Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-01

| license, that Is. higher license, and
| the present system Meanwhile the Commits
! sioners succeeded in the liquor license cases
| of Manion and Brosnan. and the courts dis
| closed the full scope of the Commissioners
| great powers in the exercise OF their discretion
| IN granting or refusing liquor licenses. More
| stringent liquor regulations resulted from these
| decisions. The Commissioners also attempted
| to compel the closing Of unlicensed bars and to
| prevent Illegal selling on Sunday. and asked
! Congress TO assist them by additional legisla-
| ton. severe struggle took place over the
| applications for liquor licenses for next wear.
| The Commissioners withdrew somewhat from
| the positive stand which they at first assumed,
| but there were. Notwithstanding. u sufficient
number Of reflections to make distinct issue
| between the Commissioners and liquor dealers
! The liquor question is one of the most trouble
some of the legacies which 1888 leaves to 1899.
| The booksellers have BEEN by act OF Con-
gress, driven from Washington and George
town to the county. just beyond Boundary
street. Some OF the customers of the pool
| rooms made matters interesting for the pool
sellers by tapping the wires which conveyed
| information concerning the races and by bet
ting in accordance with the stolen knowledge.
Judge Smell decided that the use of the gift
system by grocers, &C., to draw custom, violates
| the lottery laws of the District.
| The courts decided that the Edmunds law
against polygamy in Utah is not available to
punish fornication in Washington.
Frequent grave robberes in the District re-
suited in a bill for the promotion of anatomical
| science. the discussion of which INSTRUCTED
District legislation in the House.
| The record Of crime was much as usual
Two notable cases OF the year were those in
which reckless drivers were convicted of man
slaughter--James johnson for running over
| Mrs. O'Neill. and Chase for killing Prof. Paul
The latter case was an extremely aggravated
one and much adverse comment was elected
by the light sentence which was imposed The
| number Of reckless drivers in Washington is
! 80 great, and the smooth concrete pavements
render this class of criminals so dangerous
that additional and decided action will be
necessary in 1889 for the full protection of that
portion Of the public which walks.
The acquittal of Chinese opium joint pro-
prietor, against whom clear case of selling the
pernicious drug to many victims was made, on
the ground that no District law constitutes
such sale an offense in anybody except O
druggist. gave additional emphasis TO the Dis
trict's demand of modern code of laws in
place of ito antiquated patchwork
An interesting discussion was had among the
colored people Of the District concerning the
apparent increase Of crime among them as
shown by statistics, and concerning the excess
sive proportion of criminals furnished by them
as compared with the whites The colored
people Of the District have steadily maintained
their ratio of about one-third of the entire pop
ulation. While this number includes some of
the best specimens of the colored race and
while greater advances have been made no.
where else than in that element at the capital
; which boasts numerous and well-attended