The Washington times., 1895-03-15
REGULATE LIQUOR TRAFFIC
Prof. Gould and DR.. Champion Sug-
gest Two Different Methods.
One Would Control the Sale by Proper Leg
islation, the Other Insure Purity
in It's Manufacture

AS usual the ladies Were in the majority
of the attendants al the lectures yesterday
afternoon at Columbian University in the
school of applied ethics.
There was a double bill. Prof E. K. L.
Gould, of Johns Hopkins University, spoke
on the control of the liquor traffic, and
DR.. c. A. Champion, chemist OF the internal
Revenue Department discussed that prob
lem and its scientific treatment
Rev DIR. Randolph III. McKim, rector OF
the Church OF the Epiphany, presided.
The wise control of the liquor traffic, said
Prof. Gould, is one of most interesting
problems of the age. Civilization itself is
menaeed by the evil, this being proved by
| the quantities of liquor consumed in various
nations, and its Consequences; and especially
| in Belgium where beer had replaced water
! as the fourth cosmic element.
Seven States of the Union have still in
| force prohibition, but others have tried
! and abandoned it,
The difficulty in restrictive legislation
, is in its enforcement. Under existing civic
| conditions we cannot hope tp remedy the
evil. Therefore those who assist in max
| ing laws which cannot be enforced assume
p
| laws do more harm than good.
| Local option is another American method
| Of control. 1t represents evolutionary ad-
vancement. A feeling of satisfaction has
| been experienced with this method in some
Southern States. High license>is also a
method which is claimed as q panacea.
| Certainly it reduces the number OF dram
shops This was shown by the raet that
in large cities where it is tried tie proper
ton of licenses TO population has deereased
Opponents of the law declare that it forges
closer the link between liquor and politics.
The latest form of eX pertinent is the South
Carolina dispensary law. AT the first
glance, he said, alaw which would lengthen
the time betweendinks would not find much
favor with a South Carolina Governor
Prohibitionists were cajoled into in
dorsing it. but there was a chance that the
whisky ring there would give place to
political liquor machine
The good point in the law was thatit elm
mated private profit from the business.
IT was understood that the South Carolina
law was the same as the Scandinavian,
but that was not true. South Carolina has
a State monopoly, which may mean peHna-
nence, and partisan political appointees.
The Scandinavian plan is to control the
trade by local commercial agencies. There
is an educational idea involved, and there
is no idea of permanence.
Dr. Champion addressed himself speci-
fically To the attitude of our government
to the alcoholic liquor traffic. He said that
the United States government regards
the production and sale of alcoholic liquor
solely in the light of a source of revenue,
and imposes no restriction upon it whatever,
except from this standpoint Its rela-
tion toward the producer of and dealer in
distilled and fermented liquors may be
described as that of silent partner, as
il were, who demands his full share OF all
the profits of the business pursued, but sedu
lously screens himself from any response
bnity for the manner in which such business
is carried on, and carefully avoids indict-
ment for completely in any damages that
may result therefrom to the public or to
the individual.
Would il not he step forward in the So
luton of this vast problem il the materials
entering into the composition of those bev-
erages We're subjected to as close a scru-
the human economy, as is now the case
with reference TO their spirit producing
capacity? Would it be such a gross as
sumption of paternalsm if Congress should
give the Internal Revenue Bureau the au-
thority To demand of the brewer and dis
tller the use of pure and wholesome mate
rails in goods sold under a revenue stamp?
! think the most radical believers in the
non-interference of the government in such
matters could hardly object to this.
Dr. Champion did not take much stock
in State control as remedy, and certainly,
he said it could not secure the purity or
good quality of the LIQUOR sold 10 consumers.