The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-11-28
TIE LICENSE OUEST TON.


There is nothing which does so much TO
diminish the influence of clergymen as their
persistence in bigoted crusades against things
which are not prohibited either by human or
divine law. In this city, owing doubtless TO
the fact that IL is not self-governed, part of
the clergy have for years been distinguished
for extreme ilibcrality and for unjustiiablc
interference with the duties of the lcgally-con
stituted and sworn authorities. One object
of the crusade of these clergymen has been
the Sunday press, yet Sunday journalism
has ilourished in spite Of their disapproyal.
IL is curious example Of bourbonism in
the church when its exponents cannot see
that the march of modern progress, which
has compelled a change from the weekly tothe
daily news print, and from that to morning
and evening issues of editions rs numerous
as the hours, cannot possibly result in a
frame of mind that will he content to wait
until Monday to learn what all the world
was doing on Saturday. And IL is an equally
curious example of fruitless effort to make
the world accept that as wrong which they
have predetermined to dislike or to oppose,
when persons of this class cannot see that
the Sabbath-breaking journal is the one
which comes ont on Monday.
The freshest example Of this spirit Of
ilibcrality is the crusade the pastors have
engaged in against the granting of liquor
licenses. II has been shown so clearly that
no one hut the most inveterate bigot can
doubt it, that the duties Of the Commits
| sioners in this regard are strictly ministerial,
and that they have gone beyond the powers
a strict construction of the statute gives
them in refusing licenses to applicants who
have complied with the statute requirements
but who may have been guilty of infringing
ordinances the violation of which renders
them liable to fine, but not to deprivation OF
license.
The contention seems to be that only n
few licenses should be granted, and those
to persons named by board of these pas
tors selection. We are confident that the
public sentiment of the community is dis
tinctly and by n majority of ten to one
against the interfering clergymen in this
matter. The liquor traffic is recognized and
regulated by law. Any one has the cleai
right To agitatc for an amendment of the law
or for the enactment of a prohibitory statute
But, surely, men who are not learned in tn,
law, and who have not one-tenth of tn,
practical knowledge of the subject which th'
Commissioners possess, cannot without gros.
impertinence assume to dictate to these Off
GERS just how, when, and under what condi
tions they shall perform duty imposed upoi
them (and not upon the parsons) by n Law
in which there is not the slightest obscurity
The utter wrongheadedness of this move
ment becomes apparent when we conside
what would be the necessary result if til
anti-license clergymen could have their way
1t would of course result in very great de
crease in the number of licensed restaurants
but this would not in the least degree d
minish the consumption of intoxicatin
drinks. Nor would it enable the author
y ties to detect and punish irregularities, sue
IS as selling to minors, drunkards, or on Sur
days. On the contrary, it would give a
$ enormous stimulus to the illicit and unlav
IL full traffic, even now carried on eXtensivel
e in drug stores and groceries. And II woul
'' involve a serious diminution of the Distr
u revenue, without the slightest compensa
y ing good. Even now drug shop tippling
u extensive, almost universal. We are tol
u that the drugstor opposite = well-know
= temperance hotel sells more drains tina
drugs, and that its receipts for liquor are 81
!, and eight dollars every Sunday. This
~ but an illustration of the way in which Il
~ legitimate revenue of the District is d
"a frauded. II should be noted that there is l
~ licensed saloon near the druggist referred t
The claim that Postmaster General Ma,
IL nard is ''kocping house" in the Gener
u Post Office, in the sense in which those wor
~ are used by the law would be amusing If
VI We're not seriously maintained to the detl
D ment of legitimate property rights. But '
1t have already said enough to show the publ
D what is the substance of the contentit
NJ which part of our clergy are so unadvised
u, making. Let the community judge wheth
:" it would not be better for them to strength,
the arms Of the authorities and help the
wv enforce the law against unlicensed dra
w selling and Sunday tippling, rather than
VI ask those sworn to enforce the statutes
W break them instead by refusing to execu
''o them according to both their letter and tn,
III spiriti
nl Il