The morning times., 1897-02-02
FAVORED THE MORSE BILL
Ii Was So Reported TO the Sen
ate by Mr. GaIlinger.
DESIGNED TO REMEDY EVILS
The Measure VIII Protect saloon
men Frem Property Owners Want
ing Honey for Signing Applica-
ii Dealers Object 10 the I'D. .ag-
onaIiy Opposite Corner" Provision.

The Morse liquor bill was reported 20 the
Senate yesterday by Senator Gailinger.
In lis favorable report the Senator says
tie hill is designed to cure defects IN the
present liquor law of tie District and 10
add a few safeguards designed 10 promote
the general purposes of the liquor law of
1898
TIE Senate committee has rejected the
House provision that applicants for har
room licenses must get tile Consent OF
their neighbors annually.
There are" says the report submitted
by Mr Gallinger, many arguments IN
favor Of such provision; but the very
large amount of matchmaking that the
annual signing gave rise 10 seems suf
ficient argument against a return To tie
practice, especially since a ma ;oIity uf
tile residents near barroom can always
prevent the Issuing OF a license if they are
SO disposed
The report closes with the assertion that
''the public sentiment in the District is
overwhelmingly In favor of the passage
OF the hill.-'
The reference made by Senator Gallinger
20 THE very large amount of blacknail-
ing prevalent under tine custom of an
nually getting signatures in approval of
applications. reviyes discussion OF an old
theme, and ii was pretty thoroughly vcnti-
lated yesterday afternoon by number
OF gentlemen To whose attention the mat
ter was called
No one would allow his name to be used.
but the District building is filled with
stories where residents nadea good thing
OF hGlGing out for a consideration before
conseniing Il the establishment OF har
in their neishborhood.
= case on Capitol Hill waS cited. where
salo nkeeper paid $50 annually for the
signature of the one man III the block who
held the balance OF power, a.-d without
whose signature tie saluonkccper lacked
the requisite majority Still another de
manded and received all ne could eat and
drink for each year" as q condition 10
adding his name to the list OF he applicants
friends. Another man. anxious to obtain
the license, paid $50 for two signatures
Tor each or several years, and rUmor
was current once of man pa wing SIOO
FOR an iEdOrSer.
1t has been charged before the excise
board since November that man who had
signed d saloonkeeper's license every year
for eleven years refused 10 sign for this
years renewal because the latter did not
give lin the contract To huild a house
which he had for construction. On the
contrary. the incensed neighbor filed d
protest against the saloon, denominatiDg il
d nuisance.
Another case where the saloon man COM
planned OF injustice is the case in which
a real estate man is alleged TO have fig
ured- The saloonkeeper approached the
real estate men as the agent for certain
property to obtain the required indorse-
ment OF his application. He was informed
that the owners were temperance people
and would not sign. The saloon man asked
where the owners lived. He was obliged
to have those particular signatures or
furego the license. The real estate agent
said il would be impossible TO see the
owners without some expense. whereupon
he was told the saioonkeeper would bear
the expense. He would spend $50, he said,
to obtain the Endorsements needed. The
result was he was told to call on a certain
day, when the $50 changed hands and the
barkeeper got his license
One man WHO lives in q certain block
is alleged 10 take advantage of the situa-
tioa To run a bin at the bar he signs for
and often commits acts in the saloon which
the proprietor objects to, hut which he
dare rot reprove him for. The man does
no. pay the bin, for it is never presented,
through fear of giving offcnse.
NumeIOGs instances are cited where the
Keepers Of saloons are obliged to deal at
other csCa hlishments in the block n order
TO retain the signatures Of majority.
And that" said one man who dis
cussed the matter with The Times-'that
is CogbtIess the state Of affairs TO which
Senator GaHnger REFEREED
AToahcr Objectionable feature of the
pending biil, which the saloon men under
stand is TO he retained, and which they
object to unanimously, is that requiring
applicants for license TO procure the sig
nature of the resident or owner Of the
corner lot diagonally opposite his place Of
business. 1t is claimed that this pIovis-
lou VIII make such owner or occupant an
at. olute autocrat in the matter OF license
getting II is said that though man may
have all other signatures which the law
demands of him, the man on the diagonal
corner can defeat the application. An ef-
the measure defeated.
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THE GETTYSBURG RAILWAY