The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-10
NOT WOMEN, BUT MEN,
WHO ARE ENGAGED IN SELLING
LIQUOR WITHOUT LICENSE.
Startling Story Of Waste and Law
lessness Told by the Report
Of Police.

The Chief Of Police, like "Koko" in
The Mtdd0 "has little list as long
$50 prohibition petition, az OF equal
length with the moral law, though
these whose names go 10 make 1t up
have little to do with either. Every
now and then in the history Of the
city movements have been made look
ing toward thecollection oflicense from
a large class Of small groceries, who
cannot escape The United States In
spector, but depend for immunity
upon the wholesome fear OF their ami
mostly Il elections entertained by some
otliCeholdefs The history OF every such
movement has been the same, no one
yet having been found who would
tt ictly enforcs the law for any length
Of time. As an excuse it has been
urged that most Of the offenders were
"poor widow womeD," who must suf-
fer il obliged to pay license.
President Hadden recently began a
searching canvass OF the city, instruct
ing The police to take down and report
at headquarters the name and address
every grocery keeper who sold
liqur by the drink. They have fin
ished and have apparently done their
work well. A list was shown the AP-
PEAL man At the Station House
yesterday which contained 263 ames,
aud revealed the cold fact that only
fity.thlee are "poor widow women"
the remaining 2l0 teipg men. At
most OF the places Unitfd States
license was displayed aJd there was
whisky in Sight. In few groceries
where whisky could be seen, no licenses
of any kind could be found. In the
column ruled off for remarks such ex-
pressiors as vindicatiors" and "sus-
picious" ara written, and it is pretty
esfe to say that if the patrolman will
admit that there are Indications, he is
pretty well convinced that whisky
may be had 10y the drink. Nearly all
OF these places make their money by
selling on Sunday. The city license is
$50 year, the United States license
S27 70and thoSt eaud county urs the
figure up to 337 20 "A year for retailers,
a grJggery being liable Tor exactly the
same amount rs u regular uptown
sa Don. Eight arrests were made by
the police Yesterday, forfeit OF S26
being taken in each case. II the en-
tire 263 paid the license OF $50 per
year the Ci y would be 3l5,7S0 better
OLA sum sufficient to light the en-
tire Cily-the United States revenue
would, DO $72S5, State and county
s05,75O
This makes a g,and total Of SSS,Sl5,
which the officers of the law are c m
PEELED to collect if they carry out the
law, and none of which, except that
to the United States, is at PREF ent paid.
The county cross reads groceries
would swell the amount considerably.
These figures will doubtless be q sur
prize TO the average citizen, though it
is an open secret that liquor is sold
without license. The extent to which
it has been allowed to grow, however,
is not generally known. Probably
the best posted are those who run
regular saloons, open and above
board, and pay the full amount
OF the license demanded. The
latter have felt it for some
time in q pacuniary way, a
great deal OF custom going TO the un-
licensed groggerieg, which they would
otherwise get. They are very anxious.
therefore, TO use what influence they
have at the coming election to get o
man into the Attorney Generals oflic'
who will enforce the payment G.
licenses. Nest OF the groggeries on the
lit now in the hands OF the police
would be likely to close if the screws
were put TO them. They might con-
tiuue to live, in epite of President Had
den's determination to make them pay
the city license, but would knock
under il the Attorney General came
down with the law. They are doing
their work very quietly, but they will
be heard from on Tuesday next. They
have no doubt about the stand which
would be taken by the man whom
they have picked out, and they are
not hampered either by any feaY that
30 pur,taniCal stand will be taken
as 10 force them to close up any day in
the seven il due deCorum is observed.
The Attorney General Is State Off
cor, and II ia TO him that the public
has TO look for the collection OF the
liquor tax for the state and county.
Taking he figures given above rs a
basic, IL will be seen that the State
and county has lost f36G,000 By q
simple failure to collect 1t in the last