National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-14
TO DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK
FRIENDS AND OPPONENTS OF THE
LIQUOR TRADE.

WOLF, ESQ.,, AND LOUIS sCHADE IN oP.
PoSITIoN-No CONCLUSION REACHED,
In accordance with previous arrangement the
subcommittee Of the House Committee Of the
District Of Columbia, (Messrs. Lofiand, Eldredge
and Harmer,) to whom were referred the Law
renco and Monroe bills regarding the sale of In
toxicating liquor In the District, assembled yes
terday In the committee-room to hear the views
pro and con, OF those invited to be present.
or those in advocacy OF the bills there were
present Revs. ]. g. Butler, E. II. Gray, ]. w
Parker, g. g. Baker, W. T. Speake, R. Norris, X.
W. Black, s. Coleman. John Chester, L. H.
Yorke, ]. II. Cuthbert, J. II. Appleton, George
o. Little, Mason Noble, Q. W. Dennison and Mai.
A. o. Richards. To oppose the passage Of
the bills there were present Mr.. s. Wolf
recorder Of deeds, and president Of the Ger.
man-American Representative Association, with
committee from the same association, con-
sisting OF Messrs. VIM. Burchard, G. Thomann,
Dr. Scholl, A. Schmedtie and R. Saur; also, Mr..
Louis Schade. Mr.. Monroe, who introduced the
"Monroe bill" was also present.
Rev. E. II. Gray began the argument by stating
that there are from 800 to 1000 unlicensed dram
shops In the District Of Columbia, and that they
do more damage than all the others combined.
He said that under the present law IL IL worry hard
to convict these persons, and as many as two hun
dred cases Of this kind have been swept from the
dockets OF our courts on account OF insufficient
proof. 1t Is very hard to convict these persons,
but pass Mr.. Monroe's bill, and Major Richards
says he can readily break them up
Mr.. Schade said the statement that two hun
dred cases Of unlicensed vendors have been swept
from the court docket was incorrect.
Mr.. Gray then spoke for q few minutes in favor
OF the passage Of Mr.. Laurenee's bill, which pro-
vides that rum sellers may be presented and fined
for damage caused by the sale OF liquor
Major Richards said he appeared before the
committee to answer any questions that might be
put to him. He was not present as the advocate
or opponent Of the bills. He believed some law
regulating the retail liquor trade might be en-
acted which would prove beneficial, and which
the police might execute. Several hundred per-
sons are arrested yearly for selling without II.
ccnse, and scarcely my Of them are ever con-
vIcted, because Of the difficulty OF obtaining def
mite proof. He verified the statement Of Dr.. Gray
that over two hundred cases Of persons arrested
for selling without license were swept from the
docket Of the Criminal Court about o year since.
There arc at least five hundred unlicensed places
in the city. He believed that the police force do
their duty, but that under the present law these
unlicensed dram-shops cannot be suppressed. If
Congress would makethe unlicensed sale Of liquor
q felony, he believed the practice could DO broken
up. He was questioned at some length by Mr..
u
In tho District.
Mr.. Louis Schads asked Major Richards II he
had succeeded in breaking up bawdy houses.
and receiving o negative reply, said the result
would be the same should tho Monroe bill pass
He would fall to uproot tho sale Of unlicensed
liquors the same as he had failed to break up
bawdy houses.
Major Richards did not believe in o prohIbitory
law, because he thought It impractlcable. He re-
ferred to the fact that association exists here
to defend liquor dealers, licensed and unlicensed,
whenever they are brought before the court, and
employ counsel by the year. Inregsrd to the
bawdy-house question brought up by Mr.. Schade,
he would, If the committee desired 1t, give his
views on tho subject; but as he understood 1t, the
social-evil matter was not before the committee
for consideration.
Representative Monroe aid that the bill had
been introduced by him ut the request Of the
friends Of temperance In tho District, who repre-
scented that the superintendent Of police said he
believed he could more effectually break up the
unlicensed sale OF liquor should such bill be
passed BY Congress. The practical question Is
not whether, If this act becomes law, the super
intendent Of police can shut up all unlicensed
shops, but whether he cannot break up most Of
Thorn.
Mr.. Schade objected to the latter part Of the
Monroe bill which gives the police arbitrary
power, and allows them to enter any house when
they have reason to believe liquor is sold.s
Rev.. W. Parker spoke with reference to tho
Lawrence bill, and favored Its passage.
Mr.. Eldredge suggested that the whole subject
might be RENTED to the District Legislature.
DR.. Parker said that the Legislature having
of the advocate, M temneranca are necsssarr, and
nroner thew tbsrerore nnneal 10 (,onvre,.
Mr. SImon-Wolf nert aruued the bjII, and Rad
n lone onInion ragardjno tha sama IN 1xhIoh he
claimed that the Ieuisiature ofthe District ba.
the sole mower 10 IegisIats re,,tvo 20 the ,oIo AZ
Iiopor. that the nressnt laws arc sn5sc,ant. ana
tbat sncb act, a. tboea nrono,od o-e do,,rrntiv.
of nersonaI rights and libortv. The Monroe hin
oonfers no authority unon the nolioe hoard that
tbev do not aIready have nrov,ded ,bev desire n
eIscnta n The evidence nscsssary 10 convict IL
a, amnlo. now as n viii he n tbi.Iav na,,as The
I.aWrence bIIl "a monstrou, IN cbnracter, DANCE,
ops In It's Tendencies and will nrove N carried ont
subvcrsivs Of ali law and morality n create. a
svs,am Of foraign to our institution and
aim, 20 odncata man m hscome snIes and inform-
Az. astsr tbov bave nroven thar oenaroI want
or cb,racter nv not being abIe 10 control their an
netites II will sou dIssension between neIuh-
hors craata strifs and do no good IN those whom n
aims 70 benest
ina statement subm,tted nv the ,ntsrnaI rsve-
ma dana for lhe mast vaap shors hat
nearIv soI ooo ooo Wy coliactsd from IIouor and
tobacco. or nearly seven eighth. OF The whole
ta.e. Destroy this Income and vbere will The
Government derivs revenus 10 nav n, debts3
wouId n Ia. he bettsr IN have ssarch,no inves,t.
oatio, hath as n LAVAL and nornI ,nsasure- and
ssa w..,bsr Honor esnno, bs m ann ractnTed nnrs
Let n, see vheths, adulterations cannot be nun
ished by imprisonment. Let Us see whether
system OF license cannot Do created by which
ont' snsti 'enu .ne.t etsiVte anu
.hen W pay LICENSE ~ ~ - W ineute uVuesS
oeahns, ana tnereoy aes'ioy 'ne ~" sf's-sn"Ps'
Hnicn are pests anu eye.ofes,
i oIn .,, ,oi.omeu III. VII snu 0pposeu sne
IuoniSe ei,Thrs', oeCauss u supelnuousi soc.
ono, mat "niie aoes not increase INC powers VI
tine ponce a. asns. oIa no.eis anu Iesssuran M,
keepers' " pisces INC houses Vi lespsotaote eiti-
zens on the same footing Win those Kept Tor In
moral purposes; third, It gives arbitrary power to
the Board of Police. and sanctions their illegal
-, -, r,,,a- n, -.n,s,,o IIooa.o --I,hort
AUS ias' winter " iei.sins neenso' "I'Hou.
cause, to respectable ana honest citizens, and
granting the same to concert saloons and bad
places, and, fourth, because It would increase the
evil OF drunkenness. He opposed the Lawrence
because 1t is gross violation Of the
laws Of the country; second, 1t rewards and en-
courages drunkards; third, 1t holds citizen re-
sponslble for acts not done by himself and not
authorized or sven sanctionsd nv him. fourtb n
a. ....,- :. 49,, tI.h So $500 -.