The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-11-25

question ON the Mayor or any officer, who was
to be voted for generally by the city. Two candi-
dates for these Offices Mere ageady tsld ON
NOMINATIONS tom the two great parties q the city,
and the voters were already committed 10 then but
in regard 70 the wagG elections Which embraced the
Councils, was willing TO go into it with them This
view was concurredin and by request Of the league
prepared an address ~ the city ON that subject
which was printed and circulated generally as you
may well remember. But as apprehehded it was
too late Other questions had arisen, which took
possession Of the public mind, and upon which the
excitement became so intense as completely to over
shadow the Temperance cause. In a few of the
wards Temperance men were elected to- the Coun-
cls--it was so in the ward in which lived q But
as general thing the whirlwind Of politics which
swept over the city completely overshadowedit So
great and exciting were these questions that for the
| Tune, they completely sileneed Temperance. The
| Diysion-rooms and Tents were deserted. The mem
bers went after other gods One by one the Divisions
| went down, and their camprfres went out MOI 80
with the fires Of atemperance; as the others went
out these ragged with TIE greater fury, and the city
literally revealed IN drunkenness inthe intensity Of
the feeling thus excited many Temperance forgot
their Is, took again TO- their cups, and in their
peaceful dwellings, which had been made happy by
| theivictores Of Temperance was once again heard
the voice OF waillng and woe The voice Of the Tenn
perance lecturer was no more heard in The public
meetings Of the people, and silence prevailed IN the
halls where they were wont to meet to cheer and
comfort each other in their good works and labours
OF love- From that day to this the cause has been
dead. The two parties in the city have been alter
natelly successful, each eectng Mayor. The first
since then he sickesed and died. and has gone to his
account His administration was signalized BY no
action on the Temperance question The new Ace8se
system worked on, with the police he selected to
enforce it. as il had done during the term Of his pre-
decessor II was failure, andproduced no fruits of
Temperance, but an Increase Of intemperance His
successor, the present Mayor as one Of us-a Tenn
Perance manT-anda wholesome and good were the
lectures nave heard from him on that subject Bat
the Temperance question did not enter into the cleo
ton when he was chosen. And though there was d
change Of the men who constitute the police the
course OF things is about the same the licenses have
been renewed, and increased III number, and the
traffic in liquor has increased, drunkenness has
increased, and vice and crime hal g Increased. The
Mayor man and his police may desre to repress all
thls-and they may do all that they can to accom-
plsh it; but it will all be in vain. The faults in The
system-lt is radically wrong; all the efforts that
human assduity can make will avail nothing. Nor
is 1T possible for human wisdom to devise license
system OF for human vigilance and energy to execute
1T, SO as tn repress the vice or the disorder and
crime which necessarily flow rom it. sHS
And now in view of this state Of things what shall
be donef Shall the liquor traffic be left to run its
course, to fill the city with vice and crime and Ii
abitations OF its citizens with want degradation and
misery Or shall it be resisteda ,-slF
Ny own views and opinions remain unchanged
and the obligations and duties resulting tros thert
which rest upon me as citizen I cannot siake off
must perform them ar incur the guilt 81 falling Ia
duty TO God and my fellow man, And these respon-
rest upon all alike, who see the subject as we
see it. gu 1Gas svW tffoiAht+ Dl"'' Nm
am firmly CONVINCED that Alcohol, III its ip1ilrest
FORM whether produced by distillaton OF iernenta-
ton, IS subtle poison, which cannot be taken into
the stomach of person in good health without
INJURY That naturally, we have q distaste for il .
but thai its habual use will generate an unnatural
appetite for it which viii increase and grow stronger
by every drink that is taken, until the thirst for it
becomes 50 strong that il cannot be controlled or re-
strained, and its victim is maddened and urged On
and on, until the health of the body is DESTROYED the
moral sense corrupted, and reason dethroned md
IN this state he sinks into dishonored gravel Nor
is this all. It's followed by loss of character and
prope- ty,i and by want and suffering to helpless
wome and children, which tongue cannot tell, or
pen describe. And this every one may see who win
take the trouble to walk through the outskirts of the
city, and visit the habltations Of the poor A'3E
Mayor Lenox described the matter truly when
said that she was fully satisfied, not only from The
returns Of the police and the asylum but from Official
observation and otherwise that intempsrunce is the
eApsE almost e5eS1s,ges Of all the disturbances and
pauperlsm which aflict our community Our laws
should seek to restrain and notfoser on evil of such
frightful magnitude. The charter docs not regard
the retail of liquors business from which direct
revenue is TO be drawn but evil to be restrained
or prohibited by the exacon of licenses or such other
means as are authorized by it." Yes it is true that
the "Charter " does not look to license to retail
liquors. as business from which revenue is to be
derived; but tlooks at that business as an "ev 10
be restrained or prohibited" by all the means within
the legal power Of the councils The Mayor might
have added that the provisonsoft the "chater We're
not udnddtory but simply geyuaissiee If the public
good demanded these licenses, then the charter gave
authority TO grant them, il not, then there was
equal authority TO refuse them. And after fun con-
sderation the voters Of the city declared by vote Of
two to one, that the puplic good required that no
licenses be granted y'uaaN. ri = H1fi. ~ 7iE'r
!, But instead of following the wishes of the teonIe
as declared in their solemn vote. the councils az we
have seen, adopted new and improved system az
licensing The declared object of which was 10 ~.
duce the number and classes of these licenses, and
absolutely 70 prohibit the granting Of any licenses
any where unless demanded by the recommendation
and approval Of majority of the white
Of the square in which it was applied for ~
This looks reasonableand right on pdpese2it Is in
sccGtdanSe With rs srspt principle on which
fully expressed, shall govern. But in this case L Is
n deusion. Licenses are not paJcly cgnyassed for
they are obtained secretly and quietly by Strategy and
cunning; men are appealed to privately and be-
sought 10 sign the papers requesting Che Mayor To-
grant the licenses and every sort of entreaty II used
70 induce them 10 sign it. II is wonderful TO see the
appliances persuasions and ars that are resorted To-
Many sign u reluctantly, and doubt not If the pa
pers on winch many licenses now existing could be
brought 10 light and puplcly canvassed, that many
OF the sgners would be ashamed, and the fewest
number of them could stand the test of public scr,,
'hny. remember one instance where the canvass
was Hhle, hnu, saNlnR out one poor woman. the
vote ont square was equally divided And that
poor woman was widow, whose husband liduor had
taken from her and reduced her TO poverty and want
and 10 induce her 10 sign the petition every sol OF
effort was made She first bcsought with honied
words, then threatened and then her poverty and
want was appealed 70, and efforts were made 10
bride her; money was actually offered % her and
pressed upon her Yet she stood frm---she had
courage TO face poverty and defy persecution; shr
would not aid in what She too well knew was a great
CRIME. speak what ] know, for one Of Tic Zen
perance assoc ADns heard of these proceedings and
went 70 her with vote Of thanks and rendered ber
the aid and succor which her virtuous and heroic,
conduct so well merited. learned all the facts from
her ewn mouth. ~ / --I,sr
~ is no part of my purpose to stir up strife by
making war tpdn the Mayor or his police. believe
both have sincere desire to discharge their dirty o
the city, and are making commepdable exertions NJ
do 80. Yet, IN my opinion, important errors have
been committed. The Mayor has Numbered in grant
ng LICENSES, by following the example spt by his
predecessors He has forgotten or Overlooked "a
they did the important fact that the traffic in intoY
eating liquors is not a. business looked To- by the.
charter as source OF revenue but as business 10
De restrained and prohibited blythe exaction of heavy
license fees, and all other means within the lawful
power OF the Corporation. It's existence ID looked
upon as the cause Of paaperssm disorder md crime
and, therefore, not TO be encouraged The charter
does authorize the Mayor to grant licenses 10 yprns
ordinares and shops so far as they may be pecessary
for the public convenience under such resirictions
and limitations as the Councils may jmpose, Bnt
before he can act majority of the white 6ousekeen
~ ND 40. -,