Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-19
The Saloons and the Mayors Veto.

Mr.. EDITOR Many of the citizens of the
city of Knoxville do most earnestly protest
against the recent attempt of Mayor
Staub to veto the ordinance passed a few
days since by the board of aldermen closing
the liquor saloons at 10l O'Clock p, M, for
the following reasons:
1. Though the veto has been used in
few instances heretofore, there is no
law in yesting the mayor with any
such power We understand that this has
been claimed by virtue of an amendment
to the Knoxville charter passed December
eth, 1866, giving to the mayor and alder
men of Knoxville all the rights, powers and
privileges heretofore conferred upon the
city of Nashville. But this act does not
give the mayor of Knoxville the same pow
ers as the Mayor of Nashville. The board
of mayor and aldermen of Knoxville is one
body. The mayor is part and parcel of the
board; is its presiding officer, and has the
casting vote. The utter Inconsistency OF a
presiding officer having and using the cast
ing vote and the veto power too IS su1h-
cient refutation of any such claim. The
mayor of Nashville is separate and indie
pendent OF LDG DOaEIlo VI thLASl
aldermen He does not prescribe in either
body and have the casting vote.
2. But supposing the mayor to be in
vested with such powers has he not abused
if in this instance? Such an ordinance was
demanded by the report of arrests made by
the police committee from month to
month. The average number of arrests as
shown by the published reports average
from so to 50 per month, nine-tenths of the
number for drunkenness and disorderly
conduct, and these nearly all at night. But
without these reports no citizen can doubt
for moment that four out of five arrests
by the police are induced by the use of in
toxicating liquors. But these reports show
conclusively that some such ordinance was
necessary to public peace and order.
g. There is no good reason given by the
mayor for his veto, and it is the same given
by ex-Mayor VanGilder for his veto of a
similar ordinance. The reason given is that
the ordinance . discri1ninates against a large
class of people" This refers to some
twenty liquor dealers that is to say, the
liquor dealer pays his license tax, and there
fore, like all other dealers in merchandise,
should be allowed to drive his trade at all
hours. Now, we are assured by those who
have examined the question, that the
supreme court of this State, in the case
of Smith & Lackey vs. the board of mayor
and aldermen of Knoxville passed upon an
ordinance of this city, closing the saloons
at O'clock p. m. and held that the Orth-
nance did not prohibit the license privilege,
but regulated its exercise by a reasonable
and proper restriction, under the power
given by the charter of the city to the board
of mayor and aldermen q to regulate tip
ho hold
this case that men cannot be permitted
to exercise or use their rights to the
unnecessary injury of others, and much less
of whole communities, and that the 8 o'clock
ordinance was legal and valid, and not dis
eliminating"
The court held in short, that the 8
O'Clock ordinance was legal, was a proper
regulation, and not oppressive or unjust to
the hquor-seller.
Besides this, everybody knows that this
trade is injurious to individuals, ruinOuls to
families, and is the bane of communities
Everybody knows that this trade is contin-
ually at war with all moral reform-with the
Sabbath-school, the Young Mems Christian
Association, and with the Church of God
itself. And all statistics show, and it is uni
versally admitted that this trade contributes
nearly all the inmates to our calabouses, our
jails, poor-houses and penitentiaries.
The conclusion is, by us that the mayor
has assumed to veto an ordinance called for
by numberless offenses against the peace,
good order and morals of the city, and has
given a reason for it that the supreme
| court held, twenty-five years ago, was no
reason at all.
We here enter Our protest against such
action on the part of Mayor Staub, and if
we mistake not, this community will hold
him to strict account-at the proper time.
| MANY CITIZENS.