National Republican., 1888-01-26
BETTER NO BREAD
Than the Half Of n Loaf which Has
been Poisoned.

Beep Poisoned.
The regular meeting OF the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union yesterday was
devoted to the question of high license,
bill for the establishment OF which is now
under consideration in the Senate commit
tee. Mrs. Catlin opened the meeting with
Bible reading, and In her eneulng remarks
said che did fear the outcome OF the pend
ing struggle, as che was certain that GUd
answered the prayers Of the righteous.
The lions In the path, she said, were only
placed there TO test the faithful, and would
be removed in due time.
Mrs. La Fetra offered the following reso-
luton
Whereas, believing that the use Of alcoholic
liquors as beverage is curse to our nation
and q sin against God, and aiming to impress
upon the people the fact thatwe are not trying
70 regulate this unholy traffic, but to eliminate
| may be free from temptation to use liquor and
| free from contamination through contact with
those who prostitute their time and talents by
| fatuous expedient known as high license
builds up n stronger and more compact mo-
| nopoly and delays the annihilation OF this
| gross and terrible evil; therefore be 1t
ResOlrtd, That the Woman's Christian Tenn
| perance Union heartily. condemns the pro-
| posed bill imposing high license upon. the
| traflio in human souls known as the saloon
business, and urges upon the friends of tenn.
perance, the ministry, and the churches, and
the Cody OF oil classes, to rise in their might
and protest against the contamination OF this
| iniquity.
Mrs. Burris indorsed the resolution In
1 glowing terms, and related an interview
she had with Senator Ingalls, last session, in
| which the senator recommended that the
ladies appear before the House committee
on the District and urge the passage OF a
high license bill then pending 10 that COM
mittee. She then said that any license was
the regulation OF an evil and consequent
compromise with the devil, and she ftd not
wish TO be half right on any subje /. She
| vas sorry for those Christians who were in
favor OF high license as a u.eans to the end
| OF prohibition, for 1t certainly led In an
opposite direction aud the path teemed
| with danger to the youth Of the land as
fosteling monopoly that was merclless
Gilded sin was only sin more attractive In
appearance, aud its seductive surroundings
only made it the more dangerous.
Mrs. Mcdowell said the price OF a license
was not to be considered, but that 1t was
equally a crime to ruin young man
through high or low license.
Mrs. King did not feel justified In tempo
evil strengthened by the friends of temper.
ance, but longed for its eradication.
Mrs. Cohen had ON opinion on the subject
nor did she hesitate to air 1t. Her l1-yeir
old boy was her strongest argument fol-
prohibition, and her neighbors' boys were
supplementary ones. What did 1t matter
to her, she said, whether her son was ruined
In brothel or palace II he was ruined
Gentlemen in Congress may continue the
the traffic here through the medium and
fallacy Of high license, but she would moi
relax her prayers and efforts for prohibition
In the least.
Mrs. La Fetra was opposed to any kind
OF license. They might tell her that half Q
loaf was better than no bread, but shC
would say "Better no bread than half OF 9
poisoned loaf" She valued her SONS al
more than the price OF license, whether II
be s. or 100000, and she would nevei
view high license with favor.
Mrs. Mcdowell, Mrs. Catlin, Mrs
Weaver, Mrs. Burlew, and other ladle
favored the resolution, and II was passed
unanimously by rising vote.
Mrs. Weaver read letter to the District
commissioners in which the w. g L. L
invited those functionaries to sign its pro
hibitory petition, and the commissioners
reply thereto, and said that they were sim
ply asked because Of their official relation
to the disfranchsed people of the District
Following are the reasons given by tn,
commissioners for not signing the petition
| IN question:
In reply the commissioners beg leave IN sa
that they feel that it is their duty to exercis
| the functions conferred upon them as the gov
efnipg power of the District OF pumbia Will
reference 10 all the interests o! that Distric
It is proposed by the bill offered in the Sen
ate to prohibit the manufacture and sale G
| spirituous and intoxicating liquors in the Dis
trict of Columbia. To accomplish this tn
existing law, consisting of number ofenact
ments, both national and local, must be re
| pealed.
II is the duty of the commissioners, who ar,
| purely executive officers, TO enforce all exist
ng laws, but they do not feel that 1t would b
| proper Tor them in their official capacity Il
AXE the initiative in inaugurating Legislation
ofthis character. Very respeotfully,
.WM. TiNDAlL, Secretary.
The letter In question was commente
upon at length, aid the course Of the CON
missioners mildly condemned.
| Mrs. La Fetra called up the question O
the petitions from outside OF the District
and said that inorDirg paper bad sal
editorially that people in the states wer
guilty Of an impertinence In petitioning 70
prohibition In the District. She held that
nasmuch as the representatives OF thos
people 10 Congress ltgislate for the people
twas quite In order to petition them; Il
fact, their appeals were of more potenc
than those Of the dlsfraG ch!sed citizens c
| the District.
After announcing a "gathering OF tn
rlans"-the eminent women of the NatiOus
Union-in this city In March, the devote
prOhibitionists adjourned to brave tn
storm outside.