The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-11-21

eal Tor Che exercise of skill san. sadensnt; but ii
pSaa s Dasns Il ~ rs,s
iptoxiS eating iqpors The one has 70 ne
adog9pg and beaptifyng of the lcity, IN which al
take IuSt pride the other involves the Asaka the
sa1rqn and The PPbIsc 1fter and hd,{ asilitv Of ne
ana Woe tonthe city, here its Mayor and
ale neglect Of the latter
qhsay The Mayorhnd his predecessors have failed to
keep in view theinportant principle that licenses 10
sell liquors were designed BY law rest ct the traffic
as an evil and not to encourage il as business or
| souIasoflreyenue.l as b 4 IS 40 slt"' Il
TO illustrate my meaning, letlis see ryhat hrs been
done single square Take 7th street, from Penn
syvilnia avee " the canal bridge; OH the east side
qf tbs street have ten tenementsor Ihces Of bust
ness, consisting sofepne Wholesale grocery, whore
liquors are sold by wholesale one tavern and five
shops where ii il sold ~ retail, and three devoted
| q 9thef business purposes Out OF ten tenements,
seven 81 them are licensed 70 sell liquors, and six Of
| yneIa by retail
Take the west Of 9th street. from the avenue to the
canal and we have asimilar state of things. Quite Of
Fai0J tcnements, are licensed liquor shops, and
zone only devoted to other business Now, is Il pos
jble that the public eoaoeenes requires this number
| of liquor shops IN tits snqU space? If not how
| came the licenses to be grantedp Who constitute
| the six freeholders, and the Commissioner of Inn
provenents who certified Tor the tavorns and who
the majority ofwhite housekeepers who recommended
them all IT is manifest that there must have been
| a combination OF liquor sellers TO recommend and
certify for each other And did these certificates and
thus obtained by strategy and COM
! biaat4op, compel the Mayor to grant the licenses,
whether he considered ID right 10 do so or mott Has
he 10 Judgment or discretion "a tile matterf WI that
be the true intent and meaning of the law, Aen, in
deed, Js the Mayor rednced9to CIPHER, and the
restrictions of the Inv; fare Ef 4 III Gfo ~ #
gaGitn may be said that these two streets consttu
the east and west fronts of She Centre Market and
these liquor shops are necessary convenience to tho
Market people, mot to the residents the squares.
But the law, To prevent all disorder and riot declares
fTprassy chat no Intoxicating liquors shall be sold by
retail 10 The market-house during market hours And
4 may this wise aud prudent purpose of the law be
Graded and Defeated, BY surrounding the market
| house with these shops whore drh6ing may 90 on
without limit or restraint And may the Mayor he
compelled 20 this By thes. combuations whether his
| But the truth is plain and clear. Nothing can re
HtHe ne ayor rom the high III. aGG responsibility
oijpagng q these matters for h,DiseH and framing
s aatson wish ~ view tot q,od Of the soleke ott.
The only restriction upon lln is that lie cannot act
t'l fhes@ certificates and recommendations pre-
saltedito HIM; bllt when presented, he may not
tis representative and executive officer, permit
acaiity 70 plant upon IL an establishment which
ishElflcopa1d the health, good order and morals of
the whole CITY Swever much may DO for the inter
! es d that locality II gsl 3s
But if the dnties and responsibilities of the Mayor
are great IN these matters those Of the citizen are
not less and long deep should be ponder over
the matter before he signs his name to recommen-
daHon to the Mayor to issue one of these LICENSES.
Some years ago there was list of d the licenses
published, with, the names Of the froe holders ws
recommended them, ] made an analysis of thsae
iianEis, and was amazed 10 ind among then, two of
our most respectable citizens church members in
| high standing who had recommended one of them
zen u fiese establishments, and the other eight
There were others who recommended five and ak
Nov, this is an abuse which is highly culpuble and
ongn moi to he permitted. The law never intended
thSt ANY citizen should recommend more than one
sl ess dad intend that those engaged in the traffic
should combine and certify for each Other, They
are not disintelrested Or impartial judges to how
lar these establishments are for the public
conYenieRce and their Recommendations are entitled
70 no weight They are influenced mainly il not ex-
chstFely by the profits they hope realise. Let tie
gsaslt rehl9loet tha' ne aGt Of recommending these
leases, makes him respoasibito God and TIC country
=" ot me- grimes 8esorder and degradation Wtich
/ 5loW from them. E.t
In addition to- the licensed liquor shops, sown
broadcast ali over the city, we have perhaps an equal
number, IN every locality, which sell the accursed
thing fotSat Hce7se, 10 open defiance of law This
repfoach 10th city, and stigma upon its police
whose imperative duty i is TO put stop to it. "
have thus attempted to sketch this liquor traffic
as " exists among us, restricted and improved by our
public authorities in accordance with the new license
system, adopted by them in 1853 If they have done
ttelr duty It r. as perfect as they can make il and
and The cerise describe it authority to sell or
b'Ster "spirsuous or Intoxicating liquors." Il. e)
asdb,r't g'a 'ciskey or other spirituous liquors.
m Eed or unnlxed mine, cordial strong beer or csd6r"
These are the articles which these taverns and shops
permitted 10 sell for the public good and conve
nience. True, our ablest chemists have annlyzed all
these articles and pronounced them, in tmir purest
state, subtle posops. Snll they are deemed necos-
suIy 10 the public good and the law authoises them
20 be sold But do they 1.-THE taverns and shops) do
y? Or do they substitute for them adulteirted
draes MIXED mp and compounded so as 20 bear a ro.
pibance, color and taste to the genuine articles
aAd possessing all their intoxicating qualities but
ter TIMES more poisonous and destructive tu health
lis believed they do. have myself heard nan
cuPaged in the traffic say that not drop of pure
brandy or wine could be obtained in the city that
more champagne WINE was annually sold in New
ORR than was made in the world; Md that al the
l.auurs sold and drunk at our taverss and shops,
wels adulteratpd aud dragged That I've spoke truly
ere can be no doubt Yes these are the pois. nous
drugs which fire the passions and madden the brains
" cur young men. and this is the true cause Of tn.
i2ts which have disgrsoed the city, and proved SO
| d structivc to human life -.
Now. is there no remedy for all thiss We ave.
| 4qLd ~ Hedhh, and if impure articles of food ,r
drink ere offered for sale, OF anything leu mental to
c health OF the people, the law comm ands them 10
issue their proclamation prohibiting it, aud COMMAND
ug the police 10 seize and destroy H. May notthsy
! 40 sOlncthing TO correct an evil so monstrr nsH
iharet thus hastily and impertecty given you my re-
eInbrance oi ings past and my view OF tir cs as
| Trey now exist The first Of November approaches
when MI the Lcel ses which uphold this system of nt
guilty wiloNpr nd he housekeeper and II e Il cehold
" WI DC called upon adj over the city TO econmend
tLc Mayor 70 renew and perpctuate it. am firmly
convinced that .hc mass Of the people of WASHING to,
Notwithstanding appearances 10 the con lrn, y Lave
tGe same 0pnionsy on the subject that they hrd n
$50, and Il they coud be united aud bro pht a. Inc
| polls they would so declare. Now is the lime there
| fore, il we must have The evil amongst MS for IN,
citizens and The Mayor, and all who have o act the
matter 70 review the whole subject to ldok the Nv 81
en- and the consequences which flow from il full in
etace aud enforce the law sierny and rinidly 30
cordng TO its mere letter but in its true spin and ,nea
og with an eye single 10 the good Of the whole civ
| Can You and ], and such as think as wctlo. dorny
thing 70 encourage the Mayor and our feow-citi ens
70 adopt he course here suggested? If so lei ~ 90
i0thc Mayor 1.-THE Board OF Health and 4. the mol Zoe
| ~ sptrii of ffanltness and capdor anil express 10
hem orr homes and conscientious opinious and tl,cy
VIZ receive us kindly and give 10 our counsels lls
weight and consideration to which they are entitled.
and 4, a. hope and believe they have The courage
! and manlmess which become their stations. ttcy
! VIII grant no license not authorised by law. and
they viii ezfce the law against all who sell without
License, or sell an impure article instead of thai which
IS recognised BY law the subject of ,alTio This
accomplished aud the accurscd traffic will be- restricted
gad restrained ns much as II can DO under existing
laws Na as n var m -'-s
There will renain, however, still another thing to
be done before we shall have discharged our whole
duty, We must bring TO bear the power Of ,'noi al
snason." To do this let Us call together the friends
vito beNled With in times past in the cause ~
lempeance Forgetting the past, lot US again unite