Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-06-22


must insist upon being considered tn,
most accomplished and miraculous di
plomat of the age.
In addition to this it might as wei
be now understood, once for all, tina
the legislature and the-Governor knew
that they were giving their assent TO
bill which permitted betting on hors,
races in certain places as indicated by
the act above quoted. 1t is simply in
conceivable that 14l men should have
gone wrong as to the intent, object anC
meaning of the act; and the fact is tha
it was. before and after its introduction
thoroughly discussed between mysel
and So or 40 members of the Genera
Assembly, and particularly between
Governor O'Ferrall and myself, on one
occasion, in the presence of Attorney
General Scott.
A great many things, principally rot
have been published in the shape of in
terviews on this subject in divers news
papers, to some of which | have paid
little attention, and to others of which
I have paid no attention, preferring to
await my own pleasure and convent,
ence in determining whether or not
they were worth answering. I did
make an attempt in May last to get a
certain Washington newspaper to pub
lish card containing the written state
ment of a gentleman that he had not
uttered one word Of an alleged Inter
view" relating to the Mushbach bill
published in that paper, but failed to
secure its insertion because the paper
"did not want to discourage the men
who gather its news" This remark.
able position on the part of the press
operated to discourage me somewhat
in the matter of getting my side of the
case before the public, but / am now
making another attempt, and trust that
| will be more successful.
1t has been stated that the bill was
introduced in the closing hours of the
session. How much of truth there is
in that statement will be found on an
examination of the Senate journal,
whereupon it will be seen that it was
introduced on February 19, 1894, and
that the legislature did not adjourn un.
til March S, 1894.
The Board of Trade of Washington
city are doing a good work in their
efforts to purify Alexandria county by
Kidding it of its Jackson City and Ross
lyn gambling resorts, all of which are
run by Washingtonians, supported by
Washingtonians, and exist because of
the iniuuitous proclivities of Washing
tonians. And now that it has started
upon it's crusade against vice, sin and
lawlessness, it is 10 be hoped that they
will continue it so far as their own city
is concerned, as il is commonly under
stood that there is more of that sort of
thing in one square foot of Washington
then one square mile of Alexandria
county. The ruMor has reached Alex
andria that in one part of Washington
city commonly called Hooker's Divi-
sion there are grouped eighty or more
houses of i'll fame, owned by Washing
ton business men some of whom are
said to be members of the Board of
Trade. Everybody knows that house
which will not rent for more than $25
per month as the abode of respectable
family, will command $25 per week if
used for purposes not strictly evangeli-
cal, whereby incomes are very consid-
erably increased and some of us here
abouts are inclined to think that more
young men have been ruined in Hook
er's Division and Washington bucket
shops in one day than Alexandria race
tracks have or could ruin in one month.
Some of these publications ascribe
the reprehensibe condition of affairs in
the county to the Excise Bill, found on
page 610, Acts 1884. 1t was not in.
troduced in the Legislature by me. 1t
came from the House of Delegates to
the Senate. supported it and voted
for.it cheerfully and would do 30 again
under the same circumstances. 1t was
made necessary by what consider the
ill-advised action of Judge Chichester.
The Judge is most excellent, upright
and conscientious gentleman who
never did anything but what he
thought was right, but although the
law OF Virginia provides for the
granting of licenses to sell liquor to
persons of good moral character and
at convenient and suitable places,
and although under our local option laws the
people of Alexandria county had voted IN
favor of granting such licenses, Judge CHI
chester took it upon himself to decide that
there was no place in Ale1andris county
which was convenient or suitable for carry
ing on such business, and he accordingly re,
fused all applications for licenses, it mattered
not who applied for them. The result was tnat
Alexandria county soon became full OF speak
easies, ""blind tigers" and travelling barrooms,
wherein whisky, and that of most poison
GUS kind, was sureptitiously sold without the
payment OF any tax or license, thus deprlVlng
the State and county of revenue OF several
thousand dollars per annum. It this state oil
affairs great many good citizens and temper
ance people, just about as ge0d pro6aoly as
any in the United States, thought it would DC
we'll to commit the matter of granting licenses
to some other tribunal than thst presided
over by Judge Chichester, and the same was
done.
l could write muoh more and give you the
benefit of a number of other truths in connec-
ton with this matter if / thought you
had space to publish them and l had time 10
dictate them, but l refrain for the present,
and in conclusion beg leave to say that VIII
resume this discussion, if you feel Ike keep
ing it up, npon my return from trip OF sew
eral weeks duration on which l leave To-
morrow. What have written IS OF q pre-
hminsry character, and is designed 10 ln1l-
cate that ! repudiste responsibility for tne
failure of the judicial, administrative ana eo 7,
ecutive officers OF Alexandria county to fulnl
their functions. Yours truly,
GEORGE A. MUsHBAcH.
"Many of the citizens of Rainsyille,
Indiana, are never without q bottle OF
Chamberlain's Cough Remedy in the