Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-11
THE EVENING STAR
Local Option and He'll Punch.

Senator Suliivane, member of the Joint spe-
ciai committee on temperance. has prepared
uiil 20 take the vote of the people in every elec
ZION district OF the counties and the several
legislative districts of Baltimore city, on the
second Tuesday in November. for or againti
license TO sell liquor. The date is the time of
holuing the Congressional election, and is Sc
lected SO as to separate The local option 0ues-
Ton from the complication of local politics i'm
shall be taken in districts where local onion
prevails as well as in those where there Is no
prohibition. This is considered fair, mas
are petitioning for license as well as the tenn
perance men for prohibition, and it is contem
piaied to give all the subdivisions of the state
a chance at the next Congressional election
In such localities where the vote is az Iinst
Incense the clerks OF the courts are required
by the bill to announce the fact, and prohibl-
ton goes into effect in all districts where il
was carried by popular vote on the lSt of MAY,
1879. These are the provisions for the firSt
vote OF the state, but the bill goes further,
ana provides machinery for all subsequent
voting on the subject without further appli-
cation to the legislature. 1t is provided that
one fifth of the registered voters, as deter
mined by the votes east a: the last preced.
on or before the LIST of August next
preceding any Congressional election for cleo
lions on the question of license i'm any county
election district, city or town i'm the counties
or legislative districts i'm Baltimore city. These
elections when ordered on such petition, Sh an
be only for the particular localities petitioninr
1t is recognized that the temperance Gle
ment is steadily growing in Maryland Ii is
also realized that their organization covers
every square foot of territory in the state, aud
That 1t will in time menace the democratic
party existence. The chief concern is how To
reailZe the necessary revenues TO carry on the
state government should the license system
fail, and to this end the bell punch has been
brought into the revenue system. Ii is be
lieved that the tax realized from this device
VIII make up for the districts which will be
lost TO license at the next and subsequent Con-
gresSiOnal elections, should the bill of Mr. Suil-
yane be passed
On the other hand, there is great concern
among members for the effect which any pro
hIbltion would have on businessmen SO much
the liquor business per Sc, but the grocery
business, which goes hand hand with
liquors, and is one of the largest interests of
Baltimore city, and trade generally While il
is doubtful that there will be any legislation
that will interfere with the license system as
II exists there is very strong probability that
the bell punch will be added.
Three BARRON registers are now i'm the
field. The Motfett Virginia device is repre-.
sented by f. ID. johnson, who made all the
registers used in that state. Major Elias Girls.
ter owned in Washington city, and to day
Mr.. w. F. Beaseley, of Baltimore, put into
operation at the cigar stand in the royunda,
Henry Clark, of Baltimore. Mr.. BeaSeley saws
he has secured the adoption of the Clark
register by the committees of the Louisiana
and Mississippi legislatures. Mr.. Johnston
gives the figures from internal revenue books
at Washington showing that there are 1920
places i'm Maryland where liquor is sold, of
which quite 1000 are i'm Baltimore city. In
virginia there are 2, 51S licenses.
The revenue for year in Virginia derived
from the bell punch, partly estimated, is set
down at S6OO0O0,and it is said the liquor sellers
are there in favor of it, because il keeps the
artenders from Knocking down" just as
the bell punch operates on the street ears. The
revenue from direct taxation in Maryland is
So, eco year, and the county members think
that the bell punch will relieve the land of over
twO-thirdS of the taxes derived from that
source land so they are rapidly consolidating on
the punch. which, by the way, is not a punch
in any sense of the word, but a mechanical
register, so constructed that the operator can
not cheat, and every transaction recorded re-
mains to show for ITSELF Annapolis Cor
BGtO. Sun.