at so fearful a cost.

Who and what are these men?--this great privileged class? Let us see. In
Boston, we have the testimony of the License Commissioners that
liquor-selling is in the hands of "irresponsible men and women," who pay
a license for the privilege of doing "as they please after payment." And
for the maintenance of these "irresponsible" men and women in their
right to corrupt and degrade the people, a forced tax is laid on every
bit of property and every interest in the great city of Boston! What was
the tax on tea to this? And yet, Boston patiently submits!

Is it better in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago
or any other of our large cities? Not a whit! In some it is worse,
even, than in the capital of the old Bay State. In one of these
last-mentioned cities, where, under the license system so dear to
politicians, and for which they are chiefly responsible, between seven
and eight thousand places in which liquor is sold at retail exist, an
effort was made in 1876 to ascertain the character and antecedents of
every person engaged in dram-selling. We are not able to say how
carefully or thoroughly the investigation was pursued, but it was in the
hands of those who meant that it should be complete and accurate. One
fact elicited was, that the proportion of native-born citizens to the
whole number engaged in the business was less than one-sixth. Another
was, that over six thousand of these dram-sellers belonged to the
criminal class, and had suffered imprisonment, some for extended terms
in the State prison. And another was, that nearly four thousand of the
drinking-places which had been established under the fostering care of
State license laws were houses of ill-fame as well! Comment is
unnecessary.