The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-01-01

think there is, by law similar to the
one in South Carolina. amended and
trimmed to suit our locality and our
needs. There, as l understand it,
revenue is sought as much as control,
and as l read it, satisfaction is meas
urably given in both directions; but
here we should wish to reach only con-
troll.
Give authority to our Governor and
Council. to appoint liquor Commits
sion, whose duty will be to purchase by
wholesale all kinds of spirituous liquors
that there may be demand for within
the State; cause them to be inspected
for purity and put into bottles or jugs,
from half pints to gallons, have them
sealed by some device provided by the
State, and labeled with the variety of
liquor in each bottle, and the price for
which it is to be sold. Then appoint
agents wherever in the State it is deem
ed advisable to sell these packages with
unbroken seals, and let these agents
give bonds to comply with conditions OF
the law. Let the State furnish each
SO headed and ruled as to give the vari-
also a uniform and convenient method
w
minors without written orders from
parent or guardian, and those orders
put on file for the examination of in
spectors. Have inspectors appointed
whose duties shall be to inspect the
| books of sale at stated times, and COM
pare the amounts furnished each agent
with the amount sold and on hand, and
see that each purchaser has signed his,
or her, name against the purchase
| made. 1t shall also be the inspectors
duty to furnish each agent plainly
printed blacklist from time to time OF
the names of persons to whom he is to
refuse sales. Said persons are TO be
those who from any reason have abused
their privilege by the misuse of liquor
to the detriment of their families or to
the disturbance of the community; and
all that by reason of drunkenness have
been under arrest. All other sales to
be prohibited under reasonable penal
ties, left to the discretion of the magls-
trate between given limits, and all
offenders to be punished by imprison-
ment for longer or shorter terms, with
no fines permitted. Let the State add
a small percentage above cost of liquor
and all other expense, and also enough
to allow agents sufficient percentage to
procure suitable men, but not enough
to induce undue pressure of sales.
AS | am only outlining method, and
not drawing up statute, / will leave
, the many minor checks and guards
which might be added to each one to
supply for him, or herself. | do not
claim this to be a perfect law, but be-
lieve it to be better than the one we
now have. And neither do | claim it
to be the best that can be devised, for |
do not admit that the ingenuity of man
kind has yet been exhausted on this
subject; so | hold no pet prejudice in
favor of this, but simply am seeking an
improvement upon present methods.
| | am aware that this method will be
strongly opposed by two classes-the
present rum sellers and the radical
temperance element. The first, because
in no way would their outlook be i'm
proved with chances that they might
, be infinitely worse; while the latter,
who are more interested in unfolding
prohibition than in the results it brings,
! could never be brought to acknowledge
the fallibility of their pet theories.
| believe that all rational and logical
minds must acknowledge that the only
justification we have in passing any
such laws is to lessen, if not to entire
ly remove, the misery and abuse often
brought to families, neighborhoods and
the community, and in doing this, the
less we interfere with individual rights
the better it is, and the less opposition
it will meet. OTIS ID. WILSON.
Searsmont, Dec. 1902.