Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-08
THE ONE-MILE LIMIT.
A Protest Az sinst the Proposed Amendment
Limiting 1t to Florida Avenue.

EARNEST MEETING AT FOUNDRY CHURCH OF THE
| NoS-PARrIsAN W, c. T. C.--ELoQUENr REMARKS
BY MRS. FOSTER. GEN. WILCOX AND CONGRESS
MEN MORSE AND J. d. TAYLOR.
| Notwithstanding the Indictment weather there
| was a good attendance at the meeting of ,the
Son-Partissu W. c. T.U. in Foundry Church
yesterday afternoon The meeting was called
| for the purpose of taking some action against
the passage of the proposed law to change the
oue-miIe limit regarding the sale Of liquor in
the vicinity o. the Soldiers Home. The law as
it now stands makes the prohibition area ex-
| tend into the city az far Rhode Island ave-
nue., and the proposed bill excerpts all territory
/ south of Florida avenue
Mrs j. Ellen Foster Of Iowa presided and
Mr.. ]. c, Lynch, ono of the Fort Myer cavalry
men, presided at the organ.
/ MRS. FOSTERS OPENING ADDRESS
! In opening the meeting MIRA Foster said she
was sorry the weather had kept SO many per-
sons away. but she was sure that the meeting
would be a profitable one and that good re-
| suits would follow. She said she desired to call
| attention to the proposed amendment to the
| law which was enacted year ago and which
| accomplished good results. She hoped that
| some action would be taken calling upon the
Il
| amendment as the original act was n good one
and the amendment was wrong. BY passing the
amendment she said, it would take the very
meat out OF the law. The people just north OF
Florida avenue are not 80 anxious about it az
! the numerous saloon keepers who did business
along Ith street inside the city limits
Mrs. Foster said she had petition Of one OF
the citizens telling of the great good that has
airehhy been accomplished through the opera
lions OF the ore-mile limit law and also telling
CT the nnfiisr pf r,lareS hat have laen cloee0
REV DR.. RASKIN's LETTER
She also had letter from DIR. Rankin, presi-
| dent of Howard University in which he said:
Il should be glad TO be with you in your meet
\ ing. but we have a university service at 5
| o'clock which am anxious always to attend il
L don't preach. The spiritual welfare of the
students here Is always upon my heart. Ii
were there | should first feel like expressing
| my gratitude to Congress for the social and
moral improvement of this part OF the city
| during the past year. The departure of the
| pool rooms and liquor saloons; tho substitution
| of good grocery and provision stores for the
liquor saloons has given a new aspect to all this
nei6hborhOod- For this We owe large debt OF
gratitude to our Commissioners, who seem to
| be IL sympathy with the best interests OF the
| citizens and are seeking to promote them.
Il had been told that effort was to be
made to repeal the legislation forbidding
liquor saloons within a mile of the Soldiers
protest, and also to restore the exiled pool
| rooms TO some point on Brightwood avenue,
! not within one mile of the boundary. l do not
! believe that Congress or the Commissioners or
| the President will give their approval to this
| backward movement am sure they will not if
| they realize what they are doing. / wish to
| join with you at your meeting to plead in be-
| half of 500 students of Howard University
| in part supported by the generosity of
| the government, whom we are trying to edu-
to To a nd ~ he
| half OF the thousands of Christian citizens in
this vicinity who are entitled to protection
against all centers I'M urious to their property
| and the morals of their children. that the
present legislation touching liquor saloons and
pool rooms be undisturbed."
GEN. wILcox's TESTIMONY ON THE PRESENT LAW.
Gen. o. T. Wilcox, governor of Soldiers
Home, was introduced after solo by Miss
Hansmann, and he told in forcible way what
the mile-limit law had done for the inmates of
the home as well for the residents OF that
part OF the District. He said he had come to
the meeting to unite with the W. Z. T. Z. and
with all good citizens In a protest against
change in the law that has effected SO much
good. Reading from a report of the Commits
siOners he showed that, owing to enactment Of
this law, there had been in one year q decrease
OF fOrty-three bar rooms and thirty-one whole
sale places and fifteen persons were in posses
sion Of their licenses at the time the bill was
HdsStu Inc pTOpOSitlOu now 10 W dDOil5u
law so far as 1t applies to the city, and that he
said, he certainly was opposed 10 doing
Speaking of how the law affected the soldiers
he said the soldiers were peculiarly situated.
The country owes them great deal 1t was
these soldiers who saved the country and thew
endured hardships and privations. and as well
| as suffering themselves many of them caused
suffering to their families. "And now" he
said, they come here guests of the nation,
and is it not right that they should be sur
rounded by some protect on!
HOW THE MOVEMENT ORIGINATED
The movement, he continued, first originated
with the ladies, about whom too much cannot
be said Not only have they done this, bat
they have visited the home. no matter whether
rain or shine. until they succeeded in organiz-
ing temperance society, which is now flourish
ing. When the question was first discussed
three-mile limit was suggested. But" said
the general, Il suggested one mile. unless it
was intended to cover the whole District, and
that suggestion was adopted Before this was
passed 1t was a sight to behold to pass through
the 7th street road. Not only were the old SOL
diers, but young and old women, as well as
teaTsters and others, were to be seen under
the influence OF liquor and the sight was heart
siekening. but now it is entirely different
The general then spoke of the number of old
soldiers who have their families living near the
home and to whom the pension money of the
father or husband is turned over. This. to-
gether with little money earned in other ways.
| enables the soldiers to provide comfortable
homes for their families.
lis it fair that these old soldiers should be so
tempted BY the presence of saloons!' he asked
No, was his answer. and if the saloons are
not there ii IS so much better for the family"
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LIQUOR DEALER
Continuing, he said it was the liquor dealer
who got the benefit of all those little contracts
and it is the dealer who should be held respon-
sible for the great amount Of misery resulting
therefrom. These gentlemen, he said. grow
rich and the law does not hold them responsible
/, for the crime committed. '.Is it supposed that
the presence of liquor saloons will cause
Howard University to thrivel' he asked
.'will il increase the number Of pubic schools?
Will it make Soldiers Home get along any
better? Everybody will answer no. aud then
why are these places desirable?''
The speaker then referred to the variety of
law affecting the different sections of the Dis
trlct and said that it was difficult to &c. two de-
| clsiOns alike. He cited an instance the de-
eision Of the late Judge Smell IN holding that
inmates of the Soldiers Home were not sol
dlers under the Law, He thought the time
would come when it would be well said that
I the liquor dealer who deals out poison to put
I into the mouths of others will be responsible
| as an accessory to the crime committed by the
man because of being under the influence of
| the liquor. He referred to a recent homicide
/ in which the individual charged, he said, was
| iafamed with liquor. and while he did not say
Z - II