The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-01-29
A Review Of the License Court.


terested in the cause of temper
ance, learn with regret through
the columns of your good paper,
that your recent Court granted
several licenses for the sale of
liquor, even in the face of the
prayers and protests of your in
telligent, upright and christian
people. That such should be the
case, is certainly matter wor-
thy of comment; moreover, there
is indeed something strange about
the decision Of our court when
dealing with the liquor question:
for example, in one county,
Judges who are intelligent, sober
and just, conduct the license
court, deliberate upon the liquor
question, then balance the scale
of justice, and refuse to grant a
license for the sale of liquor.
This decision meets the approba-
ton and plaudits of the best peo-
pie, and the Judges retire with
the consciousness that they have
done their duty, acted wisely and
that their decision will tend to
promote sobriety, prosperity and
happiness. In another county,
Judges presumably of equal in
telligence, sobriety and honesty
assemble the license court, de-
liberate upon the liquor question,
then poise the scales of Justice
and decide in favor of liquor Ii
cense. Have they acted wisely,
and will their decisions tend to
sobriety, prosperity and happiness?
Do they receive the appreciation
and plaudits of good citizens ?
Do they retire with a conscious
ness of duty righteously per-
formed? If so, why the necessity
for all the talk about interpreta-
tions of the law, provisions of the
law, requirements of the courts
not being in accord with senti-
ment, etc. all of which are TAX
en- by intelligent and thinking
people as subterfuge.
Another feature of the license
court that relates particularly to
McConnellsburg, is the fact of a
remonstrance by the best people
against the granting of liquor IL
censes, reciting the facts that
the sale of liquor would not con-
tribute to the welfare of your
citizens, religiously, morally, fl
nancially or otherwise. After
these declarations of protest fol-
lows sort of an apology to the
parties against whom the remon-
strances were filed.
When intelligent, sober and
christian people realize the evil
consequences Of the sale of liquor
in their midst and do all they can
to prevent it, yet notwithstand-
ing, some parties by virtue of the
license foist this evil upon them,
who should make the apology.
The individual who seeks liquor
license has in mind the sale of Ii
quor, otherwise he would not
want the license; and the sale or
use of liquor in any town or COM
munity means intoxication in all
its phases, from mild exhilara-
tion to the dead drunk. The sale
of liquor is a detriment to every
trade or business outside of the
bar-room; the man who uses Ii
quor not only spends his money
for that which is not meat, but
sooner or later he is rendered less
efficient for useful employment;
this, of course, diminishes his
earning capacity, hence he has
less money with which to buy ne
cessities, conveniencies and COM
forts of home. In support of
this, just ask your banker, your
drygoods dealer, your shoeman,
your grocer, your butcher or your
realestate man how the drinking
man contrasts with the indurtri-
Gus and sober man, and their an
swer will be; No comparison the
sober man is a promoter of trade,
the drinking man a hindrance to
trade.
OBSERVER.