High License

So far as the consumption of liquor in concerned, we do not giippose tha.t it makes ínuch difference wheltier there are a thousand or two tlionsand rum shops in a town. We do not supjoe that anybody suflers much tliiref, evrnjf he uves in 11 town where no liqaor ín, providing there are runishops in an adjnining town. Henee, so far ascoiisiimption goe?, we doubt If high licenae or lo cal option does as much as the friends of these measures usually thlnk. But bolh are unmlstakably useful in anotber dlreOrection. One of the very worst evll of the rutn-sliop is its political power; and the lower lts character the greater is its power in tliis respect. The fewer the rum-shops the less political power they exert; and local option utterly destroys this power In the comniunity in whlch itexists. The riclier clafs of liquor dealers are always in favor of high license, because it givesthem somethingof a monopoly. They do not much care what that llcense is. They will pay it with pleasure, knowing that the hijjher it is the jrreater number of omall places will beclosed up which will give them a better chance. But in the better class of places there is not so much political work done as there is in the lower places, because there lg not the incentive and because their chief customers are not men who can be so easilr led. Therefore, whlle we believe that no thinking person can reach auy other conclusión than that the liquor traffle is the most serious curse of the world und that the world would be better off without it, high ücenseisof benefit and ought not to be dispised when prohibition Is out of the quest':on. Ifa wild beast cannot be killed, it is better to break one of its legs if that be possible. That will make it less dangerous.