The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-06-04
TELLS
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llberty-loyine eItizensb,n-


liberty-loying citizenship.
"of course. ] further oppose the
movement from the standpoint of ma
terial interests. but. II | know myself,
that Is of less consequence to me than
my opposition to 1t as good citizen.
! as the father of n family. feel II my
duty to guard more their. interests,
with reference to leaving them
the heritage of free country than
material wealth. since, with the prin-
ciple of prohibition established, to my
mind, civil liberty can never prevail.
Il recognize the abuses of alcohol,
both by consumers and vendors and
would contribute all in my power to-
wards the prevention OF these abuses.
| have been engaged in the whiskey
business more than thirty-eight years
and have so far as my limited abil-
ity permitted made a study of the
business in reference to society. My
firm conviction is that an effort by
law to deny man that for which he
has an appetite simply sharpens that
appetite and increases desire to
crafty 1t, even at the expense OF his
own self-respect. This condition
minimizes his usefulness as a good
citizen, as good citizens should OBJ
serve the laws in every respect, but
where laws are enacted that are con-
trary to nature, regard for them can
not prevail, and, when disregarded
for one law is established in the mind
of citizen, it is an entering wedge
of disregard for any law.
In considering the remedy for the
abuse in the sale and use OF alcoholic
stimulants, |, together with several
others, notably. Col. T. NJ. Gilmore,
of Louisville, Ky, formulated some
of the basic principles for the i'm
proyement of the condition with ref
erence to the sale of alcoholic stimu-
lants at retail.
The first suggestion that we con-
cluded most important was absolute
obedience to all laws regarding their
sale. BY this we would not commit
ourselves to the approval OF all the
laws now on the statute books, but
we do not believe 1t is the province
of any man or set of men outside of
the properly constituted judiciary to
determine whether the laws are right
or wrong or whether they are consti-
tutional.
another suggestion is to keep the
liquor trade out of politics as a
trade. This can only be done by
treating the trade justly. Under the
present license system the privilege
is seldom extended beyond one year
and at the expiration of that period
the trade has to bow to the powers
that be for renewal of licenses. 1t
unfortunately frequently depends not
as to whether the applicant for IL
cense has observed the laws but as
to what service he may have been in
securing the election of the license
granting authorities.
For this reason the Model Liquor
League suggests that licenses should
be continued Indefinitely so long as
the licensee observes the laws and
that license should be forfeited for
thirty days for the first conviction OF
an infraction of the law and for the
second conviction 1t should be perma-
nently cancelled. These conditions
would give to the licensee a valuable
business that would likely not be sac
rificed as he of all others would he
most interested In observing the law.
We would punish a minor over IS
years of age. who obtained lntoxlcants
by Misrepresentation.