Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-12
TO ROOT OUT THE EVIL.
An Appeal to the Commissioners Abou
the 7th-street Gin Mills.

An Appeal to the commissioners ABOUT
the 7th-street Gin Mills.
MORAL SEWERS AND SINKS OF ISIeuIry SAID TO
EXIST FROM THE BOUNDARY TO ROCK CREEK
cHURcH-oLD SOLDIERS AND FARMERS pEMoR-
ALzED-THE VALUE or PROPERTY DEPRECATED.
The District Commissioners have received
the following vigorous letter:
august 10, 1889.
"For q number Of years past, either through
defects in the law or the administration of it,
18th street from the Boundary to the Rock Greek
church road, distance Of less than a mile, has
been planted with the worst kind Of gin mills
this side Of London, and has not only been rem
dered unattractive for decent residences, but
actually dangerous to pedestrians as well as for
pleasure driving; in other words this thorough
fare, leading into most beautiful
country and costing many times more
than any other suburban drive in this
District, has been converted into q moral
sewer by the establishment and continuance of
these death-dealing dens. / counted twenty
seven in operation Q few days since, and pre-
sumo might safely include many other places
where signs were not exposed, but which
looked as if the passer-by might obtain fluids
which inebriate as well as cheer if the demand
could not be supplied at the regularly licensed
establishments.
THESE SINKS OF INIoUITY
have demoralized hundreds Of old soldiers re-
siding in the Soldiers Home, who otherwise
might have had quiet and pleasant sojourn at
this delightful retreat, and have injured these
servants Of their country to q far greater ex-
tent than any damage they have received in
actual service. They have also rendered the
management OF the Home much more difficult
task than 1t would otherwise have been, and
have compelled those of its inmates who were
decent and concerned 70 the rules of the estab-
hshment to associate with as hard lot of bum
mers as could have been collected from the
four quarters of the globe. The officers in
command have from time to time entered their
protests against this wholesale debauchery,
with apparently as little effect as would have
peen obtained by firing paper wads at an enemy
In time OF battle. School girls and ladies pass
ing along this thoroughfare have been repeat
eddy insulted by drunken brutes.
THE EFFECT ON THE FARMERS.
Montgomery county, which has voted to
exclude liquor selling from its borders, has
been compelled to receive back its drivers who
were sent to the city with the farm products in
a drunken and dangerous condition. In fact
many OF It's farmers are afraid to trust their
drivers TO come to the city because they cannot
Withstand temptation, and 30 take charge of
their own wagons, and it is not an uncommon
sight to See four-horse team making its own
way over this avenue with the driver drunk in
the bottom OF the wagon and his safe arrival
home depending entirely upon the good sense
and inclination of the horses. The value of
real estate along this line has been deprecated
from SO to so per cen. by reason of the exist
ence of these saloons
'The attention of the authorities has been
called many times by other people as well as
myself to this state Of facts, but no action has
been taken to remove the evil. now desire to
a afr,1
but your active cooperation in abating this
nuisance, which is a menace alike to the moral
and material interests not only Of this COM
munity but of the state of Maryland. am not
simply volclng my own sentiments but am act
ing as the mouthpiece of hundreds of others.
THE COMMISSIONERS POWERS.
81 find in the Instructions to applicants for
license to sell intoxicating liquors issued by
your predecessors that under the revised stat
utes restaurants, saloons and other places for
the sale OF spirituous liquors and intoxicating
drinks cannot be kept in the District without a
license approved by the District Commission
ers, and that the Supreme Court of the District
OF Columbia has decided that they have the
authority to issue or refuse such license in
their discretion, and that they may dete. mime
by regulation in advance in what cases and in
what manner they will exercise such discretion
and that such regulations when adopted shall
have the full force and effect of law. Also an
referred %.
which states that licenses will not be granted
to persons charged upon the report of the su-
perintendent OF police with selling or giving
liquor during the preceding year to any old
soldier or volunteer, to minor or any con-
irmed drunkard or to an intoxicated person,
to any person keeping place where
idle, noisy, dis0rderly or suspicious characters
congregate; that licenses shall not be
granted where 1t shall appear to the Commits
sioners that the place applied for is in a neigh
borhood occupied largely by private residences
or where there are, in the opinion of the Com
missioners, more such places than the accom-
mediation of the public warrants, and the Com
mlssioners reserve the right to limit the num-
Der OF saloons in any locality I submit that
it ID about time that
THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMISSIONERS BE
EXERCISED
in the locality referred to. don't know how
many persons have been charged in such man
ner as prescribed by the Commissioners with
selling or giving liquor during the preceding
license year to soldiers volunteers, minors, con-
firmed drunkards or to intoxicated persons, but I
have seen large number of such persons
between the different saloons men
toned in such q physical condition as to deter
mine in my own mind the fact that they had
not only patronized one but many saloons.
have also seen many drunken soldiers coming
out of these establishments and have seen in
q number Of them idle, noisy, disorderly and
suspicious characters
AN INVESTIGATION ASKED FOR.
"There Ii an appropriation made by act of
Congress for the detection and punishment of
crime, and our police force is, of course, al
ways ready and willing to aid in the proper
execution of the law. therefore desire to
suggest that you make q personal investigation
of the locality complained OF and feel quite
sure that you will see have not made a single
extrsvagant statement; and if there is no law
existing by which these places can be wiped
out that you include in your annual report to
Congress sucl vigorous recommendation as
will lead to the enactment of statute which
will favor the moral sentiment of the commu-
nifty rather than antagonize it It il certainly
not incumbent upon the citizens in such trans
parent cases ~ these Ia make specific charges
against any one saloon. You have the ways
and means of ascertaining the actual facts as TO
the violation or non-violation of law. No mat
ter how cautious parties interested may here
after be to refrain from overt acts which would
make them subject to prosecution or result in
the revoking Of their licenses, a large majority
of the residents of the sections directly affected
by the continuance of these saloons feel that
the protection Of their interests demands such
action on their part as will remove the contin- |
ual obstruction to the growth and develop |
Of good character as well as property. They
have, accordingly, selected Messrs. J. j. OAR |
hngton and Jno. B. Larner to represent their
interests, and have requested them TO leave no |
in lf,h