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

doing II. Three days after the enactment Of this
system came the vote Of the city, which declared to
the Mayor by majority OF 972 votes, that for the
! future II was Mer aei2 that no licenses should be
grantedff Within less than five months from that
day every license for the sale of intoxicating liquors
would, by positive law, RUN OUT AND ExPIREl dnd
there suoutd not remain a0itin the limits Of the oity Of
Weshagton, single establishment authorised to selb
10 any persos, single driak Of anything that could
i,toricateli The temperance cause was triumphant,
and the devoted band, that had labored so long and
so faithfully in it, were jubapt and joyful.
| But would the Mayor and Councils have the firm
ness and courage 70 stand up to what had been done
and carry out the declared will of the ctyP This
was the question which and caused the friends
Of temperance TO look anxo'sly to the LIST of Noye-
Der, 1858. .it tisf atal aJ
Some two months before that period arrived, met
the Mayor on the street, mean the lamented and
honored John w. Maury, and broached the subectt TO
him. He said he had thought much and an xiously
1 on the subject but had not made up his mind and
would DC glad TO talk the matter over at some early
day when he had more leisure. The conversation
i was renewed soon after, when Mr. M. remarked that
he thought il would not do to withhold the licenses
The resolutions which had been voted on, only prom
ised IN the event of vote against all licenses that
Congress should be appealed to- to amend the char
ter SO as to authorize the Councils to pass laws pro-
j hibting the sale Of Intoxicating liquors, &C. He
thought that TO refuse absolutely all licenses would
create too great shock, and produce reyusion that
would render things worse. He was not a total alb
stinence man, but decidedly temperate, anxious to
repress drinking, suppress crime and preserve order
and tranquility, He assured me that he would do
licensing honestly aud faithfully carried out and
would exert his whole power with the police to en-.
force its provisions, by the rigid prosecutionof all
violations OF the laws To these efforts of NINE said
ne 70 me, do you meaning the Temperance organz-
atom add, with like persevering fithfuness, THE
POWER OF MORAL sUAsoN, and think the practice Of
using intoxicating liquors as a beverage may be re-
strlcted and suppressed as much as il is possible by
hUfT aff.n Ia do II Il
absolute refusal of the licenses. Such have no
| doubt, were his sincere and honest convictions n "
| told him ! was satisfied, he would find himself
mistaken and that he could not execute the law as
| he supposed he could. In the first place, the law
required that he should be satisfied that every appli-
cant for license possessed illegal responsibility
and GOOD CHARACTER" Now il that meant INV
hing, thought it was that he should have such a
character would assure to travellers and sonnrners
that their effects would be safe in his house. that his
accommodations were good that there should be no
drinking to int0xcation, and no disorder on his
premises that his bar should be honestly closed
curing lhe entire Sunday and every other day from
~. r. M TO A. NJ, and that he would under no
circumstances, sell liquor to negroes or minors.
These were the qualities necessary to make up in
theeye OF the law, good cAa,Qctes in keeper
or shop-keeper man might have what is called
IN common parance, good character H. e.) be rea-
sonably punctual in the payment of debts free from
the grosser vices of lying, stealing, fighting &C. and
yet be destitute OF the main Qualities Of good and
age to investigate this atter of good character as
thought ought to be investigated or had the six
Reputable who were required to certify
70 him. or even the majority Of the white housekeepers
on Doth SIDES OF the square, who were to recommend
it, or the Commissioner of improvements, who was
specially required TO examine and certify to the same
facts? Thought, with due Difference he mould NOT
believed that all these parties would find, when
they came TO try it, that it was adeicdts matter to
pass on the CHARACTER of fellowcitizen, and that
they would all do as their predecessors had DONE
II the required papers were presented in the forms
prescribed by law, the license would be signed as q
matter OF course, with little or investigation as to
how these papers were obtained, or the Effect Of the
license upon the general interest convenience and
good order of the city. However this NAV be, am
satisfied that many licenses have been 81 granted,
and am not sure that some such may not now ex-
st That ought never to have been granted and which
would not have been granted ifthe proper investga-
tion had been made. Let any citizen make the ex-
pertinent. Let him start at ten o'clock, the hour
Tor closing the shops, and go the city any night
in the week and see fhe don't find shops and drink
ing places still open, and persons drinking; ave- and
drunk too and many times wranglng and disorderly;
ana ! doubt II there is a single one who could
say honestly and truly, that single Sunday had
passed without the drinking of liquor at his bar
Put the existing licenses to the test OF the law and
if the Mayor did his duty, according to letter and
spirit, he would be compelled to annul them. And
these opinions expressed to Mayor Maury in the
conversations had with him in the summer and fall
OF 1858. have the same opinions now
fbelieye We never had better or more conscen-
tous Mayor than Mr.. Maury was or one more anxious
70 perform hi duty. | know not what course he
pursued, what investigations he made In granting
the Licenses, bpt | do know that they were all re,
newed; that is, know the number il, the CITY was
not diminished and never heard of the refusal 10
grant one that was applied for. know too that In
every ward in tie city, persons were selling Iouor
o'tt0w Incense, and In positive violation of the law
and this fact was known 10 the police magistrates of
the wards, and tothe police officers of the wards as
trall fhs attar.r Il -H
eral way, may be relied on TO suppress a positiye
rot or outbreak but they be relied ON to
press illegal tppling, or TO enforce the penalties of
the Law against and il is idle 20 expect II of them
The law prohibits them from drinking scben on du9v
yet many of them do drink; won't saw thew are
drnnkayts, but they do drink and sometimes get
drunk. The keepers Of these shops are kind and
civil to Them and rather think they do not always
on inctdtioa; to item the shopkeepers are liberal,
and they can afford TO be so. For these fapors or
some other reason, the police seldom disturb shop
or tavern-keeper, unless riot or disorder takes
place that they are obliged 10 notice This thing of
playing the spy ON shops and taverns they consider
odious and mean. They are ashamed 10 do n and
they throw off the business Of informing against these
Places upon the either. Yet il is for this especial
business that they appointed. The citizen thinks
whether truly or falsely saw no) that Il Il little
business for him 70 be engaged in and for that reason
is unwilling TO do IL; and because this Is so, the city
appoints police magistrates and constables and paws
tSpecih Duklness.. .Iney
are the hired Spts and ioyiers Of the CITY, and as
such they are 10 be aOide Guake, night and day II
Is Their sole business and duty sgg ont every viola
non OF the law and 10 prosecute the volator TO tho
utmost extremity of the law. They are faithful and
honorable Just IN proportion 70 the failhfness with
which they perform this duty and if they fail or
come short Of III they are useless and worthless
They are the sentnels, the safe-euards Of the CITY
and under their watchul guardianship thedty ougft
10 repose in safety . ~ - -
l. BY hw tayerns are TO close their bars on Sundays
and from 10 j. M. to A. M every other dayg ana
shops on Sundays, and from 10 r. NJ to4A NJ ey-
cry other day, anda fine Of 800 is imposed for every
violation Of this law. Now what is meant by closing
the bars OF other places where liquors are usually
soldw for these the words Of the law Is IL the
absolute prohibition of the sale Of LIQUORS
during those hours is N simply that the doors of
the rooms in which tho bars are kept be shut while
the room Is filed with people drinking who pass in
and out by side entrances and thus keen Nm the
drinking, often during the entire nightt IA such
closing of the door compliaBce with the law Is
this law honestly kept at any tavern or dripk-sbop
in the cityf ! tell you, nay The .respoasi5e man
Of good character" may keep ont OF sight. butthe
drinking gees on in alt-lin some more some lsss
but the law is violated by all If tile penalties were
enforced they would gil the city treasury and forfeit
every license. And from these midnight revelinQs.
come the arsons, murders, house-burninPs, and
riots, which disgrace the city The police afford no
protection against this frightful evil ~ 3c1JIp
In the spring Of 1854 il was found that the new
license system was failure The good which had
been hoped for from IT, had not been realized ,,,