The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-14
Thursday, November fl, 1907.
THE EXCISE MOVEMENT.

tuc OtdtS IS IaCAlB u ACoA tOupiS, VI that fancied troubles have got on to Its nerves The latest evidence of this is furnished by the State organ of, the dealers published at the city of Hart ford. It is known as the Liquor Mer- chants Trade Journal and it is in the current issue of it that we find note of warning sounded which tells the dealers that unless they proceed at once to organize" as they have never been organized before the liquor busi- ness will be seriously impaired or de- stroyed altogether.
 It is only the other day that we quoted from a startling interview giv- en by Edward Mccarthy of this city, who has been in the trade for forty years. He stated explicitly that he saw signs of the gravest danger to the business if there was not an in- stant change of front oh the part of the brewers. It Is at their door that he lays the responsibility for the rest lessness and discomfort which have overtaken the general public. MT. Mo Cartfy divides the business into two sections. The first section depends on and responds to the law of supply and demand. Where there is a sufficient demand for a saloon it is established. The second section ignores altogether the law of supply and demand and plants its saloons wherever there ap- pears to be chance to sell This sec ond section, according to Mir McCar- thy, is under the control of the brew CTS, who seek to turn their beer into money. Taking this dealer at his own words the brewers are to be held re- sponsible for the multiplicity of drink ing places tn ne.ghborhoods where it is inconceivable there should be found a corresponding thirst unless arti- flciaIIy created. More than that the brewers are to be charged with the re- sponsibility for the number of saloons in city the size of New Haven, which as every observer knows is far in ex- cess of a normal thirst. The problem then which shapes itself concerns a more unemotionai enforcement of the law of supply and demand, the burden of proof to rest upon the applicant for a license and then upon the shoulders of the county commissioners.
 The attitude of the Liquor Mer- chants Trade Journal is less philoso- phical ard therefore more confusing. It does. not exactly say what it does fear but dwells upon the necessity fhere is for organization. Organization to accomplish what? It is at this point that confusion enters. We can under stand what is meant if the resistance of the temperance party is contem- plated. That means a machine which can make itself felt in the halls of leg lslation, but it also means a machine which ignores altogether the sources of weakness which have made MT, Me. Carthy submit to frank statement ot his views. We very much question il such an organization can accomplish what its supporters claim for it. Ths reason the General Assembly has lis tened favorably to the legislative re quests of the temperance party IS tha if has become convinced in one wa! and another that the liquor bushes enjoys too much license. The liuuo dealers have overstepped public conf dence. Organization will not necessari ly correct this unless the organization is to keep constantly in mind the fac that the source of corruption is to b. found In the conduct of the hquo business and not in the agitation o the reformers. Reformers are of littl
 
 use unless they have some abuse or SC ries of abuses to correct If the off oia organ of the liquor dealers of tn State would take up the general sub ject for discussion along lines lai down by MT. Mccarthy, it would fin way open to it's better understand ing of the 9ctual dangers whic threaten the business it is supposed t protect by its wise advice There is
 large and growing number of peopl in the State of Connecticut who ar convinced that the liquor business ha been overdone. They have no illusion about the alleged efficacy of prohib ton and they feel no diminution faith in the local option principl They ars simply determined to kno 10 what extent the liquor business hs existed and still exists as an artificit temptation exploited for the sole pu
 pose of turning the weaknesses of ma into money. And in determining tn