Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-23
SALE OF INT0XICANTS
Hearing on Proposed Restric-
tive Measure.
ARGUMENTS TODAY
DALzELL BILL PROHIBITING
TRAFFIC ON HOLIDAYS. .
Commissioners Confer With Citizens
for and Against Measure-The
Varied Interests.

Arguments Tor ana against IdVOTdDle
report on the Dalzell bill. for the prohibit
| ton of the sale Of intoxicating liquors In
| the District Of Columbia on certain holi-
days, were listened to this afternoon by the
| board Of Commissioners Arraigned on the
| one side were representatives of the Anti
| Saloon League of the District, the Woman's
| Christian Temperance Union, the Christian
Endeavor Union, the Lutheran Young Peo-
| pies Union, the Independent Order of JON
| adabs, the Independent Order of Good
| Templars and others. The opposing forces
were found in the representatives Of the
| Federation of Liquor Dealers of the Dis
| trict of Columbia, whose attorney, ex-Sen-
ator John NJ Thurston, occupied a seat in
| the center of the room.
Commissioner mcfarland opened the
| hearing by reading the provisions of the
| bill under consideration and the unfavor-
| able reports of the excise board and the
chief of police thereon. He then called
| upon Attorney A. E. Shoemaker, represen-
| Mr.. Shoemaker stated briefly his objections
and those Of his clients to the present con-
dition of affairs. The pending measure.
| he said, was not unconstitutional, according
to decisions rendered in many Of the states.
| The fact that such a large gathering Of
citizens had appeared in favor Of 1t he
though to be potent reason for a favor
| able report by the Commissioners.
Mr.. Owen P. Kellar, president of the Dis
trict Of Columbia Christian Endeavor Union,
also stated briefly his reasons for favoring
the bill, and said that back Of him were
| not only the Christian Endeavorers of the
| District, but those Of the entire country.
He pointed out the special evils of the
holiday selling Of liquor, as he saw them.
Mr.. Canfield's Address.
In behalf of the Anti-Saloon League and
| the Good Templars of the District, Mr.. A.
| N. Garfield addressed the Commissioners in
| favor Of the bill. In all of his long and
| wide experience, he said, he had never seen
| the sale of liquor operate in any other way
| than as a curse. He said he would use
| every bit Of power at his command to
work to secure the passage Of the proposed
measure.
| Mrs. Clinton Smith who stated that she
represented over 1000 Christian women of
| the District, dwelt upon the question from
the standpoint of the mother. She made a
| plea for a favorable report for the sake of
! the children-"our boys" as she put it.
| The custom Of treating on holidays she es-
The important position of the District and
the fact that 1t is looked upon with keen
interest by the country at large was pointed
out by George w. Drew, representing the
Sons of Jonadab. Whatever the action Of
the Commissioners should be- he said 1t
| would be closely scrutinized by people in
| every state and many would be influenced
by it. Therefore he hoped that a favorable
report on the measure would be made.
Spokesman for Churches.
Mr.. e. D. Thompson. on behalf of the
| Methodist Church, and Rev. DR.. Butler.
pastor of the Keller Memorial Lutheran
Church, strongly favored the bill. When
the Commissioners asked Mr.. Shoemaker
how many states prohibited the selling Of
| liquor on holidays the latter was unable
to answer exactly.
Other speakers were Arthur Bishop of the
representing the Christian churches; Prof.
| Smith Of George Washington University
and President Ewin of the Anti-Saloon
League.
| the various speakers of the other side had
concluded their arguments, all within q
| fve-minute limit. Mr.. Thurston rehearsed
| facts which he had gathered from prohibi-
| ton campaigns in the middle west, and gave
| his unqualified opinion that such a law as
| that proposed by Representative Dalzell
was not for the best interests OF any COM
munity. People will go to untold lengths
| in his opinion, to secure what they TOOL
| ishly term their just rights.
| The District has already the most drastic
| license law to be found anywhere, he said,
and further restriction should not be put
| mon the dealers since they are forced to
keep I'D decency and prevent as much orunk-
enness as possible for their own protecuon
under the law. 1t should be strongly shown,
| he urged that actual harm Is coming from
liouor selling on these particular holidays
| that is not found on other days, before the
| measure should be recommended; and also
| that actual good would be accomplished by
| the passage of the measure proposed.
Others in Opposition.
Major Sylvester spoke briefly at the con-
clusion of the ex-senator's speech, calling
attention particularly to the need for more
policemen to prevent disorder on holidays.
This he believed to be of more Importance
I II han
| under consideration.
Chairman Darneille of the excise board
said that it was really in the discretion of
| the board to put those proposed restrictions
| on the liquor dealers and refuse them their
| licenses If they do not abide by them. In
| fact he said, the members of the board
are now considering the enactment of a
| regua ton of this nature for Christmas day.
| But he held such a law would not do any
| good on the ordinary holiday, when, ac-
| cording to his observation, the disorder is
| caused chiefly by youths who have not
| touched liquor of an intoxicating kind.
| Only in communities where there is abso-
| lutte prohibition are laws of this nature in
| force according to Mr.. Darneille.
| At the conclusion Of the hearing, which
| lasted for about an hour, Commissioner
| Mcfarland announced that the Commits
| sioners will consider the arguments made
in the framing up of report on the bill.
Among Those Present.
| Among those present, besides those men,
| toned heretofore, were:
/ In favor Of the BILL. T. Farr, Philip
| Weber, Fabian Columbus, B. N. Wildman,
! G. w. Hill and w. A. Hickey. all members
| Of the Anti-Saloon League; James L. Ewin,
president Of the league; Lieut.. John C.
Daley. grand chief of the Order of Jona-
dabs; Mrs Emma S. Shelton and Mrs. w.
E. De Riemer of the w. c. T. U. and
| others.
Against the rheasure-Myer Fisher, presi-
dent, and George A. Davidson. secretary of
the Federation Of Liquor Dealers.
| The measure which the Commissioners
are considering provides for the closing of
public saloons where intoxicating liquor is
| sold on New Year day, Washingtons
Birthday, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving
| day. presidential election day, Christmas
and Inauguration day. Its citation is H. r.
$685. and it was introduced by Representa-
tive Dalzell of Pennsylvania December 8.
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