Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-05-26
JACKS0N'S DRAMSHOPS.
How Certain Licenses Were
Renewed.
The Dram-Shop Men and City
Fathers Pulling Together.
"The Proof of the Pudding Is
Chewing the Bag"
What jackson Prohibitionists
May Do if They VIII.
Work for the Next Grand Jury.

Jackson dram-shops and the tender
consideration shown by the city fathers
for their interests, which will prove of
interest to many of its readers.
1t was found that on April l the
Board held special meeting for the
purpose Of renewing four licenses
which had not yet expired. The occa-
sion of this called meeting and haste
was the fact that the Legislature was
about to put in force the new dram
shops chapter, which it did the next
day, and the whisky sellers wanted to
secure exemption for year from its
provisions. By this one evenings
work Of the Board in the interest of
the dram-shop keepers, the State was
knocked out of $500 and the city was
not advantaged cent.
Meantime, Judge Calhoon, the regu-
larry retained attorney of the dram
shop keepers, had busted himself
among his legislative friends at the
State House and secured the insertion
of the following section into the Act
putting into effect the new Code:
Sec. IA. Where a petition to retail
liquors has been filed and published,
or is being published, as required by
existing laws, license may be granted
thereon in the same manner and on
payment of the same sum of money as
if filed and published under and in
compliance with said chapter ON dram
shops.
This section and the Act in which it
was embraced were adopted and ap-
proved April 2nd. 1t was intended by
the alert whisky attorney to bridge
over the chasm for two of his clients
between the old license law and the
new.
The Spengler House dram shop.
whose old license did not expire until
May 18th, had filed a petition for re-
newal March Sth, and Schwartz's dram
shop on Pearl street, whose old license
does not expire until June 10Th. fled a
petition for renewal on April l, the
day before Judge Calhoon's special
section became law.
The legal publication of the
Schwartz and Spengler petitions be-
gan as soon as fled, and license was
granted by the Board in response to
the former on May 3rd, and. ON the
latter May 10th.
1t will be seen by this that the Speng-
Ter dram-shop license was granted SO
days after the petition was filed, more
than a month after the new law took
effect, and five days before the expira
ton of the old license. Schwartz's
renewal was granted 81 days after the
new law went into effect, and though
nearly month has since elapsed, he
is still doing business ON the old Ii
cense that expires June 10Th, and has
never taken out the new one.
Here we have palpable attempt of
two dram-shop keepers to circumvent
the spirit and clear intent of the new
liquor law, and this with the connivance
and assistance of the city officials.
The new law was recognized by the
Board to the extent of charging a
81 200 State license, but not otherwise.
Judge Brame, one of the city attor-
neys, was seen yesterday and stated
that the attorneys were not consulted
by the Board as to the legality of
granting the licenses on April 1st or
the last two, and that in his opinion
these licenses are of doubtful validity,
though he had not investigated the
matter. There is other high legal au-
thority for the statement that the last
two licenses can be vacated by legal
proceedings. In all these cases the
Board proceeded on their own motion,
or upon the advice of the liquor mems
attorney. And all this, notwithstand-
ing the Supreme Court has decided
that it is not obligatory upon Board
to grant license to retail, though pc
titioned to do so by every voter in town.
The twin-bars in West jackson,
operated under one license, to
which the LEADER called atten-
ton some weeks ago, are still un-
der full Roadway. Judge Brame
stated that he had been requested by
the Board to give an opinion on this
subject, but declined, because, as the
matter stands, it is purely aquestion of
fact as to whether two bars are being
operated under one license or not and
comes properly within the jurisdiction
of magistrate or the grand jury.
Since the Attorney General declared
that all petitions gotten up under the
new law must have the full Christian
names of the signers spelled out, the
Jackson Liquor Co. u. Braun) has with
drawn its petition filed May End and is
endeavoring to get up another. There
are AS registered voters in the city,
and only small majority was obtained
at first, and number of these had
their names taken off. Others are re-
fusing to sign the new; SO it is exceed
ingly doubtful whether majority can
be obtained on the new petition. 1t
is practically certain the petition can
be defeated If the Prohibitionists and
good citizens of the town viii make an