St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-12-14
A Model License Law.

nstigated the bitter fight that
S being waged against saloons
IS they are conducted in many
titles and towns to-day.
Whenever a movement be-
comes universally strong you
nay lay it down as a principle
hat there are just grounds for
it. 1t is equally true that when
there is no longer a cause for
it the movement will cease to
exist. The object of the League
to be to eradicate the
evils of the trade by the intro
duction of laws, the observance
of which will be a protection to
both the saloon and society and
which will as far as possible less
en- the evil effects of the pres
ent system, elevate the business
and free it from political inf1u-
These are objects much
to be desired, not only by society
but by the saloon-man himself.
Following is the proposed law
sent to the Farmer by the
Model License Meague::"
MODEL LICENSE LAW.
FIRST. All licenses now out
standing to continue in force,
unless cancelled by a majority
of voters.
These licenses should be transferable
from one to another, as any other
property is transferred, or left, as a
part of an estate as the good will OF
any other business may be left. This
form of license is similar to that en-
joyed by all other lines of trade, ano
if granted to the retail liquor dealers,
it will, in our opinion, remove them at
once, from active participation in
politics. Under the present system
the saloon keeper is at the mercy OF
the political boss, and of the authori-
ties elected or appointed for the pur.
pose of issuing licenses each year, anc
as long as this continues he must Of
necessity remain an active factor II
all political fights.
SECOND. No license should be
issued in the future until the
proportion become not more
than one for each 500 of popu.
lation, and thereafter they
should be issued in such proper
ton as society or convenience
demanded.
THIRD. A license should yielC
a good annual return to the Gov
eminent, but it should not be
excessive for Several reasons
principally because it encourages
and in some cases almost com
pels the handling of impure Ii
quors, the sale of alcoholic bev
erages to intoxicated men ant
to minors, and the violation o.
laws in regard to CLOSING a
certain hours.
If society imposes upon the salool
keeper, the saloon keepers will i'm
pose upon society.
FOURTH. All licenses to retail
liquor should be clear, imam
biguous contracts between tn
State and the individual, AM
they should provide that con
viction first offense) of the vic
lation of law, should carry witt
it a thirty-days suspension O
the business of the licensee, AM
the second conviction SHOULD
work immediate cancellation
and furthermore that the holde
could never be licensed again t
lretail liquors in that State.
FIFTH. A penalty should b
provided in all laws governin!
the retail liquor trade agains
any minor over eighteen VIII
represents himself to be of ag
in orderto procure intoXicants
The idea that is paramount in thes
suggestions is to give as great valu
and security toaa license as possible
so as to encourage the utmost obed
ence to the will of society, as e1
pressed in the laws on the. statut
books, to remove the liquor deale
from politics by making his right {
continue business dependent On h
own will and acts; and to provide tn
inevitable cancellation of license upo
the conviction of violation Of law.
| If these suggestion are embodied il
to law, they will not Interfere with an
provisions that State or .rnunicipalit
may choose to adopt for the regul;
ton of the liquor traffic, but they wi
insure the enforcement of these prt
visions by an automatic process. I'll
saloon keeper will enfore the provi
ions, because it will pay him so muc
better to obey law than to violate i
To preserve SO valuable license {
we have suggested from cancellation
the saloon keeper will be, of all mel
most anxious to run an orderly place
to refuse to sell to minors or inebriatei
and to close at the hour named b
society. .
We submit these suggestions wit
confidence to society, because we b.
| lieve that they contain the solution {
a problem before which this countr
has stood puzzled for so many year
If they fail of the desired effect, the
will offer no obstacle to the enactmel
of any other form of legislation.
| A REAL WONDERLAND
South Dakota, with it's rich silvt
| $1,000 I>oporyo fa,.y,oC ErySdn 1.nr ors