Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-22
Rriest Makes Plea for Present
License System.
CITkS SAD SIGHTS OF MAINE
Insists That Sumptuary Laws Fail
to Operate.
uLE-L0Na PETITION RECEIVED
Representative Of Personal Liberty
League, q Teetotaller, Quotes
Horrible Example,"

1OII1Olo 688uPI0s
Laurel. Md. was held up as "a horrible
example" during the course Of the pro-
hibition hearing before the House Dis
trict committee this morning. This was
another wet day. and several oppo-
nents Of the bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Sims of Tennessee. which pro-
vides for absolute prohibition in the Dis
trict Of Columbia. were heard.
Rev. Father ORourke Of st. Dominic's
Catholic Church was the first speaker.
He said that from observation and from
experience he thought the present law in
the District with reference to the liquor
trafiic was ideal. and. in fact. through its
provisions for signatures. ETC.. In the OBJ
tanning of licenses. was really a prohioi-
ton law. Father O'Rourke said that the
southwest section OF the city was very
much maligned by people who talked
about 1t without knowing anything about
1t. He went among the people day and
night and he had never found any condi-
lions such as would make him believe
that the best interests Of his flock de-
manded the passage of an absolute pro.
hibition law.
Queer Things In Maine.
He had at ono time spent several weeks
in Portland and Old Orchard. in the pro.
hibition state of Maine. There was
drug store on every corner in these two
towns, and several times when he had
gone in for . glass of soda water he was
asked IL he didn't want something strong
er in 1t. And in these places. Father
o'Rourke said, he had seen more drunk
enness than he ever saw anywhere else
before. Prohibition. from his observation.
did not prohibit there, and 1t would not
prohibit here, for he called attention 70
the fact that for five cents q resident OF
Washington could take q ride on one Oh
the Alexandra ferries. on which, as soon
as the vessel left the wharf. the par was
thrown open. Any one could do this, even
II the District had prohibition law. eno
one could not only buy liquors on the
boat, but could bring home what was de-
sired.
tive q question by Representative Sims
az to whether 1t would not be q good
thing to remove all saloons from resi-
Dental sections. II saloons were ob1ec-
tionable in residential sections. Fatner
O'Rourke said. the residents there could
get rid of them under the present law oy
protesting over their signatures.
$50 you think the present law Is ideal!'
queried Mr.. Sims.
Eyes. I do" replied Father O'Rourke.
Charles w. Darr. who said he repre-
scented the Personal Liberty League, with
more than five thousand members. was
THE next speaker. These five thousand
men, Mr.. Darr said. were of voting age
and they were all against any prohibition
law and all In favor Of leaving untouched
the present law governing the liquor
trafiic In the District Of Columbia.
Anti-Prohibition Petition.
Mr.. Darr then placed on the table be-
fore the members of the committee a
monster petition wound around . rolling
pin and bearing 22.17s signatures Of men
Of voting age In the District Of Columbia.
He said these signatures were all volun-
tsry, having been secured without special
solicitation. Unrolled. the petition would
reach more than q mile. or further than
from the Capitol to the Treasury De-
pertment.
from choice, but strenuously objected to
being made q teetotaler by legislation.
He said he never took medicine when his
neiehbor had headache and he would
not consent to have his neighbor pre-.
scribe what he should or should not
drink It was not the use, but the abuse
Of liquor that did harm, and he expressed
the belief that among users Of whisky
and other highly intoxicating drinks not
more than one in two thousand was
drunkard.
More than q million and q quarter dol
lars, Mr.. Darr said, was paid into the
treasury of the District every year by
the liquor interests, either directly or i'm
directly. He wanted to know how this
great sum, or rather the deficit that
would result were an absolute prohibition
bill passed, would be made up. He sug-
gested that not one OF the many preachers
to urge the passage Of prohibitory legis-
lAtion had suggested that he was will
ing to have church property In the Dis
trict taxed In order to make I'D the sum
that would be lost IL the revenue from
liquor business was cut OF.
The Sad Case Of Laurel.
Mr.. Darr insisted that he had personal
knowledge of the fact that prohibition
does not prohibit He said that he used
to live in Laurel. Nd. having taken up
his residence there when the town was
dry. That Is. he explained. q prohibition
law was in force. and officially the town
was 'dry.' Actually 1t was wet" For,
he said. on both sides Of the main street
in those days were dozens Of places where
soft drinks. and. ostensibly only soft
drinks, were sold. But anybody who
wanted "hard'' drink could have a soft
drink spiked" for the asking He told
Of going into one OF these places with
the then sheriff Of the county. and the
sheriff of the county took q 'stick'' in
his and invited Mr.. Darr to do the same
Then the town went wet and condi.
tons became much improved.
The "speakeasieS" went out OF business
In hurry. for. with an open bar in the
town there was no incentive for anybody
to patronize these blind tigers" Since
then the town had again gone dry" Mr..
Darr said. and conditions Of the old dry
days have come back. that is speak.
easies" by the dozen are dourishink. he
said, and. to his knowledge, there had
never been conviction for the surrep-
titious or unlawful sale Of LIQUOR In
Laurel.
There were "speakeasies'' I'm Washing
ton. too, Mr.. Darr said. and 80 Der cent
Of them were in the Districts only pro-
hibition territory, that Is. within the con.
fines Of the mile limit.
Attorney Shoemaker Of the Anti-Saloon
League took exception to this statement
and endeavored to interrupt. but was sat
ana subsided.
Mr.. Sims wanted to know I'm this CON-
nection II there were not q number Of
cases in the District OF persons who hsd
paid the federal liquor tax and were sell.
Ing liquor, although they had no District
license in other words, conducting
''speakeasies." He also asked why II was
that the local authorities, who could dis
cover the names Of these people, IL they
cared to do SO, took no action
Mr.. Darr said he didn't believe this was
- q