The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-16
EFFECTS OF HIS BILL
REPRESENTATIVE NICHOLSON DIS
CUssEs OBJECT OF EACH SECTION.
Duty of Good Citizens to Maintain q
Sentiment for Enforcement of
the Law.

Representative S. E. Nicholson, the au-
thor of the most generally discussed act of
any Indiana Legislature, came to the city
yesterday from Kokomo, his home, to look
after some private business. He was asked
concerning the probable effects of the new
temperance law throughout the State. Said
he:
miliarly known as the Nicholson bill, is to
become a law with the publication of the
the newspapers are already constituting 1t
and discussing its effects. 1t may not be out
of place for me to say few things at
this time. The law, as signed by the Gov
ernor Is. in the main. the essence of ideas
that have been dear to me for years, and
to every soher-thinking, law-abiding
citizen. The two. central ideas of the law.
first that Of furnishing means by which s the
ond, that of giving to the majority the
right of control even to the extent of for
fundamental in government and necessary
to the peace and protecllon of society. Law
must ever be regaruea as supreme, and not
to be disobeyed with fmpunity by any class,
else government will fail, and anarchy will
be enthroned. In a republic where the peo-
that wholesale laws be enacted, but for
the public good 1t is mandatory that the
laws be such as can be enforced Law is
not altogether reforfnatory in itself but
crime may be reduced to the minimum by
the enactment of regulations OF such a
be made probable ana easy.
There may be men who object to ma
jority rule, but they are only of that class
that desires either to rule or ruin. 1t is
true American idea tnat is guaranteed
sacredy to our citizenship generally and
ought to be preserved inyiolate IN every
municipality throughout the common
wealth. A statute based on these funda-
mental truths need never bring distraction
to him who thinks only of party policy or
personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 1t Is truth that
every cIlizen ought to know that that which
is y,uhlc good is safe nOlificaI
parties to foster. ~
II believe that the new law will be found
to be efficient in correcting many of the
evils that now arise from the saloon busi-
ness in this State, 1t is not claimed that
teal measure meeting the demands of pres
ent public sentiment, l have the fullest
faith that 1t will be success. Il in the
future there is found to be necessity for a
more radical law. and .nere is the public
sentiment to demand it, as has been done
in the recent contest, then will be time
enough to consider it. For the present it
should be regarded the duty of every good
citizen to !, do hts part In ma aa ain,
tain the enforcement of the new law.
Every effort win De made. to thwart its
~ the discontinue of those who voted for
it. Hence the duty of every one who be-
ney nt ib has IS Of
and maintaining the new. statute and re-
sistlng all forms of opposition, is the duty
OF the hour. The GOOD people OF Indiana
have made the law possible. They must
be none the less active in supporting it
now, when the opposition will be peculiarly
strong and concentrates.
II am constrained to say few words
about the specific provisions OF the law,
some of which seem not to have been thor
oughly understood by some of the papers of
the State. Ii has been claimed that the old
Of the new one. This is. manifestly not
true. and the courts, in all probability, viii
SO hG IN its Is being
to supplement the old one. The same regu-
1ations still exist with reference TO obtain
ing license, with the additional requirement
that the sale shall be confined to one room
on the premises, and that this room shall
Section is a vital one, and the most inn
portant except Section 3, in that it restricts
the sale to one room forpids gaming ana
lowing partitions. The Senate amendment
allowing other business only when made a
part of the license is so well guarded that
no harm can come from it. Section ) merely
secures the enforcement of that part of the
law; which is now Largely a dead letter. for
The necessity of Section is obvious, and
will be worth several policemen TO most :,
be brought to the light, where they can
easily be inspected by the officers. The pro-
vision allowing revocation of license is a
just one because it is a general law that
any contract becomes void when its pro-
visions are violated by either party. This
servance OF the law by the retail dealers.
section 8 viii be appreciated by those
owned, by the breweries and operated
through agents. 1t remedies an evil whereby
concentrated effort. backed by money, has
been largely able to defeat justice.
Section is the one next generally APP
preciated and most universally approved.
Strictly speaking, it is not local option, but
an enlargement of the powers of remon-
STRANGE but will be made use of in many
townships and city wards to Danish the sa-
loon entirely, where ii Is obnoxious to a
majority of the citizens. That it is consti-
tutional one will deny who reads the de-
cision on the Baxter. law in the 42i Ind. in
the case of Groesch VS.. the State. II Section
Q be unconstitutional then the courts will
grant right to one majority tthose who
might sign a saloon mans petition for a
saloon as in the case of the Baxter law.
which it denies to another majority.
"Some complaint has been made that I'M
der the new law the quart shop evil will
increase. On the contrary. believe it will
decrease. because of Section 10. which opens
up these dens of vice TO the light ana SUBJ
jects them TO the same restrictions that are
required of the licensed dealers. OF course
ii has been and will be said that the meas
ure Is unjust. Who ever heard of law
breaker thinking otherwise about any meas
ure which thwarted his purpose? 1t is a
rule of the courts that saloons have in
herent rights. only delegated rights, and
licenses are not granted Internationally.
The State. then, has a perfect right to place
such restrictions upon the business S CON-
duce to the good Of the public and the peace