Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-03-05
The License Question.
A OBLIGATION FROM WILMINGTON IN FAVOR OF
LESS STRINGENT SYSTEM.
Special TO the Commercial.

A DELEGATION FROM WILMINGTON IN FAVOR OF a
LESS STRINGENT SYSTEM.
Special TO the Commercial.
DOVER, Del, March s.
A delegation from Wilmington waited upon
the Legislature to-day, in reference to gen
eral license law. At the close of the afternoon
session of the House, a meeting Of the Moral
Reform Committee was called in the hall Of the
House, with Mr.. j. w. Phillips in the chair. A
large number of persons, hearing Of the meet
ing, were present.
In response to the invitation of the Chairman
Joseph Fullmer said that few of those engaged
in the traffic in intoxicating liquors wished to be
heard before the Legislature. few have licen
ses, while others, equally IL not more respects-
bio than many that have license, cannot get
them. The law should be 30 changed that those
wishing license could go to the Clerk of the
Peace and get it.
George W. Ortlip, proprietor OF the Delaware
House, said there were 500 unlicensed liquor
sellers in Wilmington and only about 40 places
that were licensed. The licensed liquor sellers
wanted general license law, that would allow
every body that wanted to go to the clerk oil the
peace and get it.
The next speaker was Mr.. Archibald Given,
who said he had come down with these friends
OF his to introduce them to the members. The
law as it now stands is very obnoxious. The
State looses thousands of dollars Of revenue.
Gag laws wont work in Delaware. Let every
body have license that comes well recommended
With all due respect to the CouS, the Judge
licenses some vary bad places and refuses license
have gone through all the require
ments of the law. am no whiskey seller. You
may pass a prohibtory law tomorrow and will
have no objection. Put a. heavy penalty upon
traffic. 1t is manufactured at Sing Sing prison
by the prisoners out of potatoes given to them
in the quarries. These gentlemen
along with me all have license
Mr.. Ortlip keeps the Delaware House he has
no trouble getting license. The people of Will
mington are in favor Of modification Of the
law, except few women who are opposed to It,
l can take little of it, but l never take too
much. A large ma jority of the men Of Whining
ton are in favor of a general license law. The
most of them drink but they don't drink too
much. A great many of the members Of the
temperance societies and churches drink, and
some of the leading ones take it behind the door,
| Mr.. Given IN reply again stated that he was no
drinking man. but he would take drink, and
was as moral a man as the gentleman who had
| taken his seat. l reiterate that there is not
handful of men engaged in this movement;
They are nearly all women who had
better be at home attending to their babies i'll
stead OF trapsing through the streets going TO
the lodges. MIR. Donahoe and Mr.. Philip q.
Plunkett were all present on behalf OF the liquor
interests of the city, but refrained from making
| any remarks. The meeting was then dismissed.
| petition has come here, but the most OF the
signers are Sunday School children, and women.
| My children go to Sunday School. They we're
| asked to sign. Very few men have signed
| the petition. The almost universal sentiment
| of the people of Wilmington ID for general
| license law.
| Rev. Joseph Dare. who happened to M pres
| ent in the audience, earnestly controverted the
last speakers argument. and made comparison
of this meeting with that held by the ladies,
which was opened by prayer. Not only the wo-
| men, hut the most moral religious, temperate,
aud upright men in Wilmington were in favor of
| the Dresent laws,