The Washington times., 1912-04-27
SALOON QUESTION
IN DISTRICT NOW
UP TO THE HOUSE
Stringent Rules Are Provid-
ed BY Excise Bill, Which
Goes Through Senate.

The question whether the District Of
Columbia is going to have stricter ex-
else legislation is now up to the House.
To be more specific, II Is up to the
House Committee on the District Of
Columbia, OF which Congressman John
son of Kentucky is the head.
AS predicted yesterday, the Senate
passed the excise bill late yesterday
afternoon. 1t was passed with minor
amendments. 1t went through almost
unanimously. Senators MARITIME and
Chiffon alone voted in the negative.
The bill passed is the measure framed
by the excise subcommittee of the SEN
ate District Committee. 1t would reduce
the saloons here from over 500 to 300.
| Important features of the bill are:
| Increase of wholesale licenses from
$500 to $500, and of retail licenses from
$500 to $500.
Saloons limited to 800.
No bars in hotels having less than
| fifty rooms.
No saloon within 1000 feet of Aque-
luct bridge.
Saloons at least $50 feet apart.
| Abolition of the free lunch and the
bucket trade. Rushing the growler
prohibited.
No screens or swinging doors no pool
| rooms in connection with saloons.
Sales only between In the morning
|
No saloons in residence districts and
none within 800 feet ,L Of an alley
No saloons near Rock Creek Park or
Dry limits about schools and churches
increased and restrictions against sales
TO minors more stringent. ~
| 1t is generally expected the House
committee will kill the bill, but II -
declared II the House gets a chance at
1t, 1t will pass.
Regulate the Drinker.
The discussion OF the bill was vitriohc.
Senator Hepburn declared for regula-
ton of the drinker, not the sale OF
liouor, He would compel the drinker to
get a license
He said
Iwould favor, as have frequently had
occa sion to state legislation that would
require every person WHO desired TO use
intoxicatin liquors to take out incense,
and that 1t be recorded, and that you
could go to the public onlce any ue ,he
and find out whether a man had had tne
bravery to let the public know N .9a1 r,ae ne
chooses to drink liquor. A lot OF rre.
sponsible bartenders are held up IN 1,,,e ene
| country as the source of this EVIL. Put
the responsibility where 1t belongs, upon
the men who desire to be recognized as
drinkers. where their wives ana tne
other members of their families emu.
merated in this bill can go and see
whether the husband is an avowed
drinking man. Make them brave enough
TO do II, and you will have accomplished
all that needs to be done; There Is
nothing impra racticable about 1t at all.
Make II a crime for the bartendsf or
the person selling the liquor to sell II 70
nry nroydnction of the license It would
break up treating Each man would
have to crady PAY of ms b,s eTn license SeS ana
OF LEGISLATION Iee " that would break up
treating wuld do more to reform the
community or the Individual along these
lines than anything else.
You will eliminate from the laooring
class of the people threefourths OF the
$ number who drink TO-DAY n you vii VIII
u of them because they VII! not spend the
e money for license and others because
would make it. i ayailaSIe to SnSy
= . who took out the license.
e Flags Prohibitionists.
a would not make the license high. A
dollar will accomplish the purpose. and
;. do more for the cause of moderation
= and temperance than all these drastic
- measures.
" The provisions OF this bill would create
q a large number Of criminals within the
l. next twelve months within this town
s. who never expected to be classed as
s criminals. Legislation will not cure al!
l. evils. would be neither inconvenienced
Z manufactured or sold or used. speak
Ie man nor a prohibitionist Prohibition
- discredit. Prohibition parties have beer
ie organized and hired out to politicians
- land l use the term now in the In
e counties and even States. Prohibition
tickets have defeated the best interests
IN Of the country a hundred times where
they have accomplished any good what
IL ever. They have produced hypocrttes
I'd insincerity among men, one man under
he nor Of another mans morals; in viola
re tion of every principle that should gov
el ern in people such as ours.
II Make times good and men busy, and
nv they will not do much drinking. The
statistics of the United States show
a vast increase in the consumption Of
statistics in. the year book issued onl,
few weeks ago and examine thil
II question. When men are unable L
find employment and get credit a
the grocery store they can general!
o. get 1t at the bar, and some men cal
O. perhaps forget their troubles and thi
os hard times surrounding them.
ms this evil take time enough to do /
right. This bill provides for a cheal
e. court, three men at 81, 400 year. L
Is of the people in dealing with thei
l1 own thirst.
ctt You are trying to prevent the evil G
Ui disorders that arise out of the bal
". room. 1t either walks out in the In
trS | dividual or is carried out in the bottl
- or bucket Now, let US strike at thoa
people and make them behave then
- selves. Remember We are not dealin
with an enemy; we are dealing with on
own members Of the community
would esem, from some of the Suggest
ions contained in this bill, that Cor
gress was sitting here to deal with a
nj a nal
son who had no rights. No men al
T., druRg all the time. I will undertake I
re- say that a census will show that theI
I are more sober fools than drunken foo
ne in the United States. There are moi
zee men incapable of managing their ow
'th affairs or the affairs of others who q
an not drink at all than there are anon
those who drink. / have just been d,
Ice ing some thinking about II. l would M
su- vote for a man because he either did
me did not drink liquor. l want some 9th,
investigation or basis upon which
support him. / want to know wheth
-