The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1898-11-05
VOL. VI.
HIGH LICENSE.

Much interest was conferred in the
meeting of the Police Jury last
Thursday owing to the avowed in
xention of the saloon men and their
friends to petition for repeal of
the high license fixed at $1,000 at
the October session. A large num-
Der of those directly and indirectly
upon the Jury every conceivable
argument either to make a reduc-
ton, reinstate old rates, impose a
license that would be prohibitive in
its operation. or submit the ques-
ton to vote Of the people. As
SCISSOR A. M. Martin, Superinten-
dent c. F. Latiolais, Prof. r. II.
Broussard and Mr.. ]. O. Broussard
appeared and addressed the Jury in
behalf of the liquor interest. At
ter hearing the various propositions
the Jury declined to act owing to
the fact that three members were
absent. The petitioners then
drew up formal demand for
special meeting on Nov II to argue
and discuss the subject fully before
the entire body.
The formal petition gives the Jury
the credit of having "acted with
caution and aiming for the best in
terest Of all from all appearances,
and then goes on to entrench
c.1 4
able arguments:
awe contend that the precedent
is vicious in principle, dangerous in
its consequences, and perniCious in
its effects; the first proposition is
that it will centraiize the business
into the hands Of a few; second i:
will force illicit sales Of liquor;
third it will cause more drunken
ness, debauchery, and corruption
than the authorities Will be able to
manage unless they employ the vile
means Of establishing the 'spying
SYSTEM SO obnoxious to 4 civilized
community; fourth, con siderirg the
fact that the parishes Of Nermi!iOn.
St. Martin, and Iberia have refused
to advance their licenses, it natnT
ally follows that business Will event
ually drift to those points,"
The pctition then protests against
the action Of the Jury and demands
that the question be submitted to
popular vote.
If the foregoing is the best that
can be advanced in behalf Of the
liquor interest, the gentlemen had
better retire into the shades of OBJ
security and cease to uphold a cause
so destitute Of sound and reason
able arguments. 1t is net the in
tention of here preaching a temper,
ance sermon or advocating prohibit
ton, but such expressions as
:tvicious in principle" 'trernicious
in effects" 'sforce Illicit salcs,"
dangerous in its consequences"
sscause more drunkenne debauch
cry, and corruption than the au-
thorities will be able to manage,
unless they employ the vile means
of establishing a Spying system SO
obnoxious to civilized COmmu
nity," designed as they are to boil
ster up traffic which the whole
machinery of government, national,
state, and parochial, has con-
demned and submitted to SO many
extreme measures for it's abatement
and control, remind us Of the cou-
plet that,
When the devil saint would be
The devil of a saint is he.
With all due respect to those who
have espoused the cause Of the
liquor traffic, the action Of the Jury
in placing the license at $1,000
seems to be founded on wise and
reasonable grounds and commands
the appreciation of large and in
telligent portion Of our population.
All this bugaboo argument about