The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-12-26

Explaining Several of the
Features of the Model
Liquor License.

sued by the NatEonal Model License
Leaguge through Its president. Col
n M Gilmore. OF Louisyflle. Ky:
1t should be stated at the outset
that the objects and purpose OF the
model license law are to take the
liquor question ont q politics and to
take the law breaket out OF the LID
uoR business.
The liquor question should not be d
political factor The mere fact that
a man favors or opposes the use Of
lalcohollc beverages should not be
deemed a qualification for discharg-
! ing the duties incumbent upon hold
ers of public office.
J4aw-breakiug in connection with
the sale OF alcoholic beverages. IS in
furious to the trade as a whole and
to society generally. For this reason,
! the National Model License League.
representing the manufacturers Of
and the dealers In alcoholic bevsr-
lagos. feels Justified IN calling on all
good citizens for corporation in the
efforts to pass a law eliminating the
lawbreakers.
Prohibition has VIGOROUSLY failed
to take the liquor question out Of
politics or to take the Iaw-breaker
out of the LIQUOR buspess. On the
Iother hand, prohibdtion agitation
has made the LIQUOR question an inl-
portant factor In politics and has put
a premium on violation OF the law.
Model license law differs from or
binary license laW in that model Ii.
cense law puts premium on good
certain penalties for violation of the
law. Under model license law the
liquor dealers Is permitted to conduct
his business SO long as he abides BY
the law.
Model license law provides that all
license In effect at the time os the
passage OF the model license Law
shall remain in effect until suspend
ed or concealed because OF violation
of the law Under tbs operntion of
model license law II there are tool
many saloons in a given city the!
number win be cut down automatic
ally, because too much competition
would force some OF the saloons out
of business because of lack Os profit
or because OF violation % the law.
Model license law stipulates that mol
new license shall be issued until theI
population is in proportion of (say)i
five hundred inhabitants to each sa-
loon license. This restriction. would
make the license very raluablc byi
undue competition The
greater the value of the license the
less disposition there would be on
the part of the license holder to risk
the forfeiture of his license through
any violation OF the law.
The National Model License Leagucl
does not advocate excessive high NJ
ccnse. The license should be sutfic-
len. to yield Al good revenue y the
city and state, but 1t should not be
so high as to compel the holder of
the license to handle Inferior mer-
chandise in order to make a reason
able profit.
For the protection Of the dealer
model license law includes n clause
providing a penalty for any minor
over eighteen years of age who shall
claim to be of age in order TO pur-
chase alcoholic beverages. Without
this clause INSCRIPTIONS reform
crs" would resort to the use of boys
between the ages OF eighteen and
in order to make out a
case of violation -of the law against
the sale of liquor to minors. as has
been done so often under the law
WnlCn pEONlucS no means OF punlS0- I
ing the minor who makes the false
pretense OF being of legal age.
In order to give the dealer polit-
Ical Independence, the model license
law provides the court must sus-
pend the license for thirty days upon
the first conviction of the license
holder for any violation OF the law
and that the court must cancel the
license upon the second conviction of
the license holder. This provision is
and the court can grant
no savors.
The law further provides that
where a person has forfeited his Ii
censc he can not again obtain a IL
censc in the state.
Under the model license law every
dealer would be independent of pol
tics: he would have valuable liz
rensc. ana 1t would be more profit
able TO obey the law than disobey it.
With an the retailers obeyinE the law
there would be no excuse Cor agita-
ton and the LIQUOR question would
have no part In political campaigns.
Model license law has been ac-
cepted by many of the lending think
RS OF the United states as the true
solution of the liquor problem and 1t
has the support OF the conservative
md independent press.
I