Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1895-12-20
NEW EXCISE SCHEME.
PROPOSAL 10 KEEP a DEPUTY sHER-
IFF IN MISSISSIPPI SALOONS.

Representative Dees unique Bill TO Be
Presented TO the Mississippi Legislature.
A Radical Feature which He Thinks
VIII Pass.
An excise bill with unique features is
to be introduced in the Mississippi leg
islature shortly by Representative NJ.
A. Does. The present law is generally
unsatisfactory, being too severe for citi-
zeus who favor the sale of liquor and
not severe enough to please the Prohi
bitionists. Mr.. Dees proposes TO take all
the responsibility for the Observance Of
the liquor laws off the shoulders Of the
saloon keeper and put it on deputy
sheriff to be placed on duty in every sa-
loon in the state. He asks people to give
his proposition careful consideration be.
fore they follow the perhaps not unnat-
ural first impulse TO jump on the bill
because of its radical y lures.
The bill provides that saloon may
be opened in any part Of the state where
a local prohibitory law is not in force
on the payment by the saloon keeper of
81, 600 for a license. OF this sum $500
is to 90 to the state treasury, $500 to
the county treasury, $500 to the munic-
ipal treasury of the place where the sa
loon is opened, and the remaining 500
is to be set aside as fund for paying a
temporary deputy in case Of need. From
the money paid to the county and mu-
nicipality a salary is to be paid to a reg
ular saloon deputy, who is TO be on duty
in the saloon at all times when the sa-
loon is open for business. 1t is to be the
sole duty Of the deputy to see that there
are 10 violations of the law in the sa-
loon to which he is assigned. Under no
circumstances is the deputy to act as
bartender, clerk or in any capacity
whatever in the service of the saloon
keeper. All statutes at present in force
placing any responsibility on saloon
keepers for selling to minors or after le-
gal hours, and for all other breaches of
the law, are to be repealed, and the sa-
loon keeper is to take the following oath :
81 solemnly swear that Iwillnot sell
any Intoxicating liquors during the con
tinuance of this license, except in tho
sight of and under the police supervi-
sion and direction of the deputy sheriff,
and will faithfully obey his instruc-
tions in all matters that affect or con-
cerp the police supervision Of the dram
shop for which have license. "
Saloons may be open only - hours in
each day, and never between the hours
Of midnight and a. m, nor between
midnight Saturday and 6 a. m. Mon
day But the saloon keeper may choose
for himself the hours Of opening and
closing, provided his place is open but
l2 hours in the 8 specified by the law.
If the saloon keeper or an assistant, or
any one for him, sells even one drink
when the deputy sheriff is not present,
his license is TO be forfeited and he is
to be prosecuted for violation of his oath.
Not only is the deputy not to act az
bartender, or to go behind the bar, but,
further, he must not take a drop of in
toxicating liquor of any kind in or
about the saloon in which he is On duty.
He is not to accept any gift, 'or kind
ness, " from the saloon keeper that may
be construed by the latter as putting the
deputy under an obligation. The deputy
is alone responsible if any minor, drunk
ard, Indian, intoxicated or other pro-
hibited person gets drink. He is to be
responsible for all disorderly conduct
or any kind of lawlessnoss in or about
the saloon, and if he fails in his duty he
is made liable on his bond and must be
discharged and prosecuted. A room is
to be set apart as kind of temporary
Jail, i'll which the deputy may place any
disorderly person until a constable is
| GummOned and arrives. Every one in
the saloon is to be subject to the call of
the deputy for assistance in preserving
order.
Mr. Dees thinks his ideas are sound,
and that his bill has an excellent chance
of becoming a law. He argues that "the
only way we can expect to see our laws
executed and obeyed is to make it to the
pecuniary interest Of the party intrusted
with their observance and execution.
He doesn't think people will obey the
law just because it is right SO TO dc
until the millennium arrives. So he
would make it pay both the saloon
keeper to obey the law and the deputy
to see that the law is obeyed and make
the penalty severe and sure. New York
sun.