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The New License Law

About This Item

  • Title: The New License Law
  • Date: 17 April 1857
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01453
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 17 April 1857: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Samantha Gilmore Kevin McMullen Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "The New License Law." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01453.xml (TEI)
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THE NEW LICENSE LAW.—

Among the provisions of the new license law, we find that no license shall be granted except to a person of good character, and sufficient pecuniary ability to carry on the trade, on the petition of thirty respectable freeholders residing in the election district (none of whom shall sign more than one petition).1 Every innkeeper in towns and villages shall keep at least three spare beds for travelers. No innkeeper can recover for liquor sold on credit, except to lodgers in his hotel; and any securities for debts of this kind shall be void. No liquor shall be sold to Indians, apprentices, persons under eighteen years of age, or intoxicated persons. If a husband be intemperate, the wife may send a notice to liquor dealers, requiring them not to sell to him; and after such notice they shall not sell to such husband for a term of six months. No liquor shall be sold to persons known to be intemperate, or whose friends or relatives have requested the dealer not to supply him. No liquor shall be sold as a beverage on Sundays or election days. No incorporated company shall give employment (sec. 31) to habitually intemperate persons. The act takes effect immediately.

Notes:

1. An excise law, or license law, was passed by the New York State Legislature on April 16, 1857, that served to further regulate liquor licenses and limit both the sale of and access to alcohol. [back]

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