The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-04-29
GheQntelligenter.

uInafleB lOF tue year Ao'V-'' "ANho"
success. The first Of May approache
and the dead lock remains unbroken. Ot
last Tuesday evening the Second Branch
asked Of the First Committee OF Confer
ence, to adjust, il possible, the differences
between the two bodies III reference 10
this question. This request was acceueu
to and a committee appointed. Alter a
somewhat protractcd session OF t'lS JOINT
committee, it reported unanimously IN
favor of rcadoPting the license
ordinance Of last year, The Sec
onJ Branch, strangely enough, set the
unus,,al prcccdent OF going back on the
reporl Of the Conference Committee and
rejected its report. On the other hand
the First Branch adopted thereport. And
thus was the present chasm created be-
tween the two bodies in regard to the IL
censc rate for the coming year. A mes.
sage from the Second Branch announcing
its rejection OF the report and asking for
the appointment Of another Conference
Committee ELECTED some indignant and
rather caustic remarks from several
members OF the First Branch. The unu.
sual proceeding OF the other body had Civ
on the color OF fact 10 the rumor,
broachcd by DR.. Baird at the preceding
session OF Council, that conspiracy, or
combination, or, in popular parlance, a
ring had been formed to take advantage
of a supposed stringency in the city
finances to compel the acquiescnce OF the
Council in the views Of said ring in the
matter Of lowering the license rate.
As the result OF even suspicion Of
such combination, the First Branch
promptly took action extending the time
in which no rebate is allowed from the
lst Of June to the lst Of July. This &c.
ton should, OF itself, have indicated TO
the license interest that the First Branch
was not in temper to modify the rate Of
last year. The very reason assigned for
the formation Of such ring, viz: the
pressure upon the city finances, was fatal
TO the successful issue Of the project, from
the fact that, under such circumstances,
the guardians Of the city's interest would
be least likely, in any way, to diminish
her revenues.
Aside, however, from money point OF
view, there is maniiestly a GROWN" dis
position on the part Of the City Council,
representing the best class Of citizens,
10 confne the retailing Of beer, ale, and
all other drinks to the, best class Of men
engaged in the business: By this we
mean the men who have conscien.
tious regard for the limitations up
on the traffic imposed by law. What
ever some people may think, we
have number Of such, and II is believed
that the tendency OF high license is to
contine the business to this class OF deal
ers, n tendency which will every year,
under n judicious system OF license, be-
come more marked. Under high license
we have an exempliiication Of the Dar-
winian philosophy Of a survival of the
tittesl, wedding out OF the low class OF
dealers which, under cheap license, spring
mp on every corner and are 80 many dis
eased fungi on the social body. We have
been at loss to understand exactly the
drift OF what appears to be concerted
action to block legislation on the part OF
Council in relation 10 this license tariff
We gather, however, from the conversa-
ton Of some that an impression prevails
that failure to fix a rate OF license,
as is done by annual ordinance, leaves
the city without any law on the subject,
and consequently where there is no law
there is no transgression, and that there
fore the saloon men can continue right
on with nothing to make them afraid, the
city having no remedy against them.
Others seems disposed to look upon the
payment Of all license as species OF be-
neyoIent charity on the part Of the deal
ers, paid merely to keep peace in the fam.
lily. This is n very convenient view GER
tainly, but one that will hardly hold wa.
ter, much less whisky. In TACT there is n
proncncss in these latter days to dispute
corporate authority and to take for
granted that bodies corporate have neith-
cr rights nor powers that any body is
bound to respect. The ordinance estab-
fishing the license rate is an annual ordi-
nance and expires on the 1st OF May ev-
cry year. After that it, and all privileges
conferrcdby ii, are dead in law. Therefore
tits an error to suppose that the failure OF
the Council TO agree upon rate gives any
body the right to sell without license.
Such is not the case. On the contrary the
ordinances ot the city expressly provide
that "all licenses for coffee houses, ordina-
ries and houses Of private entertainment
shall expire and be OF no further effect on
the first Monday Of May next sue
ceeding the date thereof" And, further,
n Gnc Of $40 for each ofiensc is imposed
for doing business without license. 1t
would appear therefore that all orlIna'
and coffee house licenses will expire to-
night, and judging from the ex-
tension Of tho time for non.rebate
by the First Branch Of Council,
it is not likely that continuance Of the
dead lock will be to the advantage OF the
coffee house interest, since tits more than
probable that the First Branch will in
siSt that the dead lock having originated
with and been maintained by said interest
the latter must suffer whatever loss may
be eincurred. In other words, that the
usual time after which a rebate is allowed
shall be extended so as to make good 10
the citv fnlI year'S license,