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The New License Law

About This Item

  • Title: The New License Law
  • Date: 22 April 1857
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01454
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 22 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.01454.xml (TEI)
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THE NEW LICENSE LAW.

The provisions of this law appear to be greatly misunderstood, or at least very differently understood, by some of our cotemporaries​ .1 The law has been praised in some quarters as tending to restrict the retail liquor trade to the more respectable dealers; but in one case at least it has been denounced as exhibiting "a peculiar bias in favor of low groggeries over regular taverns." As we read the bill, it appears that both of these views are unfounded.

The law applies solely to the retail liquor trade—it refers only to liquor sold in less quantities than five gallons. The man who pays for a license from $80 to $200 may sell liquor over his counter for consumption elsewhere, without presenting a petition from 20 freeholders. The man who desires to sell liquor at his bar, for consumption on the spot, pays from $80 to $200, like the other, but must also present a freeholders' petition, and keep lodging accommodations for man and (except in cities) beast.

This is a great distinction made in the bill, and a very excellent distinction it is. The well-behaved and reputable citizen who can get 20 freeholders to endorse him, will not be likely to keep a disorderly house; while the low groggery will have to turn out its half dozen loafers, and transform its bar into a counter, at which they may procure its liquor if they will, but only for home consumption.

We anticipate a commendable improvement in public morals from the operation of the bill, in both respects. We trust that it will be thoroughly enforced.

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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