Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-04
HIGHER, BUT NOT HIGH
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PACED

under such a tax and compared the city
rents with the smaller towns where rents
and other expenses were smaller ana
while in the local option counties made q
rich harvest for the town saloons that
had the little expenses. He showed that
| many Broad-street dealers pay as much
as LOO or sl,5o0 ront per annunl.
Injurc tho City.
He thought the high license would be
iurc tho city and the people and because
other cities had imposed high license
tax there was no reason why Richmond
| should. The liquor dealers, he argued,
were in the business for a living and he
did not think the City Council should go
off .'on a fanatical craze that is pre-
Sailing in the city and harass them. He
said the liquor dealers had never been
treated badly by the city and he could see
no reason why they should he now. He
favored fat rate Of 500 to all alike. lie
was of tho opinion that high license
would not drive the low dives out of the
business, but that it would affect the mid
die class OF dealers who upheld the law Of
the city ard State better than the other
classes.
Mr.. Rosenc said nc vas convinced that
il the $500 license was adopted it would
lust on the outside Of the city limits and
! the city would lose the revenue which 1t is
getting now and would not be rid of the
source of trouble that such tactics would
make He claimed that the proposed
license was not fair to the dealers. ana
he could not understand why liquor men
should he sought out for such 'persccu-
ton" because he said, he could not call
it anything else. He pleaded that the
liquor business should be taxed as other
calings i'll the city were.
When asked by Mr. Crenshaw, how
many drinks were secured from gallon
Of liuuor. MI Rosene said it depended
on the character of the liquor and OF the
drinkers. This created not d little laugh
ter in the chamber.
4 Loyal Democrat.
Mr.. Henry Gunst opposed the proposed
increase. claiming that it would be inju-
rious to the business. He thought 1t
would be fair to make the license 500
instead of $50 but he did not think the
increase should be any more
He said he wanted it understood that
if the license was placed at 81, 900 it would
not cause him to change his attitude to-
ward the Democratic party, and he die
not believe that il would affect halt
a dozen men in the business. All he
WdIt6t. nc Sdit. was LOU pioS ~ S'AA
he was a Wholesaler but he had the in
terests OF the retailers at heart.
Mr.. George Med. Blake made one of the
hest talks heard during the session. Mr..
Black is grocer who carries bottled
liquor He said he had read the discus
sions III the newspapers; he had heard
it discussed before the Liquor Dealers
Association and before the Finance Com
nittcc. and he mad never been able to
find why the City Council wanted to place
q heavier license on the liquor men. He
had heard no reason for the increase and
said he wanted one given him.
MI Blake deprecated Sunday selling
and argued that high license would force
ont The man who is keeping the law.
He argued that the church, instead of
turning liquor men out, should invlce
them in so as to get the liquor business
into the hands Of the best men. He was
of the opinion that the business would
always exist and the people should help
10 elevate it.
Would Close Him Tn.
He declared that the $500 license would
run him out of the business. He said
he would rather be in the business than
any other. and if the Council would vote
10 run him out of business, God help such
a body of men. He too favored 500
rate snd an excise board OF some sort
When Mr. Blake closed he was accorded
liberal applause from behind the rail.
Mr. kleversal said he believed Mr.. Cren-
shaw was honest in his opinion, but
thought he had permitted it to run away
with him. He said high license in other
cities does not bear Oh the proposition;
that in considering it the negro population
of the city was to be considered. With
that out, he argued the population of
Richmond was not more than 1000.
Mr.. Heslep asked llina how many liquor
dealers in the city We're not members of
tho Liquor Dealers Association. Mr..
JNcvcrsal said that was not a fair ques-
ton and he did not answer it.
Mr.. Crenshaw stated that it has been
claimed before the Finance Committee
that there were 15S saloons not in the
association
Notions and Voting.
Mr.. Pollock. after President Bloomberg
called in vain for more citizens TO speak,
moved that the license be made 500. This
was met with Il demonstration from the
audience. 1t called forth rebulle from
the chair who threatened to clear the
chamber if it occurred again.
Mr.. Heslep offered substitute for the
whole that the license be made $500
Mr.. Winston arose to personal privi-
!cge and asked Mr.. Crenshaw why he had
presented the Observation-Disclosures It was
for the purpose of revenue or otherwise.
MIR Mills asked the ruling of the chair,
whether the adoption of the measure re-
quired majority or a two-thirds' vote.
The ruling was that it took two thirds.
Mr.. Crcnshaw said he was opposed to
the 500 tax and hoped the body would
vote ii down.
Mr.. Pollock said it was the duty of Mr..
Crenshaw to give the body then and there
the benefit of any information he might
have concerning the proposition, and
called upon him to make his argument
then OH the proposed ordinance.
Mr.. Glenn stated that he was prepared
10 vote for the 500 tax and that he did
not believe III taking advantage Of poo
pie just because one had them in power
Mr.. Crenshaw,s Argument.
Mr.. Crcnshaw took the floor and began
his argument for the measure a S reported
by the Finance Committee. He spoke for
q considerable time and was accorded an
attentive hearing by the members of the
Council and by the audience behind the
rail.
He said he had discussed the question
Very thoroughly before the Finance Com
mittee; but he would brifiE recount some
of those arguments. JIe said he had Of
fered the resolution carly so that liquor
dealers could have ample time to meet the
issue If any great change was made. He
did not think the increase was too much
at one time. He said the question was