The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-05-18

issHs GALL ON HoS. SAYLRs J, BowESSis.
TERRooAToRtEe IN REGARD TO PRoufptToRY
LIQUOR LAWS, &o.--A delegation composed Of
some OF our most prominent German. Amer.
Gan citizens called on Hon. s. ]. Bowen, The
Republican candidate for Mayor, on Saturday
afternoon, 70 ascertain his sentiments in re-.
Ing OF the dermsn language In the public
schools. The delegation WAS composed OF the
following named gentlemen T., L. Schmidt,
DrseEef, Mlchsei Brisi, n. J. Fran hsr oG II
kiiian, and Henry Qambs,
After the gentlemsn had been seyerally intro.
ducssS to MT: Bowen y MT. Carl Roe:er, Mr.. E,
MT. Bowen, We are a delegation OF adopted
American citizens OF Republican creed. We
have come to express our satisfaction at see
Fully believing, a. We DO, that the Interests
Of the city OF Washington would be best SUBJ
served BY . change Of the city administration
With 2 view 70 erect more harmonious co.
o. CUR city, we have hailed your Nomination
But being sw.re of the fact tina. our poli,l.
cal opponents are endeayoring to prejudice
the German population against you BY state
questions inimicsl 70 the Germans and likely
we have deemed II proper to calf on you and
desire to see the study OF modern languages
,assod Il In the public schools, and gsrtcu-
Ing OF public gardens on the outskirts Of the
city on Sunday afternoon, as, In our opin m,
they are places Of recreation to the workinr
the present temperance agitation will uiti.
mstely load to the enactment of q stringent
prohibitory liquor law In this District. A.
though temperate and isw-sbiding, we are op.
Individual rights, which are guaranteed to the
citizens by the Constitution OF tho United
states, would DO iniringed upon.
.sid; ave have called, as siresdy mentioned,
for the purpose OF having an interview with
you; We regard true Republlcanism as iden.
public educstion. The Germans are an or.
strained OF their individual liberty; they claim
az to come together In pub
tertainment, and recreation from the days
hard labor Where you nnd German families
on Sunday afternoons assembled In public
Of the families Is the best means OF maintain.
Ing social order and deeorum. Looking for
protection OF our individual liberty BY your
promotion Of education, your authority, as
next chief magistrate, exefted to Introduce the
German language into the public schools, this
being regarded By the fifteen thousand German
Americans OF this city asa great benent, not
only for themselves, but for the general public;
encouraging also German Immigration. The
platform adopted at the Republican ratlaca.
man language as branch OF public education,
q reliable security"
Mr.. Bowen said that he had already ind!.
estsS his PSstSs IN regard f. teas ts
also In regard to low grog shops, and would
say to the delegation that no should cheerfuily
and frankly answer any questions which they
Mr.. E. L. schmidt expressed himself we'll
pleased with the position of Mr.. Bowen on u Q
school question, and said that the Germans
were opposed to low grog-shops and their de-
MI. Bowen said that the laws required that
all places OF trade and traffic should be closed
on Sunday. He would be candid with them,
- ho always was. He was not aware that
there was any law closing places of amuse-
ment on Sunday. Tho courts had decided that
prietor: Of psbliS gardens where lie Germans sD
and their families congregated, In his opinion,
could not be fined unless they sold whisky or
The supreme Court Of the District had dc.
oided THAT the beverages In which the Ger
mans GENERALLY INDUCED were not into xicating,
He was not ~ favor Of prohibitory liquor
Rrohibition by legislative enactment had
everywhere proved failure. 1t Is not against
the use Of fermented liquors that he had con-
the Law, but IS he construed It. Vending fer
mented liquors does not come within the law
forbidding the sale OF Intoxicating liquors.
NJ uiu not propose 10 interfere IN any man.
ner with the social enjoyments OF any class OF
citizens, nor would he, II elected. do anything
tending to prevent the convivisl meeting OF
families and friend. at such places and at such
time as they might desire. II native wines
and fermented liquors were substituted for
whisky and rum, the country would, like the
middle Of Europe, be free from the curse of
drunkenness. He had always regarded our
German-A merloan citizens as a lAw-abiding,
orderly, and industrious portion OF our popu-
lation, and he did not believe 1t was just that
they should be interfered with in their social
enJoyments and recreations, when such were
not In conflict with public order aud morals.
In regard to his position on the school ques-
tion, he said he was OF the opinion that teach
ers should be employed In the public schools
who could teach the most importAnt OF the
modern Languages, so that all who desired to
have their children taught German or French
or other modern Languages could avail them.
mistaken he had originated the idea OF teach
ing the different languages in the public
schools, as In his opinion IL was important to
the rising generation. He had always been q
staunoh advocate OF the public school system.
When he came to Washington there were no
public schools here. In his younger days he
had been school teacher In the State ofNew
York, and also q school Commissioner, and he
had laborcd earnestly to have the public
school system introduced here as 1t existed In
New York.
The members Of tho delegation, without ex.
ception, expressed themselves well satisfied
with the views expressed by Mr.. Bowen, and
highly pleased with the cordial reception with
which they had met,
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