The evening world., 1891-11-27
Licenses Regularly Granted in
Opposition to Earnest Protests.
The Vote Upon Them Has Always
the Same Result.
Koch and Fitzpatrick Answer Aye
and Meakim Records Nay.


The Excise Board has granted license for
q liauor saloon on the northwest corner NJ
Sixth avenue and Eleyentb street to Dan,el
Z. Rose. The license had been refused three
tines oefore. A protest had been entered nv
the congregation ~ tho F,eventb street Irni.
yersalist Church and nv pronertv-owners
President Meakim voted against the license.
This ia onIy one NJ several hundred IN.
stances of thc samc kind which I'm va occurred
within the INST fey months. and which have
begun 10 arouse pub,ic susnic,on that some
of the doings Of the BOARD OF Excise will not
bear q close inspection.
1t is a fact that since Commissioner Meakim
sntered the Excise BOARD two years and n hair
ago he has been opposed and oycrrued nv his
colleagues in more than two hundred cases
IN which there has been ground for w,tbbo,d-
ing license or rejecting an anpItcotion for n
renewal, and that.in all these cases the soloon-
keepers have come out victorious. in spite OF
the determined oppositiop OF the President of
the Board.
In many Of the cases where charges were
brought BY President Meakim against the
holders of licenses ana an investigation or
dismissed by the same vote OF two to one. the
President in nearly every insta ance casting
his vote in favor Of a revocation OF the license
when there was the slightest ground for sun
stantiating the charges against the del,n-
quent.
The fact is, that while the relations
OF the members of the Ioard arc
perfectly friendly and are harmonious
to all outward appearances. there is
tacit understanding that President Mea.
kims views and wishes Shall bc d.srecarded
entirely where any political interests are in
volved or where other influence equally now
erfll ia brought to hear upon the 1,omn,is-
sioners BY the friends Of the ,,ouor oeo,ers
HOW MEAKIM ACCOUNTS FOR TT.
President Meakim's own words NAV he
quoted in support OF this statement. :. No
one ever approaches me in recard IN n
license" he SAYS, " when there ia AWNING
crooked about IL or the annl,cant des,res soma
special favor of the Board
"They all know nv v,ews unor tho sr,
1ect too well for that. They know that win
never consent to the granting OF A new license
to place that is next door to some other
liquor store or within 900 feet OF an existing
saloon. 49,.
AsThey also know tnat' am opposed to r1ys
ing o license to any saloon that is TO be
located in the neighborhood OF church or a
school-house and ever since have been in
the Board have voted against such license
every time that an application has been made
"The reason is simply this: While am
Oh the most friendly terms with my associates
In the Board, am bound by no political ties,
and can exercise complete independence in
the discharge OF my duties
"If an application for q renewal or for
new license comes before the Board and it is
all right, and there is no crooked business
about It, am always willing to approve II.
There is no need OF applicants in such coses
to approach members OF the Board privately
and to bring influence to bear, political or
social, to attain their ends.
"They know that the application will 90
through all right. ] do not wish to discuss
the considerations which may or may not in
nuence my colleagues in opposing me as fire.
quently as they have done. That they hold
different views from mine in many cases is
evident, but will not say that they are ac-
tuated by any motives that are not sincere