Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-21

Out Of the many bills land limitations of biIls)
that have been presented to Congress for the pur-
pose Of settling or unsettling the liquor traffic
there ought TO be evolved measure which will be
reasonably satisfactory to the public well as to
the dealers whose trade Is in theory to be regu-
lated IN the public interest Nearly 4 year ago
Senator Mcmillan introduced and secured n
favorable report upon a clean and forceful
high-hcense ball. but ID never got any further
than the Senate calendar aud the probabilities
are that It never will Ii received the endorse
ment Of the District Commissioners and was
generally approved by the many who regard
the liquor traffic even when conducted under
the strictest regulations, as a great evil
The bill represented almost the extreme limit of
municipal control of the traffic on this side Of
absolute prohibition. Naturally i: was hotly OPP
posed BY liquor dealers and others leniently dis
posed toward he traffic. Some Of the objections
made TO II were worthy Of consideration and
might have led to notifications Of the measure
IN some matters Of detail il the bill had ever
been debated in Congress. 1t possessed one
merit which especially appealed to the Iaw-lov-
ing citizens Of the District. in view Of the shify
state Of the existing law, and that was clearness
which rendered any evasion of its provisions
Of the proposed measure was probably due
much Of the opposition to it from those who
had prOfi;ed by the ineficiency Of the ex-
isting law. Much more attention was given
the Meredith bill. which is by no means drastic;
IL raised the bar room license fee to ESQ,
and contained some excellent provisions. but
the whole was favored rather BY those who
are literally inclined towards the liquor inter-
Ar. Al. L Ill
traffic by the mos. stringent regulations. Then,
in December last, came the Campbell bill. which
was a, once recognized as the bill most ap-
proved BY the liquor dealers themselves, though
even that contained some provisions too strong
for them. as NAV be seen by any one who will
compare the original draft with the measure
piscussed Thursday BY the House commit
mittee. There may be good and sufi-
eisnt reasons for giving to every person
the righ. to demand and secure a license
by occupying house which has in it twenty
chambers and on the front Of which structure
is placed a hotel sign, but the experiment would
seem 70 be dangerous one. "Hotels" of the |
character required by the bill could be estab- |
h-hed in the heart Of respectable residence |
neighboFhoods and there would be no legal |
power. except an sJnendatOry act Of Congress,
tina, could prevent the opening of bar room \
and the coming of the disrepute aud the de-
probation Of property values which would 1
almost certainly follow. The Campbell bill |
called for a hundred chambers in a hotel and /
limited the number Of licenses to five hundred,
but the bill which has superseded it Is wide open
The Meredith and Mcmillan provision, which |
male the display Of bottles or other vessels of /
liquor evidence that liquor was for sale, does
not appear in the amended measure. The COM
binAtion bal Is stronger than the Campbell bill
in one important particular: it permits agents
or Oficers o. the Commissioners to examine at
any time during business hours all premises
where liquor is sold; the Campbell proposition /
very strangely exempted hotels, taverns, refill
grocers and clubs.
One concession which the combination bill /
and all the pending bills except the Mcmillan
bull maAes TO the liquor interest would be re-
garded as a long step backward by the temper
anee element. and that is the exemption from
the requirement OF securing upon every re-
newal Of application for a bar room /
license. the consent Of q majority Of
the neighborinS property owners AID
Residents In this respect the present Law il |
made effcaeious would be preferred by those |
who regard this provision. practically est, blish
Ing local option on .ve-y square in the city, as
an effective means at restraining and Even pro-
hihltns The trAthc in localities where neighbor-
hood Interests demand such restrict ION or pro- |
hibit,eu
But faulty as Is the bill now befc re the House |
COMMITTEES il Is an improvement upon presen. |
Conditions. and By the time it Sets through the
House and Senate it may. to tie public advan-
tase and without disturb'1 &c to reputable |
dealers. be in much better - ape than it now is
Even its most enthusiastic advocates EXPECT it
va. Ue amended