The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-01-21
RAIDS on SALOONS NOT
HELPING Temperance
Believed That Republican Poll
ticians Are Behind Recent
Sunday Raids.
Reforms in Saloon Laws Asked
for in Detroit as Result of
Abuses.


weeks ago has opened up a series Of
discussions in every circle Of life In the
city. That the raid OF the w. c. T. u.
is unpopular is evident from the gen.
eral sentiment expressed on the street.
The best friends of temperance cannot
see where anything is to be gained for
the cause by arresting a few selected
saloon keepers for violating the Sun
day law.
In fact there are not few friends Of
Mayor Cullum who sincerely believe
that the raid is being instigated by
certain Republican politicians who wish
to embarrass the present administra-
ton. When T. w. Hugo was Mayor he
pursued identically the same policy as
the present administration, except that
possibly Mayor Cullum holds each sa-
loon keeper strictly to account for any
violation of law that oceurs in his
place of business. During Hugo's adj
ministration there were no raids as
there are now.
In Detroit the people were subject to
many such occurrences. and many sa-
looms Of the lower order f1agrantly vio-
lated the law. Now the city is asking
for local option bill and in conjunc-
ton with the bill there are number
Of provisions of which the following
are few:
Not more than one saloon to each 500
of the population. This will reduce
the same rule applied in this city
would reduce the number here to about
seventy.
Saloons cannot be located within 500
feet Of school buildings, and in neigh
borhoods where residents object.
Applications for licenses must be
published in full in at least two news
papers.
A licensing board of three shall
control the selling Of liquor. It cannot
be compelled to grant licenses, and it ls
ing the license. This board shall be
appointed by the mayor. It is be-
Iieved that the political influence Of the
saloonkeeper is destroyed by the pro-
visions of this bill.
Police protection or favoritism can
not exist under the new conditions.
The penalty Of revocation will restrain
the saloonkeeper. and other men who
desire his franchise will be on the
lookout for any violation Of the law.
Saloons will thus be forced into re-
spectability.
A state analyst will assay liquors,
and the purity of drinks sold will be
secured.
Relatives of any one who becomes
intoxicated, and injured by means of
his intoxication, will have cause Of
action against any and all persons
concerned in it. This, it is believed,
will make saloonkeepers more cautious
about selling liquor to men who are
already under the influence of liquor.
The licensing board. independent of
any court proceedings, may declare a
license void, and the holder thereof
cannot hold another license until at
least five years have elapsed
But the best feature of the whole
proposed new law is the section which
provides for a new line Of action to
prevent intoxication, or the sale of iq-
uor to drunkards. This section pro-
yides that "any husband, wife, child,
parent, guardian, employer Or other
person who is injured in person, prop
erty or means of support by an intoxi-
Gated person, or in consequence of the
intoxication. habitual or otherwise,
of any person, shall have a right of ac-
ton against any person or persons
who, by selling or giving intoxicating
liquor, have caused in whole or in
part such intoxication.''
This provision, it would seem, is
sweeping enough, but it is still widened
in scope by the extension of the right
of action, so that the owner Of the
building used for the sale of liquor
shall be liable jointly or severally with
the seller or giver of intoxicants, for
all damages. The landlord may then
recover from his tenant. The mayor,
the poor commissioner, or any person
injured by anothers habitual intoxica-
ton, may serve notice upon saloon
keepers not to sell them liquor, and
may recover damages if the notifica-
ton is not regarded.
Thus it will be seen that the new
law is sweeping and drastic in its pro-
visions. 1t proposes to create a new
order Of things in the saloon business
of Detroit