The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-30

dence that under the present statutory
law, and local option pot having disap-
proved the granting OF licenses, the retail
saloon business, at least, might be very
much reduced or even entirely done away
| with. The license commission under the
law are powerless to grant any license
where a majority of the landholdcrs in the
immediate neighborhood object to having
a saloon among them. II public sentiment
| was such that IN no section OF the town
| could neighborhood approval OF the
saloon be secured there could be no
saloons.
1t is thus that our present statutory law
restrains the liquor traffic. No liquor Is
sold where any neighborhcod Is opp1sed
TO the business. Further than that the
| license commission has made il a practice
not to grant more than 400 licens s,never
mind how many more saloons local
option in different Tarts OF the town
might be willing to tolerate. And,
finally, the people are permitted to vote
on the whole business OF granting IL
censes, 'yes" or "no."
Thus is local option, the great principle
OF home rule, conserved in the statutory
relation between the citizen of every city
and town In the State toward the liquor
business. Under "license" anybody can
open a drygocds store, grocery,
market or bank, anywhere that he may
be able to secure space, but nobody can
go into the saloon business in any part
OF the State unless the neighborhood Is
willing and not even then In the City OF
Providence, IL there are s0) saloons open
and doing business ahead OF him. More
over, the whole town may act to drive
neighborhoods that are opposed to saloons
may thrs compel those neighborboods
that are content to abide with them to
get along without them If the former have
votes enough. Our license laws are good
laws II for DO other reason than that
under them the people control the liquor
business-not few people for all the
people, but the, few for themselves and
the majority for all.
No law ever prevailed without the sup
port of the people for whom 1t was made.
The best laws, some jurist has said, are
not always best for the people. The ex-
perience OF Rhode island with prohibition
demonstrated that where local sentiment
was in favor Of prohibition the Law was
enforced and where local sentiment was
| opposed to or needless of the States
law it could not be enforced, scandalous
as appears to be the fact Under the IL
cense laws tonay several towns enjoy
prohibition-or "no.license
And on Wednesday the citizens OF
Providence will vote as to whether or
not, for the ensuing IL months there
shall be licensed saloons in this town or
prohibition. We doubt IL public senti-
ment in this town will act on this matter
in the way our earnest friends of "no-
license" hope. We doubt IL majority
of the taxpayers OF the town will, by a
scratch of their lead pencils, vote to close
up a business that represents several
millions OF invested capital and shut of
revenues that will accrue to the munich
pality the coming year to the amount Of
about $3.50. 600. We are no, even sure hat it
is clear to majority of the electors that II
"no-license" was voted the town would
be improved in its morals. The propo.
sition Is an imposing one. Earnest ar
gument has been made for "no-license. !"
But SO many considerations are involved.
there 10 so wide diversity of opinion on
the premises, the ground for discussion
is so far from being common ground,
that we are strongly OF the opinion that
the majority of the electors will vote TO
retain the present license system rather
than to MAKE the violent change with ali
the consequences SO lightly contemplated
by our "no-license" friends but OF such
Importance for consideration and OF seri-
Gus possibilities as affecting the interests
OF the municipal corporation and OF the
taxpayers.
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