New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-03
THE HIGH-LICENSE BILL
FINAL, ARGUMENTS BEFORE THE ASSEM-
BLY, EXCISE COMMITTEE
SnouIpITioyIsTs WILL HAVE NOTHING TO SAY
UNTIL THE BILL REACHES THE GOVERNOR
AMENDMENTS WILL DE ADDED AND
r.vopAnrr REPORT WILL BE MADE

AMENDMENTS WILL DE ADDED AND
FAVORABLE REPORT WILL BE MADE
NEXT TU sDAY.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrpuSEl
A,r,sy Fab o., hs Crosby High License bill fer the
sptre state was considered publicly ara to-day BY the
Excise Committee OF the Assembly, he"fiAs was
given also on bill 20 such as desired 70 'he
su,,,.u H. So many perscns Interested that the
committee net the Assembly parlor which, although
q large room was crowded with spectators Inc liquor
aAaers sent large delegation to oppose the BILL among
a. mc bars being stader, Max d. stern, sec
rotary Of the State Liquor Dealers Association; Adoiph
Nelson, q member OF the SEINE associanoh'
Henry b. Scharman, brewer. OF BrooxTn;
Henry Clausep president OF the New-Ysrk state Brew
era and Maltster Association, and Joseph Rnd"lph OF
Rochestr Tho leader OF the Prshisifonfsts FREDERICK
f. Wheeler chairman Of the Prohibition State Commit
tee also present eompany with three osher rro
hibitio.is James H. and Thomas Murphy. OF
Amsterdam and the Rev. Oliver Hemstreet OF Aipaay.
ATTIrUp. or THE PRoHIBTrIoNIsTs.
Mr. Wheeler said TO TIKI TRIBUNE correspondent: u
shal not appear to-day against the oill because am
confident that 1t will be defeated in the Legislature
and I want the responsibility OF defeat 70
rest on the Republicans In case it should pass the
Legislature. we Prohbitisnists would have something
% say about bill before Governor HILL We are ~
firmly opposed to any high-icenss bill az we wers
year ago and shall oppose this one before Governor ~
II it reaches him."
uwas but natural In view OF this attitude OF the Pro-
Aibtonists that General WAGER SWANS OF Ne"-forS'
whs made umsnt for the bill. should point ou.
markedly tho alliance OF the hquor dealers anu
the Prohibitisnists against the bill There aiss
svpeared TO support the bill William CrosweH Dosne'
Protestant Episcopal Bishop Of Albany; Dorman b.
Eaton John B. Pine, Robert A. Greassn and william L.
BARLEY Of New-York; Emmsn Haincs and Frank f.
siekles Of the Buffalo Citizens Refors Association
ARGUME>rs OF THE LIQUOR MIN.
The liquor dealers asd brewers heard first In sp'
thu nil ID
very high license was equivalent to prohibition
There need 10 check the growth Oh
the business Of liquor selling Tor statistics showed that
during or fifty cent In the population OF
NewYork the number OF saloons had decreased twenty
per cent. The best people OF New-York opposed Tue
bill as was shown by that Mr.. Crosbys support
Of the bill Of last year had reduced his majority from
1000 200 The rst OF october was TOO soon 70
allow a dispose Of his business
Adolph Nelson OF the NswYork Liquor Dealers Assoc
eiation said that the passage OF such a law wodid
1espardize of support OF large nunber OF
gosd czens The only object OF the bill seemed 10 %
- Increase the income OF cities and towns at the ek-
pense poor liquor dealers The slower class OF sa-
Icons proposed to suppress were those Kept W
Door people In which poor bought liquor inc
dscri !. nation between liquor licenses was
directly calculated to make saloonkhepers crininAly
sysde the law He recommended that law lie passed
Grading licenses according to the amount Of business
done.
Henry Clsussn president OF the Brewers Association
the brewers anxious to diminish ntem-
psrancs and their business out hs WAS Of the
Opinion that the Crosby bill would have none OF these
effect 1t practically prohibition law and could
not inforced The sliding scale of licenses furnished
aweapsn with which politicians could coercc liquor
dealers blackman then for campaign contributions
He believed that the only practical solution OF the ques
ton was to adopt Law limiting the number OF salosa
keepers one to each 500 OF p'pulatsn
Would you bre support such q law limiting tue
number OF the beer aad liquor saoonsf inquired Mr.
Crosby.
ave would" answered Mr. Clausen, and the brewers
nodded their heads Mr.. Clansen continued: "Ihe
Board Of Excise has reduced the number oil saloons In
Esw-York by limiting the number of licenses granted
bylt"
H. B. scharman said: "n the preseAt laws can
only be enforced. II you can have Boards OF tx
else that cannot be seen by pstrisas ana
irfuenced thep the present law would satisfy you AS
far as my experience you cannst through high IL
osnse prevent drunkenness whisksJ is drunk al inc
clubs and hotel 1t is in the humber places thSt
beer is sold is thus obvious that NEST OF the present
saloons sell Notwithstanding drinks and that the bars
able to pay a higher license sell usually spiritueus
liquors Beer is food TO the psor In New-1ork lou
should take II away from them
VOICE FROM The COUNTRY DEALERS.
J. Rudolph. OF Rochester, said 81 seem 10 DC inc
only representative of the country liquor dealers IRIS
bill may be all right for the city, but rs a great
local option In the prohibition towns but II Is
difficult TO get beer Now. will be the result OF
ysur dem 4ndng license fee OF 500 for tho right 70
sell beer in the ceuntryl predict that country inn
keepers will regard this prohibition OF the sale Of
malt liquors country They will not take out any
license but will secretly sell whisXey' 1ha' Will oAu''
more drunkenness"
Arguments on THE OTHER SIDE.
Frank T. sickles, Of Buffalo, made tho opening
Argument in favor Of the BILL He SAID:
I'VE believe this bill will lessen drunkenness We be
Neye that it is fair and equitable believe with the
louor dealers til at sale Of malt liquors should he en-
Outraged. The bill does that thing by putting the Deer
license lower than the all-liqusr license"
General swayne said: I'VE are grateful for the can
dor Of the brswers Mr. Stern intimates that We are
divided respectfully submit that is net so The bill
is known by fruits There is no liquor dealer or ne
whs Is asking fer the repeal Of the present
Excise law here is Prohi5itionist or hqnsr dealer
who is not opposed to this bill. They should have
friendly relations for they to have the same ann
There is OF the proposed law to which would
like to call ysur nstce There is license fee IN this
hill which would necessarily close mans saloon The
LIQUOR dealers have told Of the necessity ol dis-
eliminating between the sale OF beer aha the SAFE Oh
spirits That the essential feature OF ibis DILL
i; has been said that there is progressive dSinuon
of this country and that we had better
Let well eneugh alone Well say that the decrease OF
drunkenness has besp partly caused by the taxes Levied
by The United states Government The result mas
been to accelerate the disnutiou OF intempeianes
We desire still Ia accelerate this diininution
Is it wrong society 70 to diminish liquor selling
Ever since the gature has sat here in Albany 1t has
sesctsd such things and has passed. laws
agan. them. In the state where prohibition !" ia"
the Prohibonsts constantly devsing msthoos ior
fprt..r prohibition But they have gone so far
as To make II crime ter 10 have lqusr IN MS
possession But TO be logical they should 40 So we
solicit the most candid and Thorough investigation oil
the workings Of prohibition and tue wsrkingsd hgnn
cense laws"
HIGH LICENSE TWENTY YEARS AGO.
Dorman r. Eatsu said ct would Ike to call the at
t.ntion of the comsittee 10 certain experiences OF
Nsw-York and Brooklyn in treating THIS excise