The record-union., 1896-04-05
THE RAINEs LIQUOR LAW.

New York has just placed upon her
statute book a new liquor law known as
the Raines Act. The legislation has
more divided the people of the Empire
State in opinion than any other for
years. Even the friends of liquor legis-
lation are divided in their views as to
the expediency and the righteousness
to bring about its passage and approval
Parkhurst himself has exclaimed that
If the Ten Commandments were enacted
according to the methods employed in
the case of the Raines Act, he would
denounce and violate and defy them.
On the other hand. the friends Of the
measure warmly defend the bill on
moral, economic and social grounds,
and regarding methods employed to Sc
cure the law they either quote the old
saw about fighting the devil with
fire" or else deny that any unfair meth
eds were used.
But it is now the law, after a heated
campaign that developed plenty Of bad
blood, and the experimentation 1t is
conceded to be that-will be watched
with great interest all over the Union.
The. bill goes into operation May 1st.
After that date the State Of New York
as a body polite undertakes to regulate
the liquor traffic. To this end a State
Excise Commission has been created,
which, while sitting at the Capital, and
equipped with all power and machinery
to enable it to command respect for it's
functions, will have deputies in every
community in the State of considerable
Importance as to numbers, and in addi-
ton sixty confidential special agents at
large.
Under this new law a tax is laid upon
the traffic, graded according to the pop
uIation where it is carried on. Thus, a
retail license in a city of 100000 will
cost the dealer $500 year, while in
villages of 1.500 the price falls TO less
than $100 The commission is to issue
licenses for sale of liquors not to be
drunk on the premises, as in the case of
pharmacies. These are also graded as
to rates according to the population of
The locality served.
One third of all the net income from
the tax thus gathered, and one-third of
all penalties inflicted by imposition of
fines, is to be paid into the State Treas
ury, and the remaining two-thirds Is
10 be paid to the cities, towns and COM
munities in which the traffic is carried
on. A city is not to have the option to
determine IL the traffic shall be permit
ted, but 1t is provided that once in two
years the towns may determine by vote
what they wish on four propositions,
| namely, May liquor be sold to be drank
en- the premises?" shall sale be pro-
hibited where it Is to be drunk on the
premises?" May it be sold by phar-
macist on a doctors prescription?
| May It be sold by inn-keepers?" It is
provided that no liquor may be dis
pensed on Sundays nor on Mondays be-
| fore 5 a. m., nor between / and 8 o'clock
in the morning on any day.
| 1t is held that the law will cut down
| the number of saloons in the large cities
materially, but that the loss of revenue
consequent upon that result will be
made up from the larger general re-
turns and from the fines collected for
violation of the law. 1t Is claimed also
with great vigor on the part of friends
of the measure that the effect OF the
| bill will be to exercise better restraint