The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-21
THE SALOON PROBLEM.

ter protecting their interests loiio"H as logical consequence of the actiVlty of the supporters of the temperance cause It is not at all likely that the temperance party expected those II 7 fighting in such an organized way to lie down and be run over without a Struggle, The liquor dealers of tn State of Connecticut have for one thing too much money invested Fl the business to see it sacrificed without protest They are too, encouraged by the traditional attitude of the State, which is one of encouragement to the business, provided eacn town assents to it.
 The truth is that the saloon prob lem, which necessarily includes that presented by the earnestness of the temperance eampaigners, is somewhat complicated, and it is not entirely the faGlt of any one party to the contro- versy Even the prohibition party of the State has no such record behind it
 for sincerity of purpose as to relieve l it altogether from a dehnite sense of responsibility It is not so many years ago that it played into llle hands nf l the Democratic party as the socialist tabor party played into tho hands of
 the Republican party. Those were
 among the practical incidents of the
 constitutional requirement demn' '.' 2
 majority over all to make legal the 1 election ol State officers. The feeling
 of indifference throughout tho Stac for many years to the prohibition
 mnycm-n: and the distinct aversion to
 prohibition as principle of govern
 ment can be attributed to the conduct
 of those who managed the temper
 ance party. It was not taken serious
 behalf lacked sincerity, Its larger in-
 fuence to-day can be attributed to a
 more or less general impression that al
 last it means business and stands upon
 an independent basis
 If the prohibitonists of the Stat.
 have been in the past in definite
 sense responsible for aiding in tic
 complication of the liquor problem
 the liquor merchants themselves hay,
 not, been free from criticism in tha regard. They have not hewn close t,
 the legal line as established by tn,
 State They have taken their risks 6nC
 they have introduced practices whici the discovery of has added to thei burden of resistance. Had they beer
 as anxious as they are tnquestionabl,
 to-day to have the liquor laws of tn State obeyed and objectionable deal CTS cut ont they would not now find f closer organization and mere vigor , ous assertion of their legitimate pur pose in life necessary If, in othe , words. it can he said, as we believe i f can, that the prohibitionists of for , mer generation contributed ,her ful , share to the problem by playing th game of politics, it can also be sai hat the liquor dealers nave srned t f like degree hy ignoring tho laws. , Nor can the State itself plead i'm p munity from criticism It has her c pace with the other sinners in the de velopment of problem which mus . probably now be faced and settled q e best it can be. It nas been persister 1 obstacle in the way of an ajeqrate an f just reorganization of the liquor bus & ness of the State as it relates to tn
 welfare of all concerned It has ntair Q tained stubEornly the partisan orgar Q ization of the county commission. th e body charged with the issuance , Q liquor licenses, and it has in cons,
 quence permitted that body to cor
 duct it's business practically as it hs
 seen fit, oftentimes in the past witt @ out regard to protesting citizens of di: t nified character In no one instanc ' unless we eliminate the sudden inte
 est of the last legislature. has the Ge,
 eral Assembly shown normal inclil
 ation to study the liquor problem fro
 an intelligent point of view. Preiudi, e of .one kind and another has reigne # supreme III the halls of legislation. ar ', every appeal to deal with the proble ;- involved in the interest of all col if eerneG has fallen on deaf ears.
 e We have not the slightest idea tn -- the State of Connecticut will unde e take to do anything now in 8 revol' g tionary spirit. and it ought not to, b. h it is in order to warn those who har n separately and jointly labored in u l. dark to produce what has resulted Y take a broader and more inteUige n view of what they owe, not alone ,e their own interests. but. what is mo Is important, to the welfare of the Sta n which harbors us all In that way on r. can the problem be settled as 1f should be settled. The people of CO as necticut have good horse sense. al l. causes which have heen steadily ra s- ing for a restless condition they " h put their thinking caps on and thil te to some good purpose