Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-13
E.OcaH dADaiOn,

40 INC CutiGf o. INC -1tt.CdAttrtG GuStttG
have slnoerly desired to have nothing to do |
with the local option movement lately inaugural |
ed 10 tits city rot because do not stoutly APP |
provs tho Law. but because of my relation to |
| an Important work Of reform among drinking |
wcn so evidently benevolent ard III 1esion-
ably good lha: 90 man in town was mean
enough to coodenn il.
The ordinary wols of The Reform Club de-
| manded CT me more time and strength than |
had at my command aud was not little apx-
ious tina! this body. pledged to seek The &c.
formation Ct inca by ''morsl and religious
sgcrc es alonc," should not as 40 organization,
&c involved in struggle which would surely
sWekea unfortunate antGg)usms.
At q late mtmcnt, st the request of several
1t llucntial cit z Ds, [ oorsantrd 10 prtp,ro O
draft II a local option BILL This. which was but
little more than transcript of the law that has
b'eu given to other pats Of tho State, | hand
I'd to Que Of tho genlemc ca who had ,cduested
it, stating TO him that though that Row. WIS.
Fen OK, who bad IN public 80 strongly declared
Tor snun lew, would be tho proper man to
rrcsout 1t, while # fused to DO further known
10 The case. knew nothing of tho bill after
this ill learned it was introduced
Ray. W. Is Eay'c, who ID now tho doughty
leader 81 the mtvemcui, titst participated 10 it
when 1t bCc an!a apparent hat tho bill ought to
BE- C lapeed somewhat 10 one CT liz provhors;
while it was tho tclon Of the Board OF Alder.
mtn and the Common Counoil that made the
writer feel that he ought to take part AID do all
he could 10 behalf of tho good damt cratic doc.
triuo Ct Government for tho people aud by tic
people VIII ca wal ss1GiiCd by tho above men.
toned C ion.
The measure Las filled and tho ISSUE is dend
for tho present, but it ought 10 DC distinctly
stated that
, First. Tho bill, if passed, would not have
prohibited tho sal' OF LIQUOR 10 this city. The
Legislature was not asked to pass prohibjtory
Law, and yet, this Was tho sulo ISSUE rLiscd and
& sca5sed by the enemies of tho bill. They
continually asserted that The dcstrrc iou Of the
\ liquor Traffic would cat Of large revenue to
the city ard deal a serious Ll0w 10 business in
, general. Ali his might bo tue, bnt, whether
true ;r not Vas not the question. Our rcpre-
t sentative, 10 his published latter, says: IL am
inclined to Ihink that prChlbitory liquor laws
, arc OF very doubtful promiety and txocdieuoy;"
, bu: the Law he WAS asked to SEQ passed was not
8 such Law. Ii would require tho vote of
G maj ury Of tho qualified voters OF the citv TO
giva it tho force OF such law.
D S'c'Ld. Tho bill simtl5 provided that the
T Vott rs should say, once IN two Years. whether
or not they wanted The s.lo cf liquor lc,nstd
} In this city. Our representative and those
who oppose the bill said tho pcoll, must not
have This nllvege-they must not bo trusted
With SO grave responsibility men who
, elected tho representative arc not c,mpctcDt TO
d, eide this matter ter themselves.
>, ~ luabor of gentlemen who do not them.
selves favor the closing up Of tho liquor bu4-
moss, neve, theless requested tho passage Of the
lccl oplon bill, because thy believe tho poo.
. pls ought to b permitted to dcoido this qucs-
s lIOr.
, 1t is not strange that Two of tho Couuoimcn
who had voted with lho majority askiog the
Legislature not to pass tho bill, when they
learned tho real import Of tho bill, an hour af,cr
8 SAID they were surely 10 favor of it on1 one of
them slgred petition asking for lis passage.
3 This would have been the case With many
D others 1t they really had known what tho bill
, contcmplates.
, Third. Oar representative is no doubt sincere
10 his lata statement Of bis opposition to tho
bill and believes that he has not boon Influenced
IN bis late official action by friends or foes. 1t
: h. however. perfectly evident that his attitude
; toward tho bill was suddenly and radically
J changed. Tic Immediately introduced it. 1t
was referred TO tho Committee on Finance oud
promptly reported on and whom Oh ITS second
, reading no sect printed copy to Alexandra
On the margin Of which ha wrote, Il will have
it passed it pcsaiblo" When the second draft
! was 20 mt him he wrote ba,k tho very next day.
, Il offered It nRttcr q suspension of tie rules as
} substitute tor the original. The substitute was
: ordered to lts cnprossment and third reading
IL wWprcjnb!y pass III luy or t,oo." Tho
llalics nro mlao. We had right to believe
that this curse would bo pcrsuod to tho end
1 hnt I ruoo IL.
Gon to Richmond to confront tho gentlemen
who went TO tho Capitol to secure if possible
tho defeat oil the till. But the letter published
10 the Gtz3to of the Sth Put new aspect on
the whole affair. The honorable gentleman
,h'n says: 81 am decidedly CT The opinion tho
oil ought net 20 pass. 81 shall, therefore, if
the bill is reached this session move to dismiss
&c: 30 cud5 this eif0rt tn secure tho privilege
Of sell government asked for by moro than
thousand OF our people.
The confession which soma Of our most OK.
celI"nt citizens were compoled to make must
have been most humiliating-thst rum ia SO
strongly cntrenched in tho social and business
lilo of this community that it cannot be Danish.
ed without lsmentsble disaster to trade and
That tho OWL which roigns most widely and
dsmns mCst deeply must continue TO feed and
istten along our streets in order to secure a rev.
nhue; out u is hardly less humilatng to BIO
ally Told by tha samo ron, evidently we'll
mosnifg ana sincere that tho people mu7t not
90 permitted to decide this question for them
selves.
Hpt 1t ia not my province to discuss legal
! mehsutos ms work leave TO others. NV co
Isooror. Kew w. X. Boyle, will shortly present
"a statement OF tho argument against the contin-
anco Of The liquor traffic, while l shall bo con-
Lent To GO sll l cen 10 redeem mon from the
poverty and shame OF intemperanco through the
agencies already SO successfully employed And
i1r the mon who are now struggling to over.
| como their worst enemy ask The sym lathy and
| neIp OF every man and woman in the cit
| Slich - lSSD LISTEN H. PEARCE
LIST OF LETTERs.
| Tho following is list of tho letLers romsjnino