Amador ledger., 1905-12-29
FRIDAY. DECEMBER 20, 1905
The Echo On ConStitionaI Law.

liquor shall be for the purpose of
regulation. This provision was up
held by the supreme court of the
United States. The state has the
power to prohibit the sale of liquor
altogether in any part thereof. This
highest court.
The constitution provides that all
licenses to sell liquor must be issued
under authority of the state law, as
it is part of the police system of the
State, and the power to grant such a
license ceases when IN conflict with
state law. There are five supreme
court decisions upholding this pro-
vision.-Echo.
We find the above IN an article
published in our valley contemporary
last week, taking exception to our
article of the week before on the
license situation in lone. We have
right to assume that when an editor
undertakes to ventilate any PROPOSE
tion, he has fortified himself with
some facts from source which is
authentic and reliable. But the above
alleged quotations from the state con-
stitution trips our understanding.
Will our cotemporary kindly inform
his readers in what article and under
what subdivision and sections of the
constitution q
may be found. Also where and In
what particular case the United States
supreme court passed upon the points
in issue.
Would it not be we'll to brush the
dust of many moons from his con-
stitution book, and examine its pro-
visions carefully, before committing
himself to enIighten the public upon
its contents from memory or from
street gossip more likely. The con-
fused ideas of one suffering from a
first class jag, are not in it with the
editors mix up of constitutional and
statute law and state and federal
decisions. The constitution is silent
on liquor licenses.
There is a good deal of hollowness
about all this continual howl about
the liquor business in lone. The
Ledger is no defender of the liquor
traffic as such. Its banefuI influence
upon society is admitted and deplor.
ed. We do not agree with those,
however, who imagine that il this evil
were banished, by the arbitrary
methods of prohibition the millenia.
ed. The vicious propensities o.
human nature, which are at the
bottom of the liquor habit, would still
remain in full force and effect, anc
damned up in one direction would
doubtless find vent in another. The
mere removal of temptation is moi
the ultima thule of reformation. A
moral weakIing on earth, ever
through translated to the third
heaven, would be a weakling still.
The sole fact that the weak spot in
his charater we're concealed from
view by the moral strength surround,
ing him would not work radical cuI
at once. Only by the slow process OF
education-the taking away the desire
to indulge IN evil ways-can men be
reformed. The reform school of lone
is an example of this. The mere fact
that they are kept from the induIg-
ence of bad habits as much as poss-
ible is not the final goal aimed at.
1t is by the process of education ex-
tending over period of years, and
placing them in contact with robust
characters, that the state hopes to
wean them from ways that are bad.
The truth is, Notwithstanding all
that has been said, the law referred
to is unpopular, and its enforcement
as urged on legal grounds, that lone
is within the two miles limit of the
Preston school, is a subterfuge. What
difference does it make to the inmates
of the school whether a saloon is one
mile or ten miles from the institution.
They cannot frequent the saloon to
be contaminated in either case, that
is if they are under proper discipline,
as we presume they are. But the
antisaloon element urge the strict
compliance with this law hoping
thereby to rid the town of the saloons
established. They are in a minority
as the election last fall indicated
But why not take the responsibility,
and make complaint, and have the
courts decide the matter. The local
peace officers and justice court have
full powers in the premises. Why ask
county officers to initiate proceedings.
If vag shows up in lone there is no
appeal to the county seat to prosecute
him. He is yanked up without much
ado by the township authorities.
Why should a different course be
demanded in other alleged misde-
meanor cases. 1t is this phase of
inconsistency and evident disinclin-
alton to assume the responsibility of
trying to enforce the two-mile limit
law that trips the understanding of
the average citizens.
For Crackad Hands