The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-03-29
The Liccnsc Question "A Pertinent
Query.
NonroLK. Va, March 27th. 1896.


NORFOLK, Va, March 27th, 1895.
Editor OF The virginian.
desire to be informed if it is not
class legislation to enact certain re-.
quirements of those in any line of bust
ness, which will drive all of the men
with limited means out of that business
aud give tho monopoly of the business
to the moneyed meu. 1t occurs To my
mind that u Is not exactly the correct
thing 10 do iii republic. When the
poor maD's business ID taken from him
great suffering Is sure to follow. Why
enact laws which will add more to the
man who has already considera bic
means, and take oil from the man who
has but little? is this justice? All
should receive the same consideration
and protection. Why force the poor
man out OF business?
Suppose the drygoods merchants
were told that there were too many of
them engaged in that line of business
and hall OF them must give up their
occupation. For nn excuse. they are
told, that they offer such varied at
trnctious to our wives aud daughters
to spend money with them, that we
are kept broke all the time and are
continually hurd up from January to
December by these internal drygoods
bills. 10 accomplish this end the mer-
chants license tnlready lnrRe) is in
creased and those with moderate me cans
have to abandon their business. Note
the consequence, fifty five stores are
advertised for rent, fifty five landlords
are receiving no revenue from their
property aud cannot therefore liqui-
date their indebtness. In addition
there arc fifty live business men
and their employees thrown out
of work with women and
children depending upon most of
them Tor support. Do the sales IN
that line diminish because tho mum Der
of stores Is reduced? Are there not
Just us many of those horrid articles OF
ladies wearing apparel worn known as
corsets. which are dong just as much
harm to women as whiskey does to
men? Why not stop tho saie of pistols.
rAZors aud knives? o. no, that wouid
he absurd; they are for protection aud
convenience, but we hear OF persons
being killed with them sometimes. How
many physicians are there Ill the world
but would say that brandy, whskey
aud gin do all incn!cuiaule amount of
good III their practice, aud Is 1t not u
mend porter and champagne TO be
drunk regularly? Doctors are sensible
men, "you know"
The liquor traffic, which has dis
turbed the minds OF some of our clti-
Zens, Is yet III al unsettled condition.
If the liquor business is bad, close
them all up aud Kill all of tue dealers
II necessary, and have one big funeral,
but the whiskey business is perfectly
legitimate aud the present license is
high enough; III fact, it Ii too high.
The Judge OF the Corporation Court
hus the power to say whether or not
the party applying for license is a
proper person To grant icense TO, or
whether the Locality Is u suitable place
to conduct the business
do not suppose there is u sane man
oil good standing IN Norfolk who
would rejoice To know that all of the
dahnabie dives IN the city were broken
up. but will high license accomplish
tins? Positively no. There are men
who would procure the license ut auy
cost. Leave this matter in the hands
OF our honorable Judge and he Will
come very near given general satisfac
ton. and will see that the Sabbath day
Is not violated. Some of the whiskey
fanatics appear 10 lose sight OF the
fact that Norfolk is q progressive sea
port city and that strangers of all M
tionalities are constantly coming to our
city. These people are in the habit OF
visiting beer gardens and places of
amusement, and they expect TO find
them i'll Norfolk when they come here.
High license would necessiiate M army
of detectives which would burden our
New Jersey and South Carolina police
commissioners too much to keep on
their track.
Some OF our most respected old citi.
zeus were formerly engaged III the
liquor business, bnt In those good old
days We were not troubled with so many
fanatics, nor did women wear pants.
detest fanatic. Years ago Norfolk
had eighteen wholesale liquor houses;
to day Norfolk has only three. Drive
these three out of business and the
wholesale house in Portsmouth can come
over aud sell to the trade and Norfolk
Will not receive cent revenue, Ths
political puritsns of Norfolk may prove
10 De oVerzealous. FAIR PLAY,
The Modern Why
CommenGs itself to the we'll formed IN