Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-04-13
Tke Proposed Liquor Legislation for
the district.

Cd lhe Distrlct OF Columbia, 10 wn0m WAS re-
feTrtd the Lawrence and Monroe bills relative
10 the sale of intoxicating liquors in the Dis
met, met this morning TO hear the views of tue
fIieids and opponents vi these measures. There
were present of the sub committee Mes-rs.
l., fi.Ld anu Eldredge.
There were present. to advocate the passage
et the hills Reys. j. q. Butler, Il. III. Gray, ).
w. Parker, q. q: Baker, w. f. Speake, r.
Norris. X. W. Black, y. Coleman, Jehn Chester,
l.. ii. YOrke, j. h. Cuthbert, j. Hervey Apple
ton, Geo. o. Little, Mason Noble, G. W. DEM
son, and Major A. &. Richards, superintend, nt
OF police; and TO oppose them Mr.. s. Wolf, re-
cOrder of deeds and president of tue Germln-
American Representative Association, with a
cen mittee from the same association, consist
ing If Nessrs. Wm. Burchard, q. Thomaun,
DIR. Schoil, A. SchmedtIe and X. Saur; also
MI. Louis Schade. Mr.. Monroe, who Iutro
duced the " Monroe bil," was also present.
khy. MR, GRAY =, ON UNLICENSED DRAM SHOPS
in behalf of Mr.. MonrOe's bill, stating that
there are from $50 to 900 un!icensed dram
shops in the District of Columbia. and that
they do more damage than all the others com
bined. He said that under the present law 1t Is
very bard TO convict these persons, and as III any
rs two hundred cases of this kind have oeeu
swept from the docket OF our courts on account
of Insufficient proof. 1t is very hard to convict
these persons, but pass Mr.. MOnroe's bill, AMI
Major Richards says he can readily break
them up.
Mr.. Schade said the statement that two hun
dred cases OF unlicensed vendors have besn
swept from the court docket was incorrect, but
was requested to wait until DIR. Gray flushed
his rtmafk ks.
Mr.. Gray then spoke for few minutes in IA
vcr OF the passage of Mr.. Lawrence's bill, which
provides that ru M sellers may be prosecuted and
fined for damage caused by the sale OF liquor.
MAJOR RICHARDS STATEMENT.
Major Richards said he appeared, hot a. the
advocate OF the bills before the committee, nor
did he ape ar TO oppose their passage. He ap
pesred simply to answer any questions waIcn
might be asked him in relation to the liquor
traffic. He believed some law regulating toe
retail liquor trade might be enacted which
would provo beneficial, aud which the police
might execute. Several hundred persons are
arrested yearly for selling without license, and
scarcely fifty of then are ever convicted, be
cause Of the difficulty Of Obtaining definite pr cf.
He verified the state 1eDt OF DR.. Gray that over
two hundred cases ct persons arrested for ecll-
ing without license were swept from the
docket or the Criminal Court about year
since. There are at least i've hundred ua-
licensed places in the city. He believed that
the police force do their duty, but that un ier
cannot be suppressed. If Congress would IN ,Se
the unlicensed sale of liquor q felony, he be-
lie we'd the practice could be broker 10. He vas
questioned at some length by Mr.. Eidretgs in
reference TO The present liquor la Ss in the Dis.
uict.
ACQUISITION AND ANSWER.
Mr.. Louis Schade said that the Monroe bill
proposed TO make conclusive evidence i'll the
arrest OF unlicensed dealers evidence simil.s to
that which is considered conclusive IN the arrest
OF ba~Gy houses. He asked Msjcr Richards If
and receiving negative reply, said the re-i,t
would be the same should the Monroe bill PAS.
He would fail 10 OprOot the sale or unlicen led
liquors the aIne as he had failed u break M
bawdy bouses.
MAJOR RICHARDS AGAINST PEoHIBrTioS.
Major Richards referred TO the fact TIA.
association exists here to defent liqaor dealers.
licensed and unlicensed, whenever they
brought before the court, and employ counsel
by the year. In regard to the blwdy nOIse
question brought up by Mr.. Schade, he would.
..Asr ,fx \
the subject: but as he understood il the social
evil matter was Lot before the committee ior
consideration. He did not believe in prohipi-
tory law, because he thought il impractic4Lle;
his own experience had demonstr ated this.
RRPkEsENTATIyE MoNROs SAID
he mad introduced his bill At the request of some
resented that the superintendent OF police said
he believed he could more effectua ly break no
the unlice nsed sale OF liquor should snch Il bill
be passed by Congress. The practical question
il lot whether, IL this act becomes iaw,tIe
superintendent of police can shut up all nmIi-
cehsed shops, but whether he cannot break uD
MT. Schade said be had no objection I, the
first Sc ction Of Mr. Monroe's bill, out the latter
part Of it gives the police arbitrary power, and
allows Il EN- to enter ann house where they Il We
reason to suspect lquOr Is sold.
IN FAVOR OF THE LAWRENCE BILL.
Rev. d. W. Parker spoke with refereRce to
the Laurence S,I oil, and favored ITS passage.
ject might be renitted to the District lesiss-
ture.
DIR. Parker said that the Legislature having
failed to pass such measures as IN the iudgm ,nI
OF the advocates OF temperance are necessary
and proper, they therefore appeal t0 Congress.
AGAINST BOTH BILLS.
Mr.. 3. Wolf read = long argument against the
passage Of the bills claiming that the lie gisl,ure
o. the District has The sole power to legs ate
relative TO the sale Of liquor; that the present
proposed are destructive of personal rights and
liberty. The Monroe bill cOnfers no authority
upon the police board tn At they do not alre adv
have, provided they desire to execute 1t. The
evidences Necessary to convict Is ~ ample now
as 1t Will be II this law passes. The Lawrence
bill is monstrOus in character, dangerous in IFS
tendencies, and will prove, IL carried out, sub
versive OF all law and morality. 1t creates a
~ stem OF espionage foreign to our institutions
and aims to educste men 10 become spies and
iDformers, after they have proven their gene
troll their appetites. 1t will SOW dissen-ion
between neighbOrs, create strife and do DO
good to these whom IL aims to bensfr. Tne
statement submitted by the Internal Revenue
de pa me NJ for the past year shows that early
S94 coo eco was collected from liquor and to-
bacco, or nearly seven-ei2hths or the whole
taxes. Destroy this income and where will the
government Gerive revenue To pay lite debt?
Would II not be better to have q searching in.
vestigation, both as a legal and moral me asare,
ana see whether Elusr cannot be manutac-
tured pure; let US see whether aduiter ations
cannot be punished by imprisonment. Let us
see whether s. stem OF Incense cannot be Gre
ated, by which property holders only shall vend
their article, and then to pay license SD large
rs 10 insure honest dealing, aud thereby de-
sfroy the low grog shops, which are pests and
eyesores.
Mr.. Scbsds opposed the Monroe bfll-irst
because IT Is superhuous; second, that while it
does rot increase the powers of the police "a
against bad hotel and restaurant. keepers, il
places the houses of respectable citizens on the
same footing with those kept fos immoral pur-
poses; third, it gives arbitrary power to the
board OF police, and sanctions their illegal acts
last winter by refusing license, without cause
70 respectable and honest ctizens and grant
ing the same to concert saloons and bad places
and, fourth, because 1t would increase the syi
OF drunkenness. He opposed the Lawrence
DilI-nItt, because 1t lie grcss violation OF the
laws OF the country; second, it rewards and en-
courages drunkaIds; third, 1t holds q citizen
responsible FOR acts not done by hi mself and not
authorized or even sanctioned by him: fourth
II IL quack medicine. which has lately been
repuclated Nth disgust by the people Of the
very state where ii originated, rs being perni.
cious and detrimental to public morals: and
nv, n.tn, m IS against temperance, and increases
At the conclusion of Mr.. Schade's remark, IN.
sub-con mittee adjourned.
m SPOTTED TAILS INDIANS INVITING A War
ne nited States commissioners have returned
70 Cheyenn frem the Sp0tt, Tail agency.
sh al hsof ~