Autographical Notes from the Life and Letters of Ezra Michener, M. D. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1893 Excerpt: ... The numerous meetings, resulting from the division in the Society of Friends, are not included in the list. CONSIDERATIONS ON THE GRANTING OF LICENSES TO SELL INTOXICATING DRINKS, 1879. It had for many years been a growing source of dissatisfaction that the practice of our courts, in granting tavern licenses, was not in accordance with the spirit of the license laws, nor in harmony with the progressive public sentiment in favor of temperance. Four years ago, (1875) Judge Butler, of this County, feeling no doubt the pressure of this dissatisfaction, gave an exposition of the practice of the court in the premises. (See West Chester Local News, May 19th, 1875); This exposition led me to prepare a series of critical notes on the subject, which appeared in subsequent issues of the same paper. As the cause for complaint still exists, I have been induced to repeat them in an amended form, with some additions. Believing that Chester was as ably represented in her judicial appointments, as any of her sister counties, I accepted the proceedings of Judge Butler as a fair standard of court practice for the State, with the express understanding that my strictures were not personal, but general. Judges are, like other men, fallible. They too are creatures of circumstances. They become habituated to particular modes of thought in the construction of laws, and to special forms of procedure in their administration. By too close an adherence to those traditional methods, the progress of intellectual, moral and religious improvement may be seriously hindered, and the good purpose of the law, frustrated. I shall endeavor to show that such has been, and is, the fact in regard to the granting of tavern licenses. Language, like all human productions, is imperfect, often indefinit...