The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-04
THE LIQUOR LAWS.
An Argument in Favor Of Additional
Restrictive LEGISLATION.

~ II
10 the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
l see a clipping in your paper of Jan. 81
from the Connersville News, which says:
There is enough law on the ste ute books
now to break up every saloon man in the
State if enforced, and If these men who
make SO much noise about additional legis-
lation would manifest the same interest in
an effort to enforce the laws we now have
they would accomplish better results The
same paper says: THE fellows who meet
and adopt such resolutions Chose favoring
the Nicholson bilD are, generally speaking,
third-party men," The men who pirate
about our having enough law now on the
statute books are not as a general rule
men who would step out of their way for a
moment to see that our liquor laws are en-
forced. They prefer that laws impossible
Of enforcement should not be changed, and
then insist that all temperance people
should be contented with them.
"enough law if enforced" and it is Just as
easy to say that Yale locks would not be
needed If there were no thieves" but
we find them. One of the best features of
the Nicholson bill is the part that seeks
trate: 1t is Unlawful for a saloon man to
sell liquors after IL p. M. but it is not I'M
lawful for the proprietor of a saloon to per-
init a man to enter his place of business
after that hour, and so long as he is per-
United to allow a man to enter his place
he he can uass seIi his ai liquors behind s5oe the = m:
after lawful hours in spite of the desire
OF the fellows who meet and adopt reso-
lltions' to nave the laws enforced. But
the Nicholson bill says that it shall be
unlawful for a man TO enter a saloon after
moved, so that police officers or citizens can
know whether the law is being violated or
not.
Again: Where a saloon contains nothing
but a bar, chairs, etc, a minor may enter
as often as he pleases, and when he and
alone the minor can get all the liquor he
wants; and he can remain there as long
as he pleases without violating any law.
WIFI the News and those who are in SYM
pathy with its statements please come for
ward and state how our present law against
selling liquor to minors is to be enforced?
l. they nave no suggestions to offer will
taey continue to reiterate the statement
tnat We nave enough laws now, and at the
The Nicholson bill provides a means by
which the law against selling. liquors to
minors shall be more effectively enforced.
The truth is, SO many cases are lost now
in the efforts to enforce the liquor laws
that all endeavors in that line seem more
like prosecutions than prosecutions.
Let me ask the News and it's supporters
another question. Are our laws sufficient to
saloon as a club room? If you admit that
the modern wine room Is an evil and that it
cannot be destroyed under our present laws,
why spend time in senseless .vaporings
about our laws being good enough" If they
were only enforced?
The truth is, our present laws, even in
cases of vigorous prosecutions, in many
instances, have about the same force and
effect as if they were resolutions passed
by the General Assembly. The only way
that temperance people can remain salts
fed with our present laws is for them to
remain in total ignorance of the fact that
our present laws touching the liquor ques-
ton do not provide a sufficient means to
assure their enforcement.
Again, in spite of remonstfances, a man
can secure a license to sell intoxicating
liquors under our present law if he but
push his case through the channels the laws
provide for him. The sacred right to petit
ton implies a demand that the petitioners
be heard and needed. 1t is American in
principle, and the Nicholson bill is in har-
mony with it.
In conclusion I will say that "the fell
lows" who met in this city and adopted
such resolutions" are composed of about
four hundred Republican voters, fifteen or
twenty Democrats and four or five third
party men. which the petitions will show
for themselves, and our voters are still adj
ding their names to the petitions. Some
how our fellows in this part of the State
have the idea that our Legislature meets
to make such laws as will enable our citi-
zens to either abolish certain acknowledged
evils, or, if they cannot be entirely abol-
ished, to enable them to reduce such evils
to- a minimum. READER,
NOblaSvitla Ind tfob .