Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-05-10
SALOON IN POLITICS.
Arguments Against the
New License Bill.
NO ONE DEFENDS THE ACT.
What ex-Mayor Carroll of This City
Had to Say.

1t was peculiar that there was no re-
sponse to the request OF the Chairman of
the Senate judiciary committee yesterday
when he asked or invited those In favor
OF the bill changing the mode Sof select
ing License Commissioners from the
Mayors to the City Councils.
Besides those mentioned yesterday who
spoke in opposition to the bill, IT was op-
posed by Col. Walter X. Stiness, ex- Mayor
Carroll, Jesse G. Fox and p. J. Mccarthy
Esq.
The principal points of ex-Mayor Car
rolls argument were that II the General
Assembly was to legislate for the benefit
OF one person In Pswtueket without any
request from the City Council 1t would
be well to know It. The bill was drawn
at the request Of this man, ex-Alderman
dealers throughout the State alone wanted
the bill to pass. i
The passage oil the bill would simply
mean that In each ward men would be
working for the election of Aldermen and
Councilmen who would promise TO vote
for these men az License Commits ssioners.
Under this law the Mayor cannot remove
a Commissioner without cause and with
out giving hearing.
In the city of Pawtucket the license
question Is better hand led than ever be-
fore, with the exception OF the lethargy
of the prosecuting officers. The Commits
sioners are wedding out the Sunday sa-
looms and the sellers to women and chill
dren and they are compelling a man to
give fnll view of bis place.
And these men who are doing this are
not afraid Of any liquor dealer, regardless
of how rich or powerful he Is and regard
less OF what he has performed for one
political party or the other.
The reason for the passing ,of this bill
at this time is we'll known. He could
give the history of 1t better than any man
In Rhode Island. This bill was intro
duced in June, 1892, by Mr.. Wilson at the
request Of Mr.. Smith.
1t has been revived this year through
the.agency of Smith. There were 40 cases
In Pawtucket at present where licenses
have been refused. The retail dealers of
Pawtucket have organized.
Every member has q license, no one OF
them has had bis license revoked, and
they are bound not to sell liquor on Sun
day or violate the law In any particular.
They want to be let alone. This bills puts
an almighty power in the five License
Comm missioners.
They can cay to the liquor dealers that
II they don't vote for the persons they
want elected to the City Council they can
not expect TO receive a license.
Every ward heeler and petty polititian
Will be enlisted In the service, and 1t can
truthfully be said that any political party
will be corrupted and destroyed by the
operation of the system which this law
seeks to create.
Col. Stiness said his clients did not care
what laws we're passed for other cities or
what political deals were involved. IL
any man Is so corrupt as to make a bar
gain of the character described he de-
served to be disappointed.
II 1t was true that a liquor dealer In
Pawtucket could bring a United States
Senator home from Washington to get
MIN license 1t was time be was sat on. 1t
was strange no one appeared for the bill
or state some reason why It should be
passed.
III there was a sore on Pawtucket's
finger, was that any reason why the hand
of Providence should be cut orr
II "a bargain has been made In Pawtuck.
ct, 1t Is so unworthy that this committee
should paw no attt 1T lon to IL.
P.J. Mccarthy said he appeared not as
an attorney but as private citizen and
he said there was evidently no public de-
mand for the bill and should not be
passed. He believed that this bill would
bring the saloon Into politics with all
that the term implies and he believed they
should hesitate before they took that fatal
step.
Mr.. Ives thought that the interests
which were to be affected by this bill had
right to reply to any persons who
favored the act. Nobody had yet deigned
to speak In favor OF 1t and he, therefore,
asked that time be set at which persons
who had any reasons to give for the pass
age OF the bill could come and address
them and those interested could reply.
"Yoo wouldn't have US bring any body
In and force them to speak, would your"
asked Senator Freeman.
"No," said Mr.. Ives. "But 10 this act Is
to be passed as party measure without
a single person outside the General As
sembly asking for 1t, the people OF the
State should know 1T.
Lit was then decided to hold another
hearing on Friday, not later than I:3O
O'Clock,