The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-04
High License Defects.

1t will probably not be contended in
the anthracite counties, that there is
any desire on the part of those en-
trusted with official responsibility to
enforce the Brooks high license law In
stances of the violation of that law are
notorious. Violators of it occupy, in
some cases, official position and make
no concealment of their disdain for the
law. Before there can be betterment
in the law itself, there will evidently
first have to be Improvement in the
anxiety of our public officials to bring
to the Brooks laws enforcement the
same resolution and aggressiveness
which, for example, characterize the
collection Of taxes by them or their ap-
prehension of offenders in whose arrest
they perceive the prospect of a fee.
Improvement in this quarter will prob
ably not occur so long as the public
itself is largely Indifferent
At the same time, assuming that for
ward steps will yet be taken in the
matter of suppressing fragrant viola
tions of the high license law, there is
force in the suggestion of the distin-
guished correspondent of our contem-
porary, the Truth, that wholesalers of
intoxicants should be compelled to
keep a sworn record of sales and for
bidden under stringent penalty to sell
to unlicensed retailers. This principle
has already been partially applied in
several counties, the judges of which,
taking advantage Of the large discre-
tion given to them by the law. have re-
fused to issue licenses to such whole
salers as were known to encourage the
multiplication OF speak easies with a
view to increasing the market for their
goods. Nor is it likely that the United
States revenue officers would refuse
such aid to the commonwealth authori-
ties as lies within their discretion as
servants of the jealous federal govern
ment. The marked discrepancy be-
tween the five hundred and fifty or
more licensed places in our own county
for example, and the twelve hundred
odd places which take out federal
licenses ought, by comparison of
records, to point the way to it's own
cure. We do not know that the federal
revenue officials would court or facili-
tate such comparison; but little agi-
tation would probably secure the enact
ment by congress of statute providing
that these records be kept constantly
accessible to the public.
All this. however, is contingent upon
the supDosition that the public wants
the high license law enforced. But does
It? Our prohibition friends certainly
do not. They say it makes compara-
lively little difference to them whether
drink be sold in a licensed or an unli-
censed saloon. They object to the SELL
ing, wherever 'consummated. Next to
them. in this indifference, stand the
great mass Of saloon patrons, to whom
the high license, If it means anything,
means either an increased charge for
drinks or decreased size of drink. The
man who drinks for the drinks sake is
seldom particular where he does his pur-
chasing. Lastly. we must name, among
those who are somewhat unconcerned,
the mass of intelligent persons to whom
the very idea of legalizing an evil in
exchange for money Is repellent in
principle, however necessary 1t may ap-
pear to be in practice. The concurrence
Of SO many otherwise widely differen-
tiated elements of society in policy of
carelessness touching violations of the
Brooks law leaves relatively few per-
sons to agitate for that laws stricter
enforcement. And that is probably why
the law Is SO freely ignored.
The mayor of Pittston has declared
war on the "speak-easies;" and as a re-
suit the number Of liquor licenses taken