Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-17
The New Liquor Bill.


In looking through the "Jenness Miller"
liquor act submitted to Congress yesterday by
committee of eminent "liquorists'' / find it
bait combination. so constructed with in
volved sentences that three cases brought
under it would keep the courts parsing that
act for the term Of the next administration
and leave us then in worse condition than now.
II an information could be drawn under it's
machinery" sections the trouble would begin
(lf jury or a court convicted under it, when
the court came to pronounce sentence
IL, it provides that any one who en-
cages in the sale of intoxicating liquors
without first having obtained license shall upon
conviction be fined not less than $3.50 nor more
than $500 and be imprisoned in the District
Jail until the same is paid Con this penal
clause the man would escape under habeas
corpus proceedngs) ''snd upon every subse-
quent conviction Of like offense shall. in addi-
ton to the penalty above named. to wit. fine
OF not less than $3.50 nor more than $500. be
imprisoned in the work house of the District of
Columbia not less than three months nor more
than one year" Looks and reads tough. don't
i2 But first ask the judges whether
a party convicted under either paragraph
Of that penalty section would walk forward or
backward, and whether the District side of the
court could send him to Jail for the first offense
or the United States for the second. or vice
garment could ever be fitted to the body cor
porate Of this District? the short Of the query
being: Can the United States send him to the
District work house, or can the District send
him either to Jail or work house for either frac-
ton Of this wonderful penalty section?
Then try section IS, that section is "wus-
ser" bifurcated than it looks, its knees are
turned round until it is what the Yankees call
"dingtoed." 1t says, to start WITH any person
having obtained a license under this act who
shall violate any of its provisions Gone Of the
provisions being section l, that no person
shall sell or offer for sale, keep for sale, or
traffic in. barter or exchange for goods, any
intoxicating liquor, except, &c. ''shall. on con-
viction, be fined not less than $25 nor more
than S5O, and upon every subsequent conviction
Of such violation during the year for which
such license is issued shall be fined like
amount, and in addition to such shall pay a
sum equal to 25 per cent of the amount Of fine
imposed for the offense Immediately preceding"
Here the court stops to find out if like" shall
or shall not be judicialy inserted between ''the'
and ''offense" in the last line, and being be-
wildered by the closing lines of that awful sec
ton of penalties, VIA "And in cases of nom
payment of the fines and penalties above named
shall be imprisoned in the Jail Of the District of
Columbia till the same are paid" Here the
court howls out cumulative fines, imprisonment
for debt, case dismissed. let the man go quick
before he starts a damage suit for false i'm
prisonment.)
The section IA would be the "speak easy" joy
forever. 1t advises US that any person aiding
or abetting the violation of any of the provis-
ions of this ac1 shall be guilty of misdemeauor
and fined not less than $50 nor more than 500
This is as it should be. Section IS. it will be
noticed, fines the violator of the law S25 to $50
and section IA fines the witnesses $50 to 800,
and Just soon a man swore that he got a
drink he would be arrested for aiding and abet-
ting before he got his witness fee in the first
case.
Sec. Is provides that prosecutions shall be in
the Police Court by the United States attorney
for the District OF Columbia. There is no such
officer and no one can tell under that section if
the attorney for the United States or the at
torney for the District of Columbia shall Law
the information. All fines (if any could be col
lected) would go to the United States, for the
act makes no application of them to the Dis
trict.
Under section 2 the excise board is composed
of officers already under salary, and vet they
are to fix the expenses Of the board, while not
a penny of the revenues accrue to the District
This bill cuts off from the District all revenues
now derived from liquor licenses and also cuts
of all fines and penalties. 1t is in no sense
meant to be Of benefit to the District as 4
revenue fletcher, and would destroy all utter
est the municipal authorities now have to
follow up the license laws for revenue purposes
and SO check Illicit places. In the interest Of
gOOdsgOvernment the Dill IL not concerned.
The attempt to prosecute under 1T would render
contemplate from legal standpoint any clean
minded, level headed citizen who should seek
to enforce it in the interest Of good morals or
right government.
1t does not take close scanning Of the lines of
section to see that liquors may not be traf-
licked in nor bartered for goods, but may be
for labor, hence q ''store" with a clay pipe a
pie, a pigs foot and candy jar in the front
window could keep vast number Of employees
about it without regard to age. sex, color or
previous condition of servitude.
Would or would it not be wise to look up the
license bonds Of large and small liquor dealers
and see if any Of the gentlemen who held this
remarkable convention. from which this queer
bill comes to Congress, are sureties on such
bonds? And if any Of these bondsmen furnish
the material to the retail or small dealers as well
as bond2 Hboth these facts be true we may not be
pretty. but we will know more. and. perhaps,
the distinguished committee of the District Of
Columbia will also. The Commissioners know
Of these facts hence they retained their senses az
well as their dignity-wrote a letter and didn't
accept the invitation. Time we had the Nc
MILAN bill passed, else We will have another
exhibition. CHATHAM.