National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-11-26
LIQUOR LICENSES.
INTERVIEW WITH MAJ. RICHARDS

Rcnsons WAY lie should Approve the APP |
pIicutiou. Of the Restaurant PROJECTORS.
Among the multltndlnoua duties Imposed upon
the superintendent Of police by the board, proba-
bly, the most trying to him are the reference for
report Of the cases Of liquor dealers or restaurant
keepers whose licenses the board have, for rea-
sons best known to themselves, declined to ap-
prove. Week after week the report OF proceed
ngs, as furnished the city press mentions some
case In this category, and forthwith the Major Ia
beset by the applicant, and hls thousand and one
friends, each Of whom are fully prepared to
prove that the place for which license IA asked
Is now and has ever been the most orderly In
the neighborhood, that the most minute require
mcnts Of the law have been complied with, and
that the Jealousy or ill-wlll Of some neighbor Ia
the only possible grounds on which the reason
able request for approval can he set aside. Just
now there are about forty Of these cases on the
table Of the gooi-looklng Major, and each morn
Ing he holds leyee and listens TO the arguments
OF the claimants, which, II must he admitted, are
more Of the persuasive than logical orler, and
while they may differ In the dOm used and con-
stnictlOn Of the sentences always sum up the
| same.
Yesterday morning was good one for these
callers. Hardly hal the Major got seated In his
chair before there came gentle tap at the door,
and, in response to the Come In" there entered
an elderly couple, whose looks and manner
| plainly betOkened
TnE MIEsrAS.
The old lady curtesed in genuine style, the old
gent tlmldly and Rwkwarily advanced, hat In
! hand. The Major, business like, said, "0OOd
| morning. then queried, "What can do for
your" The answer to this question can he
/ imagined, hut II cannot he described. Faster far
than a streak Of creased lightning came the
words from that old ladys mouth, the only intel
| llglble utteance being an occasional "your
honor and license" which were thrown In "a a
| sort Of compromise with the fast departing
breath, and answered the purpose admirably.
After about ten minutes the ofiiclAl got q
chance to make a few Inquiries, and ascertalned
the location Of the place where they wished to
| conduct the business. small shanty In an out
Of-thc-way section Of the city, where they kept
| what may he called u grocery store, hut where
the principal stock Is a barrel Of the "hari stun
| and few cracked tumblers, In which II Is dealt
out In aufricIent quantity to enable them to live,
perhaps save mOney--anyhOw to pay the one
hundred dollars license a. required by law.
In answer to the questions put him the man
| when the woman would allow him to speak said
that he kept the most quiet, orderly house that
was ever In the nelghborhood; that II he dli not
get his license the neighbour would move away
aud he would he entirely ruined. Then there
followed plea to the Major, aud after that they
were allowed to depart
After them came
| TEUTOS,
and the same performance was gone through
WITH except he became the least hit excited that
his inherent right to brew, sell and drink beer
should he lnterfered with. But this was only
momentary; he recognized the Importance oil
having laws, swOre that he obeyed them, urged
the Major TO he kind to him, and wound up by
asking him out to take little beer.
There were several others dropped In on the
same errand-the last being q Well-known
Seventh-street nnn. OF course he talked intel.
liRently ami senshy.
lie wanted to know Just why the hoard had
refused to approve the license. lie was told
Then he denied that such a cause existed the
Major insisted. lie changed tack; talked ahon
hi' partner and harkeeper II was possible theJ
might have done II, hut he never did he had too
much money In the concern; II II was proven u
him that such was the case he would discharge
the barkeeper AMI buy out his partners interest
Did the Major think the bOarl would approve thu
license them
The Major didn't know what the boanl wOult
| 10, and said so; after which the gentleman left
~ his predecessors had done, without making
| much headway or getting much encouragement
and the Major concluded when he wanted EVIL
dence on the subject he would seek II from par
ties whOwere not quite so directly interested II
the subject as the prOpretOTs themselves.