National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-10
PROTESTING PASTORS
ARRAIGNING THE COMMISSIONERS.
The Triumvirate Publicly Denounced for Not En-
forcing the License Law-Dr. Rankin Gets
Side Wipe at Major MOrgan-The
Position Held by DIR. Bonner.

Lincoln Hall was threequarters filled yesterda
afternoon with cold-water advocates summoned
by the announcement that the Pastors Union ha
decided upon amassmeeting to make public thei
grievances against the District Commissioners Oh
the question of liquor licenses Upon the platform
were seated Rev. ]. E. Rankin, of the Congrega
tional Church; Rev. J. w. Chickering, secretary O
the Congressional Temperance Society; Rev. A.
Steel, of st. Marks P E Church; Rev. j. T. Kelly
of the Fourth Presbyterian Church; Rev. A.
Mason, of the E-Street Baptist Church; Rev
Charles H. Richardson, of the McKendree on. E.
Church Rev. Peter Parker, and the choir of the
Congregational Church, under the leadership OF
meeting to order, and said that the meet
ing had been called by the. Pastors
| Union in the interest of temperance and morality
and to criticize the conduct of the COMMISSIONS
of the District in regard to the enforcement of the
liquor license law. He then read pamphlet en-
titled " The Execution of the Liquor License Law
of the District of Columbia" and the status of the
Commissioners and the Pastors Union: The d0cu
ment was mainly resume of the work OF the Pas
tors Union, together with the evidence it had col
| lected tending TO show eases in which the Com
misSioners had violated the law, or loosely con-
strued it, II concluded by stating that the sl.
premacy of violated law, the peace and quiet OF
the community, and the protection OF the public
morals demanded the appointment of Commission
| erS who would faithfully and justly execute the
| law regulating the Iquor tranc
MR.. RICHARDSON'S INDICTMENT.
Rev. Charles Richardson, the next speaker said it
was serious thing for the pastors to be impeaching
the Commissioners. Hiscause must be his justifca-
! ton They had waited from the 1st of October to
the LIST of January TO give the Commissioners time
| to show how they would enforce this law. They
| had no personal issues against the Commissioners
or license board but simply asked the fulfillment
| of the law, and they had been found wanting in
| this respect No matter how much they were re-
spected men, if they refused to execute the law
they should give way to those who would: In all
afforded every opportunity to obtain information
and therefore he had nothing to say against them
The pastors believed that the law had been loosely
construed, and said so; not that they had any
plans of their own TO be carried out but since the
Commissioners had been appointed to execute the
law the pastors asked them if they could not do
ii, TO step down from their positions in favor of
better men,
They did not ask the removal of any particular
Commissioner, but that all who did not execute
the law should be removed. If the Commissioners
could show that they had done their duty, then
the pastors must ground arms. If one said he was
in sympathy with the movement, but had been
overruled by the other two, they did not want him
removed. II was certain that at least two of the
three Commissioners had not done their duty.
The present law, the speaker said, had been
passed by the Legislative Assembly of the District
and reaffTIncd by Congress, which no one would
accuse of being composed of temperance fanatics
laughter This was the law they were asked to
carry out, and they had never complained Of its
being impracticable. The Commissioners, in their
response to the letter of the pastors said they SYM
pathiZed with them in their movement and de-
sired to cooperate with them in all lawful meas
ureS for its enforcement.
And how had they co-operated? The 1st of De-
tOber, the month in which all licenses must be ap-
piled for, delegation of the pastors waited upon
them and made the request that the law should
not be loosely construed any more. But instead,
the license board went on as before, and the Com
miSsiOnerS upheld them. thus asserting that what
had been done in the past was proper and should
be in the future They cut down the bridge be-
her wi hon h0n
done their duty in the premises. TO sustain his
position that the law had been loosely construed,
Mr.. Richardson cited several prominent cases that
have arisen, including the Henze case the Shelton
case, the case of the Theatre Conique, and the
protests fled by the Postmaster-General and the
market company.
In conclusion he said when the Commissioners
were asked why they had not enforced the law
their answer was: We must have more revenue" |
The virtues of the people and their safety must all
be sacrificed for question of revenue Revenue
never comes from rum but from the intelligence of
the country and the interest of the people demands
that these Commissioners, who are unfit to occupy
their places shall be removed, and men put in who
viii enforce the law.
Rev A. F. Mason said the indictment was true |
bill, and these commissioners had not done their |
level best to enforce the liquor laws, and were |
equally as bad as those who sold the poison.
BROTHER RANKIN on BROTHER MORGANS SPELLING |
Rev. J. E. Rankin said he had very valuable |
document in his pocket from Brother Morgan, who |
several months ago said on this very platform |
that the Christian people of this community were |
responsible for liquor licenses, they had always
signed applications. He then read the letter from
Morgan, in which he says if the |
good people would only stand firm everything
would be well. The speaker then pointed out
some bad spelling in the epistle i'll which he said
the Commissioner wrote 1.-the leven is working"
A great laugh was created by this spelling,
which DR.. Rankin said was probably meant |
rs a contraction for the eleven pastors.
The Commissioners were between two fires,
one from above and one from below-the
pastors and the liquor dealers. He not sure
hat ii would be bettered if we had new Commits
'ioncrS. He wanted at least one total abstinence |
nan, who when he went to Cobb's Island would
not do as others did. All they asked was one pub
When the Commissioners went home to bed and
aid their prayers they must have some compunc-
ions. Mr. Morgan was surely aware that MesSrS
.anahan and Brown, preachers of his own de
did not look with favor upon his ac-
ions, but he was afraid of the liquor men. The
knew that the pastors had them on
he public building question: and were en-
,aged in q scheme to let Abner ont, and were
inkering away st the Capitol on bill for this
purpose.
Mr.. Mason then told a funny story, in which
lignitaries and the devil were conspicuous fea-
ures the choir sang selection, and the meeting
vas dismissed with the benedction.
DIR. DoaIER DEFINES HIS POSITION.
Dr. Domer the pastor of St. Pauls English Luth-
ran Church, in making mention to his congrega-
ion yesterday morning of the proposed mass meet
ng at Lincoln Hall in the afternoon, took occa-
ion to define his own position, and among other
emarkS spoke as follows:
az am, as you all know, thoroughly opposed to
and the liquor traffic would be
lad to see a pTohibitory movement inaugurated,