National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-28
OPPOSITION no TIE NIL.
Mass Meeting at Masonic Temple Against
License.


Mass Meeting at Masonic Temple Against
License.
The third mass meeting by tho temperance
people to discuss certain features of the new
license bill for the district was held in Ma
sonic hall yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Roach
presiding, and Mr.. johnson, chief clerk of the
senate, having charge of the music. A portion
of Scripture was read by Mrs. Chaplin, prayer
offered by Mrs. Cohen, and singing inter
spersed.
Mrs Roach said tho large audience assem-
blod attosted the deep interoS5 felt in the
matter. She read portion of the recent
letter of the district commissioners to the
senate committee. setting forth their reasons
for that provision OF tho bill which relieves
saloon keepers from asking each year for the
consent Of their neighbors, and also their
reply to the objections which have been urged
against it by the temperance people land
added that with all due Difference to our com.
missioners she still dssented from their view
of the matter.
Hon. j. ID. Taylor. member of congress
from Ohio, was then introduced and said
that he had been surprised at the very large
audiences which had attended these meet
ings. Before this no had thought that
strangers walking our streets would think
temperance people, like angels visits were
few aud far between" He was glad to ind it
otherwise, and hoped that soon 1t would be
very much otherwise.
lto referred to n recent paper of this city,
which said the liquor traffic could not be
prohibited, and mentioned Maine as proof of
its statement. He had very often been in
Maine, in many parts of it, but had never
seen a saloon or a drunken man there until,
during the recent holidays, he was there and
saw drunken man for the first time in that
state, and on inquiry learned that he had
In at arrival frouh Hnginn and " nh nm
Massachusetts, whisky. He was in Augusta
at the time of the Gurcelon excitement, but
he saw no drinking and no one drunk, and
believed If there had been that the difficulty
would not have been settled without blood.
she'd
Rev. Mr. Ramsdell, pastor of the North
Presbyterian Church, said that he Joined u
temperance baud twenty-five or thirty years
ago, and this was no temporary gush with
him. lie said it was well to count the forces
engaged in this warfare. First in favor of
temperance we have the Lord Jesus Christ
Our Saviour used to be classed with the wine
bibbcrs, but l believe that is now an eN-
ploded theory. Then we have the churches,
the Gospel temperance women, tho various
| temperance societies. aud the business men,
who are finding it more profitable to employ
those who do not drink. Now, who is 1t we
have to fight? First, we have to watch con-
| gress, and hero we find senate bill 1000,
/
fee that tho saloon keepers may be relieved
of asking the consent of their neighbors each
| year. Then we have to watch the city gov
| ernments and the city courts and, particu-
larry, we ought to watch the signing of those
| petitions for license OH the different squares.
| Some persons sign because they do not want
| to interfere with the saloon mans business.
and no doubt tho signatures are sometimes
paid for and We ought to use all our influence
as temperance people to prevent this signing.
Mr.. f. NJ. Bradley said, this battle which
had SO long been fought by the saloon against
the home, was now changed to the home
against the saloon. He said he was present at
the invitation not only of the Woman S
Christian Temperance union, but also that of
the commissioners and then he quoted that
portion of their letter published in the
papers, saying they would be pleased for
practicable suggestions. He had a few
| amendments to propose and he deemed them
| practicable: First, that no license shall be is
sued under this bill until an election shall be
held at which the question of " License" or
| mo License" shall be submitted, to be voted
| on by the residents of the district over
81 years of age. If this resulted in favor OF
license then he proposed to amend, SO that
| the names OF all applicants for liquor
license and of those who sign it, should be
| published in the two daily papers having tho
| largest circulation for five days, and that no
license should be issued until ten days there
| after.
Again, that no transfers whatever shall be
recognized. True he was in favor of prohibit
ton, for license law did no good. 1t was
not intended to do any good, but to give a
license to enter your house and ruin your
boys If, however, we cannot have prohibit
| tion now, he believed in making it as diff
cult as possible for liquor dealers to get Ii
cense.
An editorial from one of the daily papers
taking issue with the commissioners as to
their position ON this subject was read by one
of the ladies, and Mrs. Roach announced 8
meeting for next Sunday at which time the
committee appointed to confer with congress
would make report.