Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-21

THE TEMPERANCE AGITATION AGAINST THE PROPOSED
LAw-Two MASS MEETINGS HELD YESTERDAY.

Opposed to the License Bill.
| THE TEMPERANCE AGITATION AGAINST THE PROPOSED
| LAw-Two MASS MEETINGS HELD YESTERDAY.
The agitation begun by the temperance people
against the license bill continued yesterday by
two mass meetings, one held in the afternoon at
Masonic Temple, under the auspices Of the Wo-
| mans christian Temperance Union, and the other
held at night at the Metropolitan NJ. E. Church. At
| the afternoon meeting MrsC.L Roach presided. Dr.
o. F. Presbrey reported from the committee appoint
| eito wait upon the Commissioners, that the com
ntee mad found that the bill had already been sent
~ ..ongress. Ipon the recommendation Of the com
inlItee, Kew Dr. Faunce, Mrs. c. L. Roach, II. A.
| Han, Rev S. X. Cox and b. H. Warner, were ap-
pointed to place before the District committees Of
Oh the OH which permits liquor dealers to continue
| tner business without the annual consent of the
Of fh and to other ea
made by Mr.. A. NJ. Brant, OF West Washington,
ne Re'; Geo O. Little, OF Assembly church, and Rev.
Dr. : K. Cox, or the Mount Vernon NJ. h church
Soutn Gen. Birney. in his remarks, referred to the
ullliGuitles ne had experienced when attorney for
the District, in getting convictions in liquor cases
Ee SAID he had known judge to send to a saloon
| near oy for liquor and drink before trying case
against liquor dealer. He urged that the bill
iqlor saloons, and should make provision for the
inspection OF liquor saloons. Rev Dr. Cox referred
| nquor-d9aers. Resolutions were adopted protest.
ing against section II OF the proposed bill vtr-
s fort 4oiS away with local option. and setting
iort 'that, In the opinion OF this meeting, the APP
poiltnlent or any man other than one OF known
temperance habits to the Office OF district attorney
Tor the District of Columbia would be injurious to
the cause OF temperance and morality 1t was Or
Geie that copy OF the resolutions be sent to the
President
THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH MEETING.
Inc public meeting at the Metropolitan church
was well attended. Rev. Dr. Huntley. the pastor
OF the church, presided, and the speakers were
Rev. Dr. j. G. Butler, OF the Memorial Lutheran
cnuEch Maj. H. A. Hall, and Hon. Hiram Price,
the commissioner of Indian affairs. who addressed
lne meeting In the order named. Dr. Buffers re-
marks Were not aimed against the new license bill
In particular. but at the liquor traffic generally.
lie considered IL an unfortunate thing that the
il41or dealers had ballots. He did not think the
ttinperince people should talk about holding the
balance or power, or OF forming temperance party.
until public opinion had been still further influ-
enceti N that direction. He recommended them TO
bring their influence to bear upon the existing par
tlea IL was good Sign. sign of healthy growth
IN public opinion. he said. referring to the license
OIL, when the liquor dealers are willing to pay
high license 70 be relieved OF the necessity OF going
about TO ct signatures to their petitions II was
sign Of guckening OF conscience somewhere The
police. he said. wtnked at violations or the Sunday
! liquor law. Men were banded together. he said.
for free liquor and no sunday. After descanting
upon the enormous power welded by the liquor tr-
tTt>tS. he closed his remarks By asserting his be-
III that the time would come when IL would ne
possible to secure prohibition amendment to the
constitution.
spoke, holding In hts hand copy OF the license
| bill. from which lie occasionally read. The COM
mittee appointed on the last Sunday, he said had
found, when they called upon the Commissioners.
that this was a perfect bill. and could not he
amended While crticising the Commissioners
ana their views concerning this measure, he said
ne believed they were more earnest in executing
the laws against immortality than any Commits
s!onerS we have had. The president OF the board
when delegation representing the liquor interests
protested against the regulations concerning saloons
near school houses had spinal column enough to tell
them That the morals OF the community had to he
considered Major Hall insisted that despite what
the commissioners said the language OF the bill
would permit man. under brewers or diStillers
license to retail liquor in any neighborhood, With
or without the consent OF the residents. That sec
ton OF the bill, he said, would do cre; TO the best
lawyers In fhe United States in the employ OF the
Brewers association and he believed tie attorney
OF that association TO be- the allbr OF that section
lie could not understand how IL was the Commits
soneis did not see the full purpOr OF the section
Are we, he asked. ''in the hands OF Commission
ers that are deceiVing us or is 1t ignorance or the
Plain language OF this lave" He referred TO the
power anu influence OF the liquor dealers and de-
clared that II he lived the ayes and noes should be
called In Doth houses OF Congress on the bill before
that section should become law. Referring to the
clause concerning druggists. and the complaint
made by druggists that II came to them Sick
they could not under the law minister to his wants
those who had had the experience the speaker had
Knew that there were more people taken with the
cramps sunday morning than at any other time
There were twelve hundred places licensed
and i've hundred other places unlicensed, where
poor man in such Il dilemma might get what he
wanted. But 10 provide In case or an epidemic OF
cramps. he thought the law might be amended so
as 10 permit druggist TO give a man with the
cramps all the liquor he wanted In reference to
the provision which the commissioners regarded as
aSafeguird, that In case complaint was made by
majority or nelghborng Residents against liquor
dealer the liquor dealer would have 10 secure anew
the Signatures of a majority OF the residents in
order TO obtain renewal OF his license. Ma Or Han
argued that by packing boarding houses and by
other methods the dealer would secure his needed
III Jority. After this was accomplished these resi-
dents could move into some other nelghbOrhOod
ana heip some other dealer. There was not he
said, an Intelligent liquor dealer in the District who
was not IN favor OF the bill Ii there any op-
position II was blind.
COMMISSIONER PRICE
said the best thing that could be done with the BILL
so far as the liquor question was concerned, was to
strike out every line OF it. He had nothing to say
against the District Commissioners He knew only
one ol theIn and had always thought him gentle
man IN every sense OF the word. They had to fight
he s;ild, the meanest class OF men God allowed
on this toostool since Adam was turned out OF
Eden There was not a decent man In Washington
or out OF IL who had the good Of the community AT
he.drtwho would sell liquor at retail. He inveghed
against the practice OF licensing liquor saloons
means OF raising revenue, Claiming that II was sell
Ing the LIES and happiness OF many people He
lkened IL 10 the sale VI indulgencies-the granting
lor money OF permission TO do wrOng-which the
oalhollc.church had been charged with. In this
connection he observed that he did not make the
charge against the Catholic church, and would say
Tor the Catholic church that 1t was doing
more 1or temperance than any other church lie
thought IL nonsense TO talk about waiting
Ior pubic sentiment 10 be formed before undertake
Ing 10 get laws OH the subject OF prohibition. lie
argued that II was false economy to raise reye-
nue. by licensing the sale or liquor and then to be
compelled TO pay out much larger sum on
account Of crime and pauper1sm produced by the
traffic in liquors. He would agree, he said to give
a bond OF one million OF dollars pay the patiper
and criminal expenses or this city for Is cents ON
every dollar now expended II the whisky shops were
abolished.
COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED.
Al the close OF the meeting a resolution was
adopted authorizing the chairman, Dr. Huntley, to
appoint committee OF one hundred TO go to Con-
gres and oppose those sections OF the bill relating
TO the liquor traffic.
sentimental and True Philanthropy.
IDIEsEss SHOULD NOT BE ENCOURAGED.
To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
Fifteen years active membership In q charitable
association, composed entirely OF men, and very
similar TO that referred to in the article In THE
STAR OF the 18th Instant on suffering among the
proud poor, qualities Inc to render an opinion on
the question now receiving It's annual notice in the
newspapers IN this city, viz: Destitution among
the poorer classes have no hesitation In saving
that most OF the suffering so graphically described
III the newspapers Is furnished by chronic cases
and Is the result OF inexcusabe carelessness, or
something worse. Every winter we are treated to
the same distressing recitalS, and every summer
we witness the same independent conduct on the
part OF the heroes Farmers come here and almost
\ N