Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-04-04
WORKING ON THE TEMPER
ANCE BILL.
Considerable Discussion-The Repubh-
cans Not Ready to Consider the
Blil-Postponed Until Next
Wednesday.

several ministers.
Mr.. Downham moved that amend
ments to the hill be read. 1t was at once
evident that the Republican members
were not all ready to consider the bill.
DR.. Richardson arose and said, at is
not my Intention to 10 anyway to hamper
the bill, but consider this the most i'm
portant bill of the session and should be
thoroughly considered in all part culars
and therefore move that further con-
sideration Of the bill he postponed for one
week."
Mr.. Downbam: "This bill has been
standing here for some time, and there
are great many bills now before the
Legislature. The committee have tried
to perfect the bill. Every gentleman
should know what the bill Is by this time.
1t Is impossible to perfect 1t 20 suit every
body. What the gentleman proposes to
accomplish by the delay don't know,
You postpone this bill for one week, and
by that time there lie great press ure for
other bills, You have got to face the
music, and you might just as well do 1t
now as any other time"
DR.. Richardson's: 81 ana just as willing
to face the music SIS the gentleman is
himself. l do not make the motion be-
cause am afraid to vote. au tenn
perance man and willing to vote for this
bill II can get no better"
Mr.. Clark also opposed postponement.
Mr.. Whiteman said: 81 prefer to pur-
sue the popular course and have the bill
| recnmnit;ed, The best bill ..a.,ouid be
drawn for this great evil, as it is In some
cases. am opposed to the l. cal optien
feature of this BILL"
Mr.. Wallace was In favor Of discussing
the amendments, have the bills printed
and then allow one week for study. The
motion to postpone was lost.
The first amendment was then put and
adopted. This strikes out the word
which makes person indirectly In.
terested not 10 receive license.
When the second amendment was read
a discussion ensued as to the best method
of produce, and 1t was decided to read
the amendments and then vote on them
afterwards. At the conclusion Mr.. Eckles
moved to adjourn. The motion was lost,
and after some discussion Mr.. Hynson
made similar motion, which was also
lost. Mr.. Clark moved to adjourn until
2 O'Clock. An amendment making 3
O'Clock the hour, offered by General
Armstrong, was adopted.
Upon the re-assemblng OF the House
at o'clock the Committee on Corpora
Il n was out and the bill was not again
taken up until $50 p. IN.
The motion to adopt the second amend
ment was about to be put, when Mr..
Clark opposed its adoption. ..
This amendment removes that part of
section 4 that required two freeholders to
enter into bond for the obeying of the
law by the applicant and provided that
no person shall be granted license who
has at any time violated the license laws
of this State. In respect to this Mr..
Clark said he did not see any reason why
any person who desired to sell liunor
should object to giving a bond. lie
thought the amendment injured the good
intent Of the bill.
Mr.. Downham said lie agreed With the
q ntleman who had preceded him. 1t
was about the only amendment that he
had objected to. He had understood
within the last twenty-four hours that
| four men controlled in the city of Will
mlngton about fifty places. They would
get some man to sell liquor for them and
In many cases this man was totally IRE
sponsible. He thought, however, that
the amount was too high, and he would
suggest $500. As to the last clause, as
to person not being given a license who
had never violated a law, he believed
that that should be stricken out.
Mr.. Gray said he s.ill approved of the
amendments that had been made to the
bill, and this particularly. As member
from Wilmington, he knew that the sec
tion would be very obnoxious to the
people. He instanced the case of person
coming to him and one who had been a
friend, and asking him to bond for him.
He could not refuse that person, and
would probably go on his bond Another
haVinn the nla
come and think he ought to bond for him
because he bonded for the first person,
and lie would be compelled TO do II, and
so on until probably dozen bonds would
bear his name. He did not mind one,
but he did object to carrying a dozen. |
He believed that the liquor traffic was
conducted in Wilmington as good as it |
ever was.
Mr.. Lodge said II the persons back of
this bill were trying to paes prohibitory
measure, why not retain this section and |
all the Others that follow it2 Let them |
put about this law all their so-called safe |
guards. 1t looks as If they are dealing |
with lot of men who are almost con-
victs. These restrictions are unreasona-
BILE and unjust,
Mr.. Downham then offered substitute |
for the amendment, requiring that all ap- |
plicants should give bond In the sum OF |
$500 Tor their obeying the law, and strik-
ing out the provision prohibiting any per-
son applying for license who had previ-
ously violated the law. The substitute
was adopted. The fourth amendment,
oUly requiring one half of the signers to
an application to be freeholders was
adopted without comment. The fifth
amendment amended section 8 60 as to
enable the $500 bond to be put In execu.
tiou. Mr. Clark vigorously fought the
amendment striking out the word female
IN section IL. This section prohibits any
female or minor from obtaining q licerse
or selling liquor In place that has a
license. Mr.. Clark was successful and
the word remained. The other amend
ments were adopted without comment.
the principal changes made by them be-
ing the striking out OF sections IA and IL,
The first section struck out gave the
right to any three citizens to compel a
licensed dealer to appear before the
Judge of the county to show cause why |
such dealers license should not be for
teited, and the eighteenth section pro-
hibited the licensing OF any place where
liquor was to be sold to within 800 feet OF
any church or school.
When the amendments had been read
the clock registered 4.30 p. m. 1t was
then too late to bring the bill up for con-
aud Mr.. Downham pleaded
that 1t be considered at the earliest posi-
BILE date.
Mr.. Whitemsn moved to recommIt 1t
10 the committee.
Mr.. Dowuham protested against this,