The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-02

published ~ 1foughton. Mitflih q Com.
pany, for the COMMITTEES Of Fifty 81
which d second edition has been pub.
$lished. Il a 4, II rs l,Ss h 81 s.5i; *
s Dr., Wines, experience In charitable and
correction work has strongly impressed
him With the evils sprlnglng from ltitefii-
gpefnnce, which IL the cause or tho 90.
5casion OF a very considerable percentage
OF tho pauperlsin, insanity and crime III
this ma other countries. But he hns
censcd to regard prohibition az the refr-
i cdy for these. evils. n; IA 4, TIL I. eS Il
Vi In reply to the question, j. Nv hat u then,
lie the remedy o. ne said Education, By
preccpt and example: the aiming Of
this rising generation In selt-control, and
The gradual uplifting and acceptance, BY
I the community at large Of higher stand
nrds OF Intelligence and morality"
Has not legislation In the right al
rection an n educational Influence and
5vnluc 7' 7Sf-' 5.g 4
Eyes, certainly, but II IL indirect and
loss ef1lcacious than many persons Inn
aglno Il to be. It does not change the
physical constitution OF men; alter their
natural appetites, nor prevent the opera
ton Of tho law Of supply and demand"
.'yyhy oarnot prohibitory laws be en-.
forced Just nd other provisions Of the
criminal code are enforced Z"
81 Bi,nply because, for their enforcement.
fverdicts Of conviction by petit juries
nrc Indispensable. Where public senti-
lme11t does not sustain the law they cam
not DO obtained. The Chief OF Police In
$ClnoinnaN told me that lie regularly
brought vloAtors Of the Sunday LIQUOR
law Into court, and Just as regularly they
were discharged without punishment A
gentleman who was foreman Of "a petit
Jury In that city said. that In q perfectly
cloar cnso ho polled the jury In the first
Instance ID to their opinions in detail,
I Did tho prisoner ut the bar get some
thing to drink In d saloon7 Was It in
toxloatlng lquor7 DID he pay for It !
Did this OCCUR on Sunday On all these
points tlloy agreed, without q dissenting
voice. But when polled for their verdict
/ thcy unanimously found him not guilty"
'Tlioo polloo can oloso the saloons II
they will vi 4. X.
S Eyes, but at great cost, They were
closed IN indianapolis on Sunday BY sta
tionlng d special policeman in overy one
Of them md hopping him thore all day
Until the saloon keepers surrendered.
But the trade simply was transferred to
drug stores, which could not DO deal
with In a similar manner. This result at
tho polls was a change Of political COLI
troll Of tho city. It must always be re-
membercd ,that closing tho saloons Is not
tho suppression Of tho traffic. And in
large cities, with an overwhelmingly
large foreign population, like Chicago
and New York. 1t Is almost impossible
to close them even on Sunday, without
mourning the very serious risk OF popu-
lar riots. Tho Chief OF Police In Chi
oago said to me that he could close
them on Sunday mornings, but would
not dare to try to do 80 after noon or
at night"
What do you regard as the, best pra G.
.ticabe means OF dealing with tho traf-
fc?"
"1f II cannot be suppressed thon It
must DO. regulated, This can be effected
either by a license law or BY simple re-
lance upon the police powers inhoring
in the State and municipal governments.
The trouble with the license system Is
that 1t vests in somebody the right and
power to pass Judgment on mems private
characters and business responsibility.
This would be resented, IL the same
method were adopted by which to regu-
late the sale OF bread or meat. It makes
the sale Of liquor n privilege, which Is
conferred as q political favor, and for
which political service can DO demanded
4 In return. The advantage Of the system
Is that 1t means local option, or the
power to exclude the traffic from limited
areas, in which public sentiment Is
against It, and the demand for liquor Is
slight But to be effective for good the
fee demanded for liquor license should
be as high as the traffic will bear; that
is, not SO high as to encourage and fos-
ter illegal sale, High license diminishes
the number Of saloons and places tho
control Of those which exist In the hands
OF more competent and responsible men,
'Thc only other practicable system, in
my Judgment is that followed In Ohio,
where the traffic, II not locally suppress-
cd, Is absolutely free. Any man can sell
liquor who wishes to do 80, but he must
pay a very high tax for the privilege, a
special tax for engaging In an extra
hazardous business. dangerous to the
public, and he is subject to Ill the police
regulations governing It, as to hours Of
sale. salo to minors ana habltual drunk
ards, and tho like. The heart Of the
whole question Is Just here. 1t Is q guess
ton Of police OF making Just and proper
rules and compelling obedience to them.
That, again, depends upon local public
sentiment. Laws are not aelf-oporattvo.
and is allowed to become dead letter,
1t is better for tho moral health OF the
community that they should be repealed.
found In Ohio that there Is relatively
no more drunkenness and no moro crime
than elsewhere. perhaps scarcely as