Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-07-08

sioner to the county dispensers must
beal' similar certificate, without which
they are regarded as intended for I'M
Law ful sale, and upon conviction the
railroad is liable to a penalty of $500
for eo-h offense. The fine for persons
is the same, together with imprison-
ia ia ne peuitentiary for not less
tfan enc year
Only packages of not less than one
half pint oF more than five gallons
can be shipped; the county dispenser
can sell by package only, and the pur-
chaser can not open the package on
the premises
The general understanding of the law
has been that the state board should
appoint a board for each county who
should appoint thAdispensers, but there
is some doubt about whemer this can
be done, as the act says: 1T shall be
the duty Of the state board Of control
to appoint a county board of control"
and nowhere in the act is 1t provided
that there shall be a board in each
county.
1t is possible that, after all, the law
may prove entirely prohibitory, as it
is required that applicants for the po-
Sition of dispenser shall file with DE
county board Of control "a petition
signed by a majority of the freehold
voters Of the incorporated town or city
in which the permit is to be used,
and each person aforesaid shall sign
said petition by his own true name
and signature, and state that each be-
fore signing has read said petition and
understands the comments and mean
ing thereof, and is wen and personally
acquainted with the applicant" In
many Of the counties if not in all, it
appears impossible for this provision
to be honestly carried out.
Even If an applicant We're found
who was well and personally acquaint-
ed with a majority Of the freehol
voters Of his town, it is doubtful if he
could get a sufficient number of those ac-
quainted with him to sign the petition,
for in that number would be many pro-
hibitiOnists who would be interested
in not having any dispensary in the
county, and who would not only refuse
to sign the petition but work against
it, Another stumbling block would be
that, with several candidates in the
field, each would fail to get many Of
his own friends to sign his petition be-
cause Of having signed anOthers.
Only one dispenser is all WED to each
county, except in Charleston, where
there are ten, and in Columbia, where
there are three.
The dispenser is required to take the
oath that he win not sell or furnish
liquor to any person who is not known
to him personally, or duly identified,
or TO any minor or intoxicated person,
or persn who is in the habit of becOm-
ing intoxicated. Prospective purchasers
must present requests, printed or writ
ten in ink giving date, age and resi-
dence Of a signer, for whom and whose
use the liquor is required, the quantity
and kind wanted, and his or her true
name and residence The request shall
be refused if the dispenser personally
knows the person applying is a minor
or that he is in the habit Of using liquor
to excess.
The net profits of the county dis
pensaries 20, one half to the county
treasury and one-half to the municipal
corporation in which the dispensary is
located
The law brushes out the clubs by
providing that any person who shall
keep or assist in keeping a club-room
where liquors are kept for barter or
for sale as a beverage, or distribution,
or division, shall upon conviction be
fined from 500 TO $500, or be i'm
prisoned in the county jail for from
ninety days 10 one year.
No attempt to solve the problem of
liquor legislation has been made in this
country since the enactment Of the
Maine total prohibition law that has at
tracted so much attention as this. 1t is
safe to say that if the profits of the
scheme pay the running expenses Of the
state government, as Governor Till
man thinks they will, it will be initiated
in many other states.