The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-16
LIQUOR TAXES.
Growing Higher All the Time, accom-
panied with More Restrictions.
New York Sun.

ANCU lolh oui.
TIL general tendency of legislation. North
and South, and in Democratic as we'll as Re-
publican States. has. of late years. been to-
creased number of restrictions upon the sale
at retail Of intoxicating liquors.
In Arkansas practical prohibition has been
twenty-four of the seventy-five counties.
end in fifty counties there is a partial pro-
hibition established by the votes Of the citi-
zens residing within three miles OF a church
or school. In. Alabama, Mississippi and
Georgia the rule prevails that where any
license is authorized It is at a rate So high
city Of Atlanta. the largest Of the cities OF
these three States. there has been charged
"a which ilqu0 son license so of slioe f Sn sfsh VITA sil0 fse
two months ago was 500 for a saloon Of the
which only ale and beer are sold. In Mis-
sissippi 500 Is the minimum and 1900 the
maximum rate. In Missouri there is a State
be less than $50, imposed in addition. This
has brought the license fee in st. Louis to
$500 a year-three times the rate charged in
New York prior to January last. Ohio has
a uniform tax on all retail liquor selling of
$3.50. The license fee in oregon is $500. In
Ed rsn lrSm s. 1oo inc IN P 5a5s 1i exclss sp tax p # s1an-
to $500 in the smaller cities and $50 in the
boroughs.
the restrictions of which liquors may be sold
for a tax graded on the amount of business.
Six hundred dollars Is the rate OF excise tax
permitted. In Maryland the tax on liquor
selling is not uniform, but is regulated by
the several we localities. In Bal1poore, which
has a rate Of 500 for LIQUOR saloons. and re-
Gently there has been a wholesale closing OF
b see s% dae. th p.af Brewers n tn say' sf to the In nuino oas
competition which has sprung up between
them. and the retailers say to the demand
of the brewers for exorbitant profit. In
Indiana there is a State license of 800, and
Incorporated cities are empowered by the law
OF that State to impose an additional license
State, the annual fee for liquor selling
amounting in some or its cities to as high as
s which ioGSi f is f6e mi f1Sm that The hasd numb to o g 'e sa.
looms, too. Is regulated by the population,
the number Of rinking places not to exceed
a high license In Michigan. Minnesota and
Nebraska. where the minimum fee is $1,000.
In South Carolina the sale of liquor is regu-
Vermont and Maine constitutional prohibit
ton exists. In Washington a large majority
of the counties have prohibition under the
as in Maryland, the tax is regulated locally.
In Connecticut the rate varies from 800 to
500. Kansas is a prohibition State. Wis
sey the granting of licenses is regulated by
the courts. and lin Kentucky Of late there
has been a gradual increase in the collections
from the sale of liquors at retail.
Everywhere the tendency of legislation, as
we have said, has been rather toward a
otherwise. The most serious objection yet
iDterposed against the Raines liquor law.
which the Republicans in Albany have been
would make the excise law of New York
conform more nearly with that of other
States. In compliance with the recommended
ton contained in the message OF Governor
Morton to the Legislature on Jan. !, 1856, is
that by rigidly increasing the existing rate
of license it makes no discrimination between
fhnC0 M 0aC uT1iah coll c,frifrrnf1c li0t0ru md
those who deal In fermented and less intox-
icating liquors, ale and beer. In this State,
for many years. such discrimination has been
shown between the two as a measure of
regulation. II being the general observation
of all persons qualified to Judge. that a d.
G,inished tax on saloons where whisky and
alcoholic beverages are not sold is conducive
TO moderation in drinking and to good order.
Wherever the rate for whisky and beer sa-
looms has been made Uniform. Il has been
found that the sale of the former has been
increased relatively. and the State has de-
rived a larger revenue, but at an unreason-
able. indirect cost in larger police and court
expenses. However that may be. the brew
ers OF this State. and more particularly those
of New York and vicinity, have not seen
systematic fight against the Raines liquor
law. They have been satisfied TO let the
matter go by default. and as the distillers
of the State, who would be the gamers from
a uniform excise tax. have raised q fund TO
aid the Raines LIQUOR bill on it's travels
through the LEGISLATURE. the confidence of the
Republican leaders in it's ultimate adoption
would seem to be well founded.
The other serious objection which he's
been successfully urged against al rad
ical high license measures. which nut I'D
the rate of excise tax TO an almost prohib-
tied point. is that they put a premium upon
illicit sa'es IN what are known In high
license States generally as "speak-easies."
where an inferior quality of liquor is sold
in violation Of law and in default of any
tax. The same objection rests TO local op-
ton laws everywhere. because a determine
ton of a majority of the citizens of a city.
township or county, that intoxicants should
not be sold within its boundaries. does not
deprive the minority of their strong desire
for drink. or, rs is said in some cases.
their desire for strong drink. But notwith-
standing these objections on increasingly
large number of voters have shown them
selves favorable to the gradual restriction.
II not extinction. OF liquor selling in Amer
lean constituencies. and the Raines liquor
tax bill. an imperfect measure, unjust TO
the large cities. and intolerably unfair in
the grading of tax which 1t establishes. is
rather in the line of excise legislation i'm
other States than antagonistic to II. The
Republicans have passed q somewhat sim
liar law in Pennsylvania-and survived
politically. by 2 large majority.