National Republican., 1880-11-20
THE LICENSE QUESTION.
An Appeal by Protestant Pastors TO the
President.
The Issues Between Them aud tho Commits
sioners of tho District Presented
to tho President

CuCO 10 inc enforcement OF tle TIC enhe law ] 1ou
arc aware that this law gives authority to the bis
trict commissioners to grant license TO keep O
dram.shop, restaurant or llauor saloon to such
citizens as pay certain fec and comply with Ger.
tain conditions I'm the form of their application.
We discover that the commissioners are inclined
TO regard the law as mandatory, leaving them no
alternative except TO issue the license when
these conditions have been fulfilled. We do not so
understand It.
It is our opinion that after all the outward condl.
lions OF the law have been complied with, Rncr
The license fec has been dCDDslted and the rcuul.
site names have been secured to the application,
IL Is still tho duty Of tho commissioners TO con-
slider whether the applicants arc suitable persons
to hold such trust; whether the grantug Of this
especi jail license will interfere with buildings used
for school purposes or religious purposes or gov
ernmont purpose. and how many such places
are actually needed for the public gOodi any par
ticuar vicinity.
That the commissioner do to a certain extent so
interpret the law Themselves, VIC prove by citing
their own standing rules of this character,
namely; Not to grant license TO any person
who has knowingly sold liquor to II confirmed
drunkorI, to any person Keeping disoriery
house, to any person keeping variety theatre, 10
any person who allows gambling on his premises,
to any person whose saloon Is connected with q
grocery store: together with their action Of Septcm-
Der 3) 1850, refusing license To two applicants be.
cause of their proximity to the Summer aud ca.
body school buildings.
With your permission, Mr.. President, wo should
Ike to lay before you brief summary Of tho ad-
muistrutiOn of the license laws during the past
year. Out Of 600 applications only lltCcn have
been refused. There are upon some OF our squares
from three to six and eight licensed grOg-shops.
The approaches 70 the public buildings ana the
market places are actually lined with them. Men
aud women are licensed to keep them, who are
themselves hubituel drunknrds. From the tcsti-
mony of wives and sisters and mother, who come
to us with their tale OF sorrow we believe TINT
large number of these 600 licensed lquor sellers
break the law under which they are licensed by
selling to persons already intoxicated, TO women,
10 minors, at unlawful hours, and upon the Lords
day and By allowing gambling upon their prcul.
lscs. Fictitious signatures and forged signatures
have been put upon applications parties applying
have been permitted 10 sign their own names as
property owners and tenants Of property, ant yet
these Irregularities have not prevented the com.
misSIoners from granting the license applied for.
All Applicants opposite government buildings and
government reserves have been treated as though
the United States authorities had giycn their con-
sent to the license we break. Grogshops are
running in fun blast opposite our school
houses, and large saloon has been for the
second time granted license next 10 the Young
Mems Christian association IN spite OF the solemn
remonsranee OF the officers Of the association, the
owners OF the association building, and tins year
of the united protestant pastors OF the city; and
to-day the occupants of hundreds OF places, whose
license expired October 81, all application for a
renewal Of which has not even been presented, are
still selling as before.
Believing as we do that the law has been Inter.
prof ed In the interest of the liquor tralic and not
OF tho virtue aud morality of the people, we have
respectfully asked OF the commissioners the priyi-
lege OF nominating some of our best ciliLcns to
serve on u board of so much responsibility and
importance as the license board. This request has
been denied Us, and having been Creditnbly iu-
formed that the commissioners have had an Inter.
View with yourself in which they have expressed
their intention To Interpret the law rs hitherto,
we mako our earnest appeal to you, yourself pro-
nounced temperance mana man whose noble
wife has bunishcd liquors from the White House,
| for which the millions OF this great nation today
| rise up and call her bcssed-we appeal to you rs
in an especial sense The chief executive Of this
District-Of this District, where we are denied the
right of relationship and not permitted TO choose or
rams ~ lla u.lfln
| you to do what we believe you have nl authority
| to do: to issue an executive order lorbiddns The
| commissioners to license grOs shops opposite or
| near government buildings, an order at once In
| the interest of u better CiYi service and our
tempted ielow-ciIizens I'm government employ re-
spGCtlully asking you, also that If our iuterprelp-
| SlTuCt the commissioners.
| We do not address you thus without due consid-
| Grafton. We have had the matter before us week
after week, in our pastors meetings for
several months past, WO have consulted
about it und prayed over it, aud though we have
asked that the Jaw, as 1t is on the statute book,
may be enforced, we have met with obstruction
after obstruction, When we have urged that the
United Sutus cannot De considered 10 give It's con-
sent rs a properly owner without being consulted;
when the District attorney has given 1t as his
opinion that the protest OF the head Of depart
ment should be regarded Us authoritative against
tho issue Of license opposite the building where
he prcsides, the commissioners have sought
other opinions Than those of their own legal
adviser. We hud arrayed against US an association
ofllquor dealers who seek " stigmati2e and Osru.
else those OF our citZons who are III sympathy with
u.s. we lind some OF the commissioners themselves
personally admitting that many OF the meu they
| license IRE constantly violating the law under
which they arc licensed 0udyct, seeming u regard
themselves helpless rs TO Il remedy, licensing the
! same men over and over again, whenever they
Upply; We find members OF the license board III
t0gusng themselves personally to secure the graul-
ing Of applications already refused, and we lind q
large police force patrOliing our streets day and
night with eyes holden TO the violations OF law,
going IN behind every screen and bar in the city,
and the commissioners know, aud they themselves
| know OF that which is undertaking our homes,
nlling our streets with drunken bawls, and send.
ing our youag men to the peliiIentlaIy or premt-
turey to tho grave some or these policemen being
in secret collision with these liquor sellers prl-
| Yately entering their premises to sAke their own
handed out 10 them at the rear gateway, Our
wives, our mothers and sisters wear them.
| selves out in this unequal contest and die
| broken hearted. Our brothers aud fathers,
who have served undor the hag of their country
with honor, come here to the capital OF the nation
to serve the government In another capacity, and
cannot gst 10 and from their Offices without being
hAukod on the right hand and the loft by these
yaNnng gateWays to Ilco ana peldtlloh' Without
breathing the very atmosphere OF deadly temptG'
ton, aud are brought home dead ~ u dlShonor
which they hated and strOvc IN vain TO escape,
their lips scarcely dry Of the liquid lire which has
boon dealt out over some licensed bar.
We have asked Tor no change IN the present law.
We have only asked that il be enforced in the in
terest VI virtue ahd morally a. ngelhst lhe qHor
\
licensed sTuceTs and licensed druggists Untouched
And yet The whole llquog.dculing interest has been
aroused aud is IN active 0nlagOnlsm. IL is not
strange that our commissioners should be anxious
to avoid collision with this interest But we ven
ture to ask YOU who, from your high position aud
the authority given you by the laws OF the land,
are safe from influences which weigh with men in
inferior places; we venture To ASK YOU who are
| the highest peSOnhC1tiOn OF lnw in this free
nation, to help US, citizens OF this District and
ministers Of the gospel, 10 such an enforcement OF
the law us shall make II terror " those VINO do
| evil aud praise to them who do well
ltis sometimes complained that christian people
are responsible for not sustaining the Efforts which
| their rulers are willing TO mako for the enforce.
ment Of law, We assure you that this time
| this whole population, SO far as wO know
IT, aud far as Il is unbiased by material interest
| In the LIQUOR traffic, Will stand by and honor II
manly and courageous Rti tude on this subject
Tho time is ripe tor H. Iho place is the place for
II and in our Judgment you cam ot crown tie last
months OF your administration with II brighter
crown than by doing something 10 make the
nations capital as beautiful morally as II Is
materially, May God give you the wisdom and
grace TO do II.
iSigned.l MASON NOBLE, J, D, PARKER, j. T.,
RASRIS, committee,
The above address was read 20 tho president by
Dr. Rankin, the secretary otthe pastors committee,
Drs. Noble Butler, BOole and hcKanuy being
present, The president received the address
COuTeuusy and asked TO be furnished with the
names OF dealers aud officers who violate the law
-
4 CUT hroat Killed.
Ia. a. a.. a.