American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-12
AMERICAN TEL EGRA.PH
Il [Communicated.I
3 Dollars VS.. CONFERENCE.-The Legis-


Dollars VS.. COnscience-Wise Legis- .
t latiOn. F9 t,ssEt.,..a
10 he Editors Of the; American Telegraph. ri.,5
GENTLEMEN: In the square in which / re-
side there is one bar for the, sale of spirituous
liquors. The proprietor evidently makes out
pretty well; and his influence is felt, I haye
seen many respectable men senter his doors, and
many of other kinds and i have seen many
stagger away from them 1 can trace the down
ward course through this bar-room of several
now in their graves, and certainly of two who
have passed through the Penitentiary. The
succession of customers within the last ten
years has comprehended "a great many, and
misery in some form has been the lot of not q
few of them. 81. E4Hj84-5tH gumaGgfi
Occasionally there is disturbance at this
house at night, but / can only remember one or
two instances of peoples being arrested here by
the opolice. Good drink, good oysters, good
cigars and various comforts can be had. !. The
landlord is quite fattered, and certainly acts
as though he thinks he is entitled to very
great respect. know not how it is, but the
customers of such men certainly do treat them
with great 1deference. b He has O common, yul-
gar look, and could not be mistaken for gem
tleman !; and yet he is fair and wears costly
clothes and ornaments, if he does not dress in
good taste. He has considerable influence over
many of our youths, and it, is grief of some
of our neighbors that their boys steal slyly into
this mans house at night. Could we induce him
to remove we would; and if we could be sure that
no other dispenser of strong drinks would come
into our neighborhood, ] think q bonus of a
thousand dollars would be readily given. The
people ON both sides of the way are interested
in this, and are all of one mind-all except
the man who owns the tavern house. But
we cannot 30 protect ourselves. Our city,
for bribe of few ill-gotten dollars win
| let any man take up alongside of us this
| hell-peopling trade. We desire our children to
grow up in purity but, for mere trife, the
city authorities will force them to witness
drunkenness and all that is vile-to hear BIAS
| phemy, obscenity and lewdness and to become
| familiar with the forms and actions Of men who
are Fastening down to ruin and despair. Does
the city treat us well !? Does it act justly
We all pay taxes, and some of US render i'm
portant services at times. Do we deserve no
protection? Now l think no place for the
sale of intoxicating drinks should be permit
ted in any square without the assent of two
| thirds of those who own and reside in, or rent
| by the year, the houses on both sides Of the
| street. along the whole length of such square
and if at the corner Of two streets, then let
the four rows be taken into the count. | know
| the sentiments of members of our Councils we'll
enough to be sure that, if not over-awed and
intimidated by the selling interest they
would agree to this. English tyranny forced
the Chinese to receive the opium that was ruin
ing them; Rome is Furnishing severely any sub
ject male or female, who dares to discourage
the smoking of cigars; the established Church
in London derives immense revenues from the
renting of houses for purposes too vile to be
here written; and the city of Washington, for
few hundreds Of dollars, permits and protects
traffic so debasing, so demoralizing, so ac-
cursed Of God, that its practisers and their pa
irons alike descend to infamy in this life, and
in the next, to that greatest depth of misery,
the drunkards he'll. Enlightened citizens of
Washington! how should we reverence your
wisdom and your virtues, that thus you can
barter away the peace, the happiness, the mo-
rality of your sonsl Christian city wise law
makersl benevolent era! The numbers, the
capital and the influence devoted to the sale of
that which is ever attended with curse, is
greater than all other interests, and the soul
destroyer is honored and chcered, and enriched,
where the poor and honest are contemned!
A CITIZEN.