Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-07
LIQUOR AID THE LAW.
Views on All Side, Of the Pending Ques-
ttons-

views on All sides OF tne feuuhnG Vues-
WHY DISTRICT ATTORNEY COLE ravoRs TIRE
NMILLAS BrLJ-REv. DE- coREf fAvoks
HIGH LICENSE AS AGAINST Low LicrSsx-
OTHER VIEWS on AZ INFORMANT SUBJECT.
In conversation with SrAR reporter today
Distric. Attorn ey Cole said
II think there ought to be very stringent
liquor Law in this District: the one we have now
is about equa. to no law at all have not con-
sidered in detail what the provisions Of the law
ought to be, but il seems TO mo that n, gen
eral features Of the Mcmillan bill are about
what is needed. think the IL
censes sh ould be ct least as high pro-
vided in that bill; that the number OF
saloons should be limited: that no saloon
should be licensed without the consent OF at
least tW'o-thirds OF the househoIders in the
square and in the adjoining squares, and that
even after those prerequisites were complied
with tlie Commissioners OF the Dittrict should
have ne absolute discretion, without assigning
any Reason whatever. to decline 10 grant any
particular application.
The penalties for q sale In violation Of the
license or without license ought TO be severe.
Ihore should be fine or imprisonment in Jail, or
0t H..
nrrf offense, and imprisoi iment in the peniten-
uaTv for the second oaense with the further
penalty that second offense should forfeit the
license and disqnslify the hcensee from ever
receiving license again. either directly in
directly
"A law Of this character. properly enforced.
would have a greater tendency than ANYTHING
else to decrease crime in this District. From
my observation aud experience in the district
attorneys office 1 should say that from
10 to 20 per cent OF all the criminal
prosecutions grow either directly or indi-
rectly out Of the indiscrimnate sale and Of
Intoxicating liquor. The expense OF such
criminal prosecutions exceeds many times all
the revenue that the government derives from
licenses, both local and national, in the District
of Columbia
"If IL we're practicable to execute such law
at the present time should favor . law that
would prohibit absolutely the sale OF liquor 10
be drunk upon the premises where sold, except
where furnished in connection with meals by
restaurant OF hotel The great curse. especially
to young and weak men, is the open saloon"
MR.. HILLYER's CONTRIBUTION.
"Apropos Of the present discussion Of the
liquor selling question" said Mr.. Curtis J.
Hillyer, ALLOW me 10 relate an experience in
dealing with an analogous subject. II was in
Nevada and In 1863. For several years gam
bling at banking games. faro, monte, &C.. had
been increasing despite OF prohibitory
statute making the conducting OF such games
criminal offense. The worst feature of the
situation was that very large number of
thieving games with small capital were
victimizing the mine workers of their wages
The minimum wages were 81 per day and their
game was worth the candle Almost every
saloon. and there was no scarcity OF them. had
its back attachment with its green cloth and
persuasiveiy stacked red and white chips the
Uer nj in apts
lature Of that year-and the fact that was
member shall not prevent me from saving that
it had more than the average intelligence and az
much appreciation Of the value of morality sim-
liar bodies elsewhere-determinedt TO attempt not
the impossibility of Graduating this evil, but
the possibility of checking and reducing it by a
high license. They fixed the license of a bank
ing game at 800 per month (by no means pro-
hibitory under the then conditions) and pro-
vided, together with heavy penalties for viola
ton. that game should be conducted on the
first or street floor and that no game should be
carried on in Q locked room.
The bill in its progress encountered strong
opposition from two classes, fret, the eNces-
sively good men who would not license any sin.
no matter how much sin might thereby be pre-
vented. and second, the small gamblers, who
could not pay the license fee. These extremes
met and labored together. but over their COM
bined opposition we passed the law. The re-
suits fully justified its wisdom. Within a short
time three-fourths Of the gaming establishments
were closed and these included all Of the low
dives and holes most pernicious to those whose
losings. though small, were felt directly in
diminished family comfort. The aggregate OF
all this species Of gambling was reduced by more
than one-half. In its practical operation the
most significant thing was that its enforcement
was automatic. The guardians Of its inviolability
were the gamblers themselves. The enter
prising Spectator who paid IS, 900 per year
for the privilege Of fleeing the public would
not permit his preserves to be encroached upon.
For once the law and his interest conceded,
and he became a most admirable detective Of
illegality.
This law was strong right where the prohibi-
tory law had been weak. Under the latter il
was nobody's business or particular interest to
prosecute, and, considering the numerousness
Of the gamblers and their patrons, prosecution
was disagreeable. improbable and unpromis-
ing Of results. Under our law the licensee took
care to let no guilty man escape. Another good
feature was the removal of visible temptation
by RELOCATING the gambling shops to second and
third stories and thus also segregating them
from the drinking saloons and destroying that
mutual support which these two sympathizing
occupations always render to each other. The
publicity given by requiring open doors night
and day proved a very effective restraint. A
place to which every one had at all times the
free entry, where the son at any moment Eiight
have a spectator the father, the clerk his
employer. the business man his creditor or
banker was not adapted to the security or
pleasure OF INDUCING the gambling passion.
The law. as soon as its effect could be OBJ
served, met with almost universal commenda-
ton. Few wished and none tried to repeal il,
and so far as know it is still part Of the
Nevada statutes.
REV. DIR. COREY VIEWS.
DR.. Geo. II. Corey of the Metropolitan NJ. Z.
Church said to a STAR man: II hold that the