Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-22
OPPOSED TO LICENSES
A Good Templars' Committee Reports on
the Liquor Law.
The Eject of High License-Opposi.
ton to the BabcOck Amendment
And to Inebriate Asylunss.

The committee on legislation Of the In
dependent Order of Good Templars which
has been active in investigating the opera
ton of the new liquor law. has made,
through it's chairman, Mr.. A. N. Garfield.
its annual report to the Grand Lodge Of the
order.
The report says:
During the year since your committee
made it's last annual report, very material
changes have been made, and,as We believe,
changes for the better, in the local condi-
tons affecting the subject of temperance
and the liquor traffic.
A year ago we were compelled to report
that the courts had decided that the Dis
trict of Columbia had no law regulating or
restricting the sale Of intoxicating liquor.
The act Of March 3. 1898. which is now in
force, was drawn up by a committee of the
liquor dealers association of the District;
was intended to satisfy the District officials
and quiet the public clamor against the
evils resulting from the liquor traffic by
providing large revenue for the city treas
ury, while it legalized and protected the
business and established it more firmly in
it's stronghold. And whether the increase
of the license fee shall prove step In the
right or wrong direction remains to be
seen, and will depend upon the attitude of
the community and of the Good Templars
on the question of license or prohibition.
This law establishes the fee for retail
or bar room license at $500. and for a
wholesale license at $3.50. During the first
month of the license year under this law.
there have been filed with the clerk of the
excise board 619 applications for retail
licenses. and 1873 applications for wholesale
licenses. 1t Is estimated that the whole
number of licensed places in the District
this year will be about 800. and that the
revenue to the District will be about $780,
OOO
1.-The inevitable result of all this license
legislation Is to cause the municipal govern
ments to rely more and more upon the IL
cense fees as a principal source of their
revenue. and so to bring them more and
more under the power of the liquor traffic
Every increase of the license fee and every
resulting increase of revenue from the liquor
traffic strengthens the chains that bind us.
renders the officials who are appointed to
govern us more and more subservient to its
demands and sears the consciences and
closes the mouths of all who willingly re-
ceive it or use and enjoy its proceeds.
Recognizing the fact that a large propor-
ton of the disease. misery and crime pre-
vailing in our beautiful city Is the direct
and legitimate result of the liquor traffic,
1t Is time that the Independent Order of
Good Templars Of the District takes more
decided stand on the subject Of licensing
the evil. 1t is time that it takes the stand
that these conditions shall not be longer
1ostered ana perpetuated for revenue.
FuDAlc sentiment.
"Your committee is gratified to renort q
very marked awakening in public sentiment
against the liquor traffic during the year.
In its investigation into the cause of the
deplorable conditions existing in the District
OF Columbia, your committee found that
something more than legislation was neces-
sary: that the saloon existed here. not he
cause the law permitted it, or thrust It upon
the people. but because the people in the
vicinity petitioned for it. At the office of
the excise board we found applications for
licenses signed by men and women holding
; ;lSn ana honorable official. social and relig-
Ious positions. We found letters from
prominent church members, ministers or
the Gospel and official boards of churches
asklng that the licenses be granted. We
found the distillers thu brewers and tha
liquor dealers associations nv Their ag.nts
ana attorneys, aggressively and persistent
~ pressing their interests at all nointS ana
AT an times. while the temperance people
sistance N'''ee.iS re-
AS natural and legitimate result of
Gne conoitions We found the executive Of
non,.;,,,I a tns District laborirg under the
Sonvlction that public sentiment did NOT
uemand and would not sustain the enforce.
ment OF stringent restrictive laws
An account Is given of the means taken
70 prlng these matters to the attention of
the public. and also of the oreaniz.t,o -,
ana work of the Anti-Saloon League
Inc steps taken to oppose the Babcock
amendment annulling the 4OO-feet rule are
recounted 0e are
Opposed to Inebriate Asylum..
The report says:
me officials of the District government
and many Of our good citizens are in favor
OF establishing an inebriate asylum here
and Congress may be asked to make an an
preparation for that purpose Your COM
mittee is of the opinion that every institu.
tion or that kind which recognizes the evils
OF the drink habit and imposes burdens
upon the people for the purpose of caring
Tor Its victims. instead Of adopting strin
gent restrictive and prohibitive measures.
is IN the nature of an acknowledgment
That such evils and such victims are nee
essary product of modern civilization which
we as Good Templars cannot admit. and
we therefore recommend that the entire
strength and influence of the order be nut
forth to defeat that object II such a move
ment is started.
Your committee would call especial AT
tention to the system known as the Swe
dish system Of regulating the sale of in
tox1cating liquors and recommend that n
will be made the subject of special investi
cation as possible step toward prohibi