Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-24
HIGH LICENSE ISSUE
UPPERMosT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION
IN MANY CIRCLES.

The agitation over the question of high
license for drinking resorts or prohibition in
| the District of Columbia is still the upper
most topic in church. temperance saloon
and other circles in Washington. Activity
is noticeable in several quarters, and i'm
! portant meetings will soon be held by or
Examinations interested on both sides of this
question.
| The Rechabites particularly the one
hand, and the Retail Liquor Dealers AS
| ISOLATION on the other, said to be pre-
pairing for action.
The statement was made by policemen to-
| day that the spectacle of men and women,
| and sometimes even children, drinking from
| GROWERS of lager beer on street corners
| and in alleys yet be seen in some parts
| Of Washington. The proposed $4,000 per
annum liquor license caused number Of
| persons to call at the rooms of the excise
/ board today. These callers had conflicting
| opinions to the question of high license
and prohibition, which was exclusively
given in The Star Saturday and yesterday.
Interest in the Outcome.
| It Is understood that several organiza-
| lions on both sides of the question are ar
| ranging to take action in the premises.
| The Independent Order of Rechabites in
| particular has expressed through its high
| officers its keen interest In the outcome OF
| the present agitation
High Chief Ruler Wayne w. Cordell has
sent kilograms to members of the High
Tent board of directors to come to WASH
| inston at once to attend session of that
body on matters of the greatest moment.
Communications just received by Mr. Cor
| dell are to the effect that the recent prea eh-
| ing OF sixty temperance sermons in as
many Washington churches on the same
Sunday, at the request of Mr.. John C.
Moore. then high chief ruler and Mr. Cor
fnC fI,o
Order of Rechabites had played a most
important part in bringing about the agi-
tation which Is now In progress against the
| unlimited sales of cheap beer and the con-
seQuent disorders and crime
High Chief Ruler Cordell sent kilograms
| to the following MEMBERS of the board of
directors to attend an extraordinary session
Of that body to be held tomorrow evening
at his office, 461 street northwest: Steph-
en- ]. PAUL, Calumet Mich: James White,
GAINESVILLE, Ohio; William Hamilton, Mid
burg, Pa; ]. J. Coulter, Annapolis Md; L.
d. Lyles Alexandria, Va Besides these
| past High Chiefs John c. Moore and John
r. Mahoney and High Secretary w. B
Kelly will attend the meeting, which will
take important action, 1t is said, on the
conditions in Washington and the high
| license war.
1t is also said the organizations of the
| local liquor dealers and that of the bar
tenders will also meet and take important
action on these matters.
The high officers of the Rechabites ex-
press pr the themselves as elated at the prospect
Washington, and say the agitation will give
added impetus to the temperance campaign
| they will conduct this winter.
Views of a Brewer
Albert Garry. president of the National
Capital Brewing Company, discussing the
talk OF putting stop to the sale Of beer
in "growlers in the District, said today:
II am at a loss to understand the source
of the present agitation. The war between
the Drawers has been going on now for
three years, and during all this period GER
tain kinds of beer were sold cheaply and
/ feel that the evil consequences of 1t,
Gs described, do either not exist or are
greatly exaggerated. This cheap beer is so
light and contains so little alcohol that it
is impossible to get drunk it, unless one
would have stomach of superhuman
dimensions.
Even the best American beers contain
seldom over 31a per cent Of alcohol, but
naturally enough of this cheap local beer
: contains considerably less. Nevertheless
it is pure and wholesome, and 1 venture to
say that If any man is found drunk or
boisterous from the effect of drink. the
cause is not beer, but cheap whisky.
There prevails among certain class of
people prejudice against beer which is
wholly unjustif1ed. AS to its effects, they
generally draw on their imagination. Yet
as long as people will use some stimulant,
and that will probably be for many CEN
turtles, it seems to me that it is much bet
ter they drink beer than whisky, which
contains about twenty times as much alco-
hol beer. The well-to-do have bottled
beer sent to their houses, an article the
poor man cannot afford. To deprive the
latter of the growler seems to me to be
unjust to them. 1t can have no other eff
! feet but to drive him into the saloon, or
to cause him to buy some miserable cheap
| stuff which is sold under the name Of whis-
! ky-so cheap that one can buy for cents
! more alcohol than there is in three gallons
| of beer.
Yet nobody speaks of preventing the sale