Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-08-16


the part of a great many who were
influential in the Legislature to
enact the proposed bills into laws
with as few amendments as posi-
BILE, and not to go outside of the
general purpose of reforming the
tax laws. But there is is in the
house a large majority in favor
of better temperance laws; so,
when the Republicans of the two
bodies met in joint caucus to con-
slider whether any amendments
should be permitted, and if any
were allowed, what they should
be, it was decided, after giving
nearly a half day to the considera.
ton of the subject, to adopt and
pass considerably more than one
half of the amendments for
which | had asked.
Selling Without License.
The first m d m e n t thus
agreed upon by the caucus was
section 3 of said bill, providing
for the punishment of those who
sell liquors without license. In
the bill submitted to the Legisla-
ture the penalty was from $40 to
500, with imprisonment, at the
discretion of the court, for three
months. AS agreed upon and
passed, the punishment for the
first offense is from $25 to 5000,
and imprisonment in the county
jail from two to six months; and
upon a second conviction, impris-
onment in the penitentiary for
one year.
It will also be noted that the an
nual cost of retail liquor license
has been raised from $3.50 to $3.50
per year, or an advance Of 500 for
each license.
This is a very important change
in the law, and will tend to de-
crease the illegal sale Of liquor in
no-license communities.
My second amendment related
to the illegal sale Of liquor by
druggists. The penalty in the
proposed bill was from 500 to
800. My amendment provided
that the first offense should be
punished my a fine of not less
than $50 nor more than 5000:
and that upon second conviction
he should be fined not less than
800 nor more than $500, and i'm
prisoned in the county jail not
less than 80 days nor more than
90 days; that the court must re-
woke the licenses of such persons
to carry on the bsuiness of drug
gist and registered pharmacist.
and that no such license shall
thereafter be granted such person
or to any person in his employ.
This was adopted in whole by the
caucus, and was incorporated into
House bill No. 1. When the IL
quOr men learned what the Legis-
lature was about to do they came
down on that body like a swarm
of vultures. and then Substitute
Bill No. | was introduced in which
very serious changes were made
from the original bill, all favor
able to or less onerous on the
dealers. How this Substitute Bill
No. | originated I can more cas-
lily imagine than describe, but
such things often occur in legisla-
ton when You are contending
against unscrupulous but power
full interests. The words "shall
revoke" were thus changed to
"may revoke" which in practice
means very much for the convict
ed violator of our liquor laws.
I had also provided an amend
ment providing that no license
shall be issued for the sale of IL
Quors outside of the limits Of an
incorporated city, town or vii
lage; but the proposed bill con-
tanned that prohibition, and so I
added thereto that emo license
shall be granted within three miles
of the limits Of any county in
which there is no such license. nor
in any house of i'll fame, nor with
in 400 feet in a straight line from
any Duh1ic school ar n1aca IF re-