The Liquor Problem

k. late number of the New Ideal of :Bo3ton, Mis?., takes up the question of lis and license and offers, what seeiu3 to us, one of the most sensible ■ons which we have yet saen. It ains so mah sound sen?e that we üve decided to reproduce the article in .'uil, except a few introduotory remirks. ie author of the article says: " License has no philosophical or reasonable basia. It. is a criminal absurdity .ndulged in by unconscionable state3, ■hetlier in a highor low form. Taxing lid legitimating a criminal cause, while piyine an enormim price in futile atirSnxpts to correct the effect3 of that ciase, is one of tlie most awful and xridiculoua modern examples of strainag at a gaat and swallowing a camel. "Prohibition is the other extreme, iad seems a forced, unnatural thing. HPrehibition w-ill never succeed uatil its -d!ierenU establish beyond all doubt 'he tight to prohibit. To imert a. prokibitory clauía in tlu c9Qttitatioaifl ti dd a new declaration of right. FreeHoxa. of speech is, a priori, a right no one "jjttestionj. Can prohibition be called cencha right? Is it anything more than policy, a mí.uure that givernmsnt, in dopting, believeï will ba politie to es-iblish for the preservation of sjcial -ad moral order? "Can philo3ophy, renoa and natural .wgiveno solution of this diffiiulty? Tijet us see. "The first ; propoiition to ba proipaunded at this point is, have Iiquor3 a e;it:aii'.8 u? The answer to this is Crmative. They are niuch in demind r. the a.rii, ani the future has undoubtílly still greater use for them. It may V8 said to be mooted qie3ti on, pttether, as a beverage, unadulterated nors in températe qamtities hive a ' me, bat the wsight of authority at pressnt woald indícate thit they hive not. "Granted a use, a scientide use, any sgitimite use of liquors by the conEcm9r. it follojr.4 that equitable commercial justica requireíja traffij in li: a fíes a:id uire3traine 1 as miy arcan bs had in any other commodity . fbis gjvernoiaat his ni mora rilit to tiiera1) crjatinj a minopily, or ■praliibit, tharaby depririaj of a ma, in th.8 liq-nr bjiinau tina in th.it of any otlisr articljj A híj, aad ;i free traffij t supply tha demtnd for that.use,- w herí is U13 limit bayoad which it wül injatiómto parmit that traffisto go? lly when. use becDme3 ab-ne; when tk8C3:isamarinjure3 liimo'it'aad others '. a that use. "This abuse brings U3 faca to face with %ke paint aroand which existing laws rtei and lash themielve3 in piradoxcil torment; vi:., tha qiery mirality :pr3p3aad3--Ij drunkennes3 a crime? 'Sit oas anjwrjr h aimUub'e, - i p:3■iive affirmitive. "The salo9a tolay is destructiva of e, law and order, and must be I en out of existence if we wish to adivines ininkind toward the enjoyment ■ut th.3 bstter mjrrowr. It mast come to tiHt!ir,'.!i! polic3Dowar shill hive ".ksrightto eitermiaate these plaguap3ts. A dive of women knowing no kmstltf is uneartiied, raided, and ita ites sent to homes of wreiked Trooainhool. Why should not a dive f lawles drunkards ba raidod, and the 1 amates sent to hornea for wreoked man.loiod' "Having granted liquors a use, when irill'the consumar obtainliqaor uuder a free traffi; for such leitimate me? i. lifluor store, bir-les, or a dru-store elling liquor is the outcotna of oar 'tredicate, w'ith no drinking under any --irtnxjlaaoas whatever on the premise3. ■"Th9 liq'ior store will not ba free Croo all renrijcions. In ths örit pla;a i trade regnlation should require that ■iáli liquors bi anilyzïd and labeled as This will rid the traffii of the alent great quiütity of poisoni. It "■will then b3 pmible to diteriniii) ■bet!; er gJodtHgaori have any use as a v asverige. Poisonom liquors certainly h.7e not. "JPhe iïcoaa rsstrietionwill be similar ta Ui il vhich regulate3 the sal3 of dan. cero.n articlei by dragists. The sale be i'j sirio'. id to the sine and a-luit ai aeses. , this solution fa3hioned of the . li liráaou are oude of? We think stL liiere is a great public sentiment Ik faror of temperance reform, aal a alutioa ttut would aait all wjuld have great miral force back of it wrhich iscikes laws, and sees to tlieir aaforetxnent, ■"Caá this solutioa bs realizad- aad &i9K'? It ca?i b3, bat the public wiU reed ïnuch ethical educatioa Jon ,'.ií5tÍ3u at issue. Táe falslty of phüoaophy of licenae and proliibia wiU have to b8 under3tood. The blicconscience wiU have to ba quick■ined ethically toward the recognition ie saloon of toiay asa lawless BtHution of a criminal character, and of the fact that drunkenness and drinking are public wrongs. These deductions are certainly correct, and when .the public recognizes them as correct, can that public rightfully and morally move in any other direction than that which will establish a solution largely in line with the one offered above?"