The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-12-15
FULL PARTNERS
The Federal Government and the
Liquor Traffic.

ne IouoTdl CODSIc oS "uoe SoOh
er or later take notice of the &C
tivity of the liquor interests and
their attempt to control the action
of the federal government. Thev
have entered national politics, and
will pollute everything that they
touch until they are driven out.
We have already seen Democratic
Congressman dragged into the Re
publican camp by these interests.
when a fight was being made over
the rules of the house, for there
| is no question of the activity OF
the liquor interests in supporting
Cannonism. Federal licenses are
now issued to those who desire to
sell liquor in territory in which
local licenses are denied, and the
brewers and distillefs are still
using interstate commerce to nulli-
fy the laws of the various States.
Surely there can be no excuse for
the issue of federal licenses to
liquor dealers in territory where
the local authorities have prohibit
ed the sale of liquor. The charge
for a federal license is S25 per
year. and when a federal license
is issued upon the payment Of this
sum the federal government either
obtains the money without con-
sideration or it enters into partner
ship with the violator of the law.
Three objections have been made
to the proposition that the federal
government should refuse 10 issue
licenses in dry territory, namely. |
First, that taxes should be uniform
and that the government can not,
therefore, collect a license tax n !
one community and refuse TO col
lect such a tax in another; Second, |
that the federal government could
not prosecute person for selling
without license if it refused 10
issue license; Third, that the
issue of federal license is useful
in that it enables the local authDri-
ties to ascertain from the record |
who are engaged in the traffic. |
These three objections might be
met by law reducing the license
to 81, and providing that notice of
the issue of such license be posted |
Immediately in the pOstOttice id
the town in which the licensee re-
sides and requiring publication of
notice in a local newspaper. The |
81 would not more than cover the
cost of issuing and recording the |
license and posting the notice, and
such law would take the govern
ment out of partnership with the
law breakers.
BY what logic can one justify |
the action of the Federal Govern
ment in permitting interstate COM
MERGE to be used to nullify State
regulation of the liquor traffic. If |
a State can be trusted to protect
property and to prescribe rules
for the descent of estates, can it
not be entrusted with the power
to regulate the sale and use of |
liquOr9 If the State can be en-
trusted with the enactment and
enforcement Of criminal laws, even |
10 the exactin9 of the death pen
atty, can it not be entrusted with |
the power TO control the liquor
traffic.
1t can, of couse, be taken for
granted that the liquor interests
will oppose any legislation which
has for it's object the protection of
society from the evils of intern
perance. ard they will, as they
have in the past, threaten any
party which refuses to bow down
to the god which they have set up,
but the Democratic party can bet
ter afford to invite their opposition
than grovel IN the dust to secure
their approval. The CommOner. |
10.