Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-03-21

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the city Of Wilmington" Is the title OF an
other Dill OF Mr.. Gray's, leveled at the sup.
preston Of those swindiers who swoop
down annually upon Delaware with $780,
IVY worth Of superior ready. made clothing
sHRntiy damaged by smoke or water which
must be sacrificed within so many days, re.
CARELESS OF Gust, &c.
senator Donahoe brough. down the coun-
olImantc torn extension bill. Its main
features contemplate the reduction OF
membership TO one member from each
ward; the extension OF Mayor Harrington's
term to 1892, and the election OF his sue
cessors for terms OF two years; the election
by the people OF the city solicitor, city as
sesSora and collectors az the same time and
| Tor the same term as members of Ooun.
ell and the continuance In Office OF the
present assessors and collectors until June
io9u, and the restciotion OF the pay OF
counellmen to $40 psr month, Without
| aHsctlng the extra compensation OF the
president OF Council and the chairman OF
the finance and public building committees,
as such, or OF the president OF Council and
the chairman OF the finance committee as
members OF the board OF assessment, re-
vision and appeals.
THE TEMPERANCE DISCUSSION.
Though announced for 7.9O It was fully
! NSioSA bOitAu tuO DuulC ubtIlUR
to consider the Law and Order So.
ciety High License and Local Option
bill was opened In representatives Hail
| tonight, with Mr.. Garrett l.. Hynson In
the chair. Among those present, be-
side members Of the General Assembly,
! were Judge Houston, George W. Bush,
Alfred dawthrop, George @. Lobdsll, q.
W; CLARK, Henry Q. Conrad; Eco 9. ".
Rowland. o. y. Rowland, W. 8. Prickett,
Esq, y. N. Trump, Thomas McOorkle. l..
a. Bower, L. O. Yan Klesck, the Rev. W. $.
swartz, g. NJ. d. oaun, George Todd, u NJ.
Cooper, Jefferson Oooper, A. j. Fllton,
Ed ]. O. Case, u. g. Knowles. ]. Wesley
Webb, Attorney. general Bigss, Secretary OF
State J. 7. salisbury, Calvin B 5wsyne.
the R9y. 7. Il. Terry, Or. Curtis o Swinney,
John u. Salisbury, Cody ADfenger, Henry
O. Cannon, e. T. Cooper, 10, Register
O: h. McWhorter and the Rsv. ]. A. B.
| Wilson, ID. d.
W. s. Pnckett. Esq. made the opening
speech, explaining The provisions of the
high license end Of the bill.
numerously signed petition for the pas
sage Of the bill was presented ard the an.
nouncement made that more petitions are
coming.
Mr., George G. Lobdell next spoke briefly.
BE considered that there never had been
time when the demoralizlng effects OF
liquor drinking were 80 badly felt In Will
mington, and, consequently, there never
had been time when such legislation as Is
contemplated in this bill was 80 badly
needed.
Mr.. George Todd, OF the Diamond State
Iron Company, doubted II any great sue
cess could be hoped to flow from the
licenslns,ot any evil. He wanted the priv
ilege OF voting on the question of prohibi-
ton. He had great faith in the educating
Influences OF local option.
Mr.. Alfred Gawtbrop held that the bad
Effects OF the saloon Influence have become
80 great that We cannot longer put of the
consideration of temperance legislation. II
is difficult to find two men who agree ex.
aetlY as to the most desirable measure of
legislation. But the Law and Order So
oiety had endeavored to present an accept
able measure; one that he earnestly desired
should receive careful consideration. There
are about $50 saloons In Wilmington; they
are growing more rapidly than the
churches and schools, and what Is the
eifset2 They are drawing young men away
from the churches. There are 10 saloons
within one square of the dawthrop Il
Brothers establishment. Dozens OF those
who have been apprentices In their employ
have been tempted into drunkards' graves.
The license laws are not enforced because
the saloon influence is growing. Personally
the speaker preferred local option, but he
Wouiu Wblcouu huy ieBlsihtion tnht Wouiu
tend TO diminish the number OF saloons.
The Rev. W. T. Swartz, pastor OF the
| Central Presbyterian Church OF Whining
ton, announced himself Internationally
prohibitionist in sentiment. he would like
to see the saloons entirely abolished. In
the meantime, until the people are edu-
Gated up to the prohibition point, he would
gladly accept the best that could be got In
the way Of temperance Legislation. But by
MI ftaGa 90 lrTadT hos h.
the granting OF them In the hands ot the
judges OF our courts, who are elevated by
their character and position above the
temptations and Influences that would as
sail an excise commission. That high
license has been productive OF good In
Pennsylvania has been due to tho reten-
ton of the licensing power In the courts,
and not to the size OF the license fee.
The Rev. r. NJ. Cooper had not the least
hope OF success, or OF remedial effect from
high license. BE claimed that statistics
show that high license has been failure IN
almost every district In which 1t has been
tried. He found, however, some commend
able features In the high license end OF the
bill. Among these the autl-f0reign provi'
sion; the retention of the licensing power
In the courts, and the provision that one
half Of the signers OF applications shall be
freeholders. This latter provision would
be tantamount to prohibition In many Del
aware towns. But the speaker wanted pro-
hibltlon.
Mr.. Cooper,s structures on high license
brought Mr.. Lobdell again to his feet In
energetic protest. ''Local option NAV
do for Ksnt and Sussex said s,.
izen OF Wilmington, 1 say give us
high license" [Applause.l He held that
statistics do show, Notwithstanding Mr..
Cooper's claim, that high license has been
beneficial in practice; while be knew from
his own observation that prohibition ia a
bad failure In Portland, NE. "It We had
local option In Nsw CASTLE county we
couldn't enforce It."
The Rev. ]. A. d. Wilson, D. D., was then
called on, and turned himseli loose for all
he was worth. The liquor business Ia an
evil that can never be licensed without Gin.
But II we cannot control the evil, then let us
curtail 1t as much as possible. He warmed
up In foe etyle In advocacy Of prohibition
and the right OF the people TO say by their
votes whether they will have liquor sold In
their midst or not. He pitched red hot shot
into the drug store grog shops of Sussex.
He regarded the straightforward saloon
keeper as q white mnu when compared
with such druggists. He quoted statistics
to show that high license increased rather
than diminished the number Of saloons and
the amount of liquor sold.
Representative DoWnnhm sa'u ttiht MS
understood this meeting open to both sides,
aud II there were any opponents to the bill |
present be wonld like to hear from them.
Calls of "AnfenRer" brought that gentle
man to his feet and he spoke well. He had |
knocked around the world good deal and |
had never seen a place where as much
wretchedness had been caused by certain |
olhss OF low places as In Wilmington. What
Ia the remedyP Neither high license nor |
local option; nut the euforc'msnt OF the
law. He had been in prohibition Kansas,
where every second or third house was
saloon. One OF the speakers (Mr. Cav.
throp) had asked where the young men are
on Sundays. He wonld tell him. They
are not IN the saloons; they are In private
club rooms. There are ovsr 500 OF
these private clubs In Wilmington.