Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-16

JUDGE WHITES MANLY STAND.
~ cannot but think that Judge Whites let
ter is a clear, explicit and manly document 1t
is wise man who is able to gracefully recog-
nize that he may have been mistaken in the
construction OF the law. believe that if Judge
White had been cognizant Of the opinion held
by the Supreme Court his Notion would have
been materially different in the matter of re-
tail licenses He shows that most admirable
quality in a Judge, Willingness to conform to
the action of his superiSrs, by the effort he is
making to repair what might have been judged
an erroneous Interpretation of the law.
Judge White Construed the wholesale
and retail cases upon the same basis. a very
natural mistake when the caption of the Brooks
law is an act to regulate and restrain As in
dicated in Judge Whites letter to his judicial
associates, the evils of intemperance intended
to be avoided by the Brooks law have been
largely nullifeh by the construction placed
upon the Wholesale act Judge White rightly
thinks that of the two evils comprehended the
sale of liquors in small quantities can best be
accomplished through the medium of the retail
act. This VIII, 1 think. be generally considered
and growing amount OF transient trade. and no
obstacle should be imposed in the matter of
proper and adequate accommodation for all
classes Of travellers"
sINGLING OUT LICENSEES.
considering the fact that nearly 800 appli-
carts were refused license, what method will
b4pursued in order to equitably distribute $50
licenses if the Court sees fit to grant such a
percentage of applications ~ queried the
porter.
2 80 far as l know no method will be
adopted" said Mr.. Cohen. II presume that in
accordance with Judge Parsons implied ad-
vice in his opinion, those applicants who meet
with all the requirements of the law and who
operate hotels or restaurants will be given
preference"
"Will anyone who was not an applicant at
the May License Court term stand show Of
securing q license r' was asked.
'Certainly not, !" said Mr.. Cohen. Bona fde
applicants, and none Others will be considered
All the necessary or expedient legal steps have
movement will be seen SO soon as the Court
considers the matter deliberately"
NOT A LAWYERS JOB.
One of the most prominent attorneys of the
Pittsburg bar disclaims in strong terms the I'M
putation that the license rehearing agitation
was inspired by attorneys. The association of
refused applicants started the whole move
ment. No single attorney was paid fee as an
individual by an individual, and the men whose
names are attached to the petition are taking
all the chances of being left on the rehear-
ing of their cases.
Another point is that the saloon keepers who
now have license,are without a single excep-
tion in favor of the increase in number of
licenses All agree that there is far too much
business to be properly handled and the new
places If any are licensed, are heartily welcome
TO a share in the business now too great to be
properly attended to.
The same authority states that he is reliably
informed that Chief j. o. Brown, of the De-
partment of Public Safety. is heartily in favor
of and comedies in every particular with the
revised views of Judge White. as expressed in
his letter to Judges Ewing and Magee. The
reasons said tn be advanced by Chief Brown
are the dangerous growth of speak-easies and
the pernicious effect of small jug shops upon
the public, both of which evils will assuredly
be minimlzed by the more equal and general
distribution of the regularly licensed retail
places.
ID THE MoOTED PETITION IN FULL.
The following is an exact copy of the formal
petition presented to court yesterday and
signed by 104 Of the best retail liquor dealers
who were refused license by Judge White:
To the Honorable Judges Of the License Court of
Allegheny County. Pennsylvania:
The petition OF the undersigned respectfully
represents: That they were applicants for retail
liquor license at March sessions. 1889, of said
court, and their said applications were refused.
That the houses respectively for which your petit
tioners applied for license not located in the
immediate ed t, vicinity Of any licensed houses and
licensed by your Honorable Court a sufficient
number OF houses to meet the necessities Of the
That with very few exceptions your petitioners
were granted licenses at March sessions, 1888. by
your Honorable Court, after q thorough inYestiga-
ton OF the character. accomm odatiOns and neces-
sty as required under the act of May l3 1857: and
that at the last session OF the said court, said
ditions remained unchanged. excepting that Of
necessity, which, If hanything. was Increased.
license at said sessions 1883, have since in all re-
spects complied with the requirements of the law.
able Court at said March sessions IsSs. was such
that at no time in the history of the retail liquor
Quoted in a manner more satisfactory to the pub
lie ana more conducive to the peace and good
three instances did your Honorable Court find it
necessary to revoke any license then granted.
of selling liquor on Sunday BY licensed dealers
had entirely ceased. In support of which aega-
Of the court that not single complaint or con-
yiction was made or had on said charge against
Court.
HOW THEY WOULD SUFFER.
That most of your petitioners have been engaged
in said business for many years. and have invested
their savings and their earnings in the real
wherein they have carried on said business; and
have made valuable Improvements thereon,
especially adapted to the business by
them conducted, and none other. And many
of your petitioners, in view of their having
received license for many years, and having the
same continued by your Honorable Court as afore-
said. and, being encouraged to believe @ that said
ance with the law, have made still more valuable
improvements upon said real estate, and have
laid in large stocks of liquors, upon all of which
immense loss has been sustained, and by reason
of their long-continued and exclusive engage
ment in said business, and their consequent unfa-
miliarty with other lines of business the accu-
mutations and earnings of q lifetime will be swept
away unless the relief herein prayed for Is az
forded.
That in at least IA large and populous wards Of
the city OF Pttsburg and four wards in the city OF
Allegheny equally as large and populous. and in
many other thickly settled districts in the county,
containing almost 1u0 700 Inhabitants, and en-
bracing important and largely Travelled thorough
far al I'm fuft tn
and the general public has been denied, and that
In many other populous districts In the county the
number Of licenses granted is wholly insufficient
to meet the demands Of the citizens thereof, and
that In this connection your petitioners aver that
they applied for license in said districts and had
the ne ecessary accommodations for the public, as
well as the required qualifications as is evidenced
by the petitions herewith appended largely signed
by the citizens Of the respective districts.
ONE IMMEDIATE RESULT.