsewhere and almost uni
versaily heid. We do not believe that
the supreme Court of Louisiana has de-
sired or attempted to gild and gloss
over the dark characteristics of busi-
ness winch Is pregnant with evil, and
which must be credited with a vast ac-
count OF crime and human misery.
we do not believe that there is any
reason IN law and equity why the liquor
trainc IN LOUISIANA shall not be placed
unuer wholesome restrictions. Then,
let the Louque ordinance be promptly
adopted by the ity Council, and those
who are Interested in placing the State.
lis people. their morals AID welfare
wholly III the hands of the liquor sell
lers, can 20 10 the courts and invoke |
their aid TO inaugurate a deluge of |
whisky. Ii the sale of liquors is as \
reputable as is the selling OF bread and |
let us know it upon the high
est authority.-N. o. Picaqune.
Read this. citizens of Shreveport.
and then bow your heads in shame
because you permit few saloons so
to dominate the very
affairs of your parish. A few, un-
'crupulous, illiterate, aye. plebian
saloon keepers in Shreveport abso-
utely override the law and contempt
lously ignore its ordinances. The
Effort is made here to make us be-
ieve that the liquor traffic is a privi- L
eyed vocation. We have two men
Engaged in that business in the town
'ouncil, and their business pays just /.