The colored American., 1899-12-09
oDA1LLAW BE ENFORCED?

CON Business Men Under PUBLIC
License Elect what Laws they
Care to Obey and whar tney
Choose to Ignore-fhe New
crand Theater Issue PLAINLY
stated by Mr.. Daniel Murray
70 the editor of the Colored Ameri-
l., view of the recent trouble at
tbo Grand Opera House, it may not
~ fnonnortune that some of the legal
ar,ncinles involved be stated and a
iroor view Of the rights OF both parties
~ the controversy be discussed. MIR.
Cbose the lessee Of the thester, re
-,,fros a license to carry on the same,
and mugt obtain said license from the
commissioners who grant it i'll the
,,sra Of the public whom they repre-
cont Now Mr.. Weatherless and Mr.
Earguson are both Il part OF the entity
rubIfc. snd must JON in granting Mr.
Cbosa his license. Therefore. is it at all
eons,stent WITH any form Of common
sense to suppose the public would
o-on+ Mr.. Chase. or anyone else, the
right TO discriminate against itself?
No The fact that a license is required
orisea from the desire Of the public 10
conserve it's rights, or in other words
to retain control Of Mr.. Chase's busl-
ness and prevent him from lessening
the privileges belonging to the public
If no license were required the inner
emf right of Mr. Chase TO conduct his
business as he saw fit could not be in
terrered with. Every business under Ii
cense is subject to inspection to see
that if is conducted in harmony with
existing laws and that none of the
laws are violated.
| know an idea prevails that man
ought to be allowed to conduct his
business in the form most conducive to
his profit, but this is not so, and one
moments reflection will show the fal'
lacy Of such an idea Take the law
against the smoke nuisance; few, If
any, would put in smoke consuming
apparatus, if 1t were not for the law
made in the interest Of the public. A
man cannot violate the law to increase
his profits, or discriminate against those
who grant him license even though
he increase the profits Of his business
thereby. A saloon keeper may not
sell liquor TO minors, and yet if he were
so permitted, he might greatly increase
the profits arising from his business.
Every man of intelligence, before en-.
gsgng III business will investigate the
question of legal limitations bearing on
the same, and consider whether he
can meet the legal requirements and
yet make profit, and 1t is no hard
ship to hold Mr.. Chase to a strict COM
plianCe with the law, since he should
have made himself familiar with its
provisions before leasing the theater;
in faci it would be an injustice to every
Other manager Of a theater or other
licensed place who are conducting
their lGces in strict compliance with
the law, to allow lin TO violate it. The
idea is the basis Of the High License
System" the theory being that pro
prietors who pay S40O year will be
active suxIlianes'to prevent violations
Of the law to their injury. A man
selling without the license tax could
easily undersell the man who was
Obliged to pay it.
The true and proper course for the
people Of Washington is to stand for
an honest enforcement of the law at
all times, and when laws are found to
work hards nip, to petition for their
repeal.
All other places Of amusement are
being conducted in conformity with
law. Mr. Chase, it seems, wishes to
conduct his place so as to psnder to
prejudice, the handmaiden OF ignor'
ance, and it is u matter of supreme I'M
pOrtance that he be not allowed to do
so, snd that the matter be kept con-
tinually before the courts until he, like
other citizens, be compelled to observe
existing laws. l am bound to obs e1ve
the law, and am greatly interested that
neither Mr' Chase nor any other per
son shall set himself up as above the
laws, to obey only such laws as suit
him.
This, believe to be the only es-
sence OF good citizenship, and urge all
law abiding citizens to join in main
tsinlngit. DANIE1, MURRay
S4 street, n. W.