The morning times., 1897-01-22
THE MORSE BILL DEBATED
= - 5.Ls ~ ssAtE
Friends and Foes Of the Meas
IRE Have Their Say.
HEARD BY THE COMMITTEE
The Provision to Make Brewers Pay
Evoked the Greatest Discussion.
The Measure Compared with Leg
islation in Other states.

The subject being considered by Sen
ate District suhc Committee yesterday after
oon was the Morse bill regulating the
liqto or traffic in the District Senators
Ploctor, Gibson and Faulkner form the sub
committee. and the hearing called out
large attendance. of parties interested for.
and against the proposed legislation Hts
advocates outnumbered its opponents ard
Included several officers and members OF.
the A Ant-Saloon League and ladies of the
W. c. T. u. OPP osing the bill We're at
torneys foi the breweries and OF the Retail
Liquor Dealers Association, together with
OFFICERS of the latter Organization.
Each side was given an hour in which to
present it's case, and each exceeded TINS
Ewin, president of the Anti-Saloon League,
was the first speaker. He was followed
by A. il. Shoemaker, Mrs. M. L. Platt,
president of the W. C. 7. o.; Andrew
Wilton and A N Garfield The argument
onthis side was closed by Rev W. f. Crafts.
In opposition to the measure remarks
were made by Attorneys George {. Hazel
ton and Benjamin Butterworth, President
Il. l.. Jordan, OF the Retail Liquor Deal
ers' Association; Frank p Madigan and
w. l. EBerich.
The arguments on both sides were main
iy directed TO the proposition TO make the
brewers pay the same license as retailers.
This was strongly urged by the league and
resisted by the association Mr.. Ewin SAID
that breweries should pay this license be-
cause most of them sold liquor at retail,
and he had heardthat boys would buy beer
on Sundays and get drunk in alleys, Mr..
Stevenson confirmed the statement. He
said he knew that boys got beer by the
keg from the brcweries.
Messrs. HaZelton and Butterworth CON
tended that the brewers, who were manu-
facturers and wholesalers, should not be
placed on the same footing with retailers.
Mr.. Buttcrworth called attention TO the
fact that the whole Morse bill was ahead
OF public sentiment, He regarded it as
significant that it had not passed the
House by yea and ma vote.
Congressman Morse said there was a
y
question.
Mr.. Batterworth contended that this was
not equivalent to a vote on the bill itself.
He did not doubt that brewers should not
retail liquor, and did not believe any OF
them did. He said tha tmost OF the brewers
and liquor dealers were excellent citi-
zens, quite as much concerned in having
good laws and seeing them enforced as
some who 'professed a larger measure OF
goodness He said the brewers could
rot comply with the Morse bill without
running their business, as they could not
conform to the regulation OF closing the
bre wcries at l 2 O'Clock every night Manu-
facturers OF malt liquors nowhere in the
country were placed on the same footing
as retailers.
DR.. Crafts said that the Morse bill was
not designed to prohibit the liquor traffic
or to impose unusual restrictions upon il,
although he admitted that he would be
glad to see all it destroyed himself II
| has always been regarded as a dangerous
| business requiring regulation. He dwelt
especially on the right of appeal to the
! courts from the granting of licenses by
| the Commissioners. IL was important to
| give citizens the same privilege that the
| liquor dealers had He also thought that
| the burden of proof in the way of secur-
| ing petitions should continue to rest with
| the liquor dealers. They had a business
| interest in it, while the opposition was
enlisted only out of philanthropy. He al
| luded to the regulations in the laws oi
Minnesota, Washington and New Hamp.
shire, and said the new Morse bill did
not compare with these in stringency
| Continuing, DR.. Crafts warmly cham
pioned the PROVISIONS making it possible
| for two citizens to bring public officers
| into court for failing to do their duty
| He said impeachment was out Of the 1ues-
| tion, but indictment was posi- BILE DIR.
Crafts stated he did not doubt that, under
| the legal decisions, breweries, like furnaces,
came in that class of industries that were
permitted to run Sundays.
Mr. Wilson called attention to the fact
| that the opposition to the law was mostly
from the wing interests. The breweries
| were owned by foreign corporations, that
were not especially concerned in preserving
the American hearthstone. They certainly
should be taxed This legislation is a
step in advance he said, "but it cannot
be called radical 1t recognizes the liquor
IGdltlt itPItiIDdlc Dut IL
makes compliance with regulations i'm
peraiiye It was true that the liquor in
terests paid 3s per cent OF Washington's
taxes, but they furnished 66 per cent of
washington's crime, and this was a poor
exchange He said the nations capital anG
capitol should be as free from this danger
GUS traffic as possible.
u H. Painter objected to the provisO
Of the bill to the effect that testim on v
OF citizens of the District only should be
taken. He said: Il am n citizen o1
Pennsylvania and resident of Washing
tom There seemed to be no objection
from either side to an alteration of the
word citizen to PRESIDENT.
Congressman Morse closed the hearing
with brief statement, in which he said
| this proposed legislation was much mildeI
than in either Massachusetts or New York
ssOr in Vermont said Senator Proctor
| in tone which indicated that the Green
| Mountain statutes were altogether to,
| drastic for comfort
/ -Is o. -
| He Brought south Cardinals Vote
| Hon T. w Stanland Of South Carolina
| oayoraI tirras n menher af tAe State