The Washington herald., 1912-03-08
THURSTON WANT
PUBLIC OPINION
Ex-senator Tells Committee
Excise Changes Should Be
Backed by People.
MRS. MUsSEY TESTIFIES

Urging that legislation (which is not
backed by public opinion is useless" as
a remedy to conditions, former Senator
Thurston yesterday took the stand be-
fore the Senate subcommittee now inves-
tigating the proposed changes in excise
laws in the District. Senator Thurston,
with Hugh F. Harvey, representing the
Retail LIQUOR Dealers Association, and
Attorney A. e. Shoemaker, OF the Anti
Saloon League, represented the final wit
nesses before the committee
Senator Thurston called attention to
the many laws which have been intro
duced from time to time to do away
with gambling. In spite OF these Jaws,
he added, women of recognized position
continue TO risk money over the bridge
table. This, he said, showed that unless
fortified by public support, laws in them
selves cannot accomplish the end for
which they are enacted
There are many laws which should
stop the playing OF bridge" he said, but
Fwould not like to be the first to try 10
stop it,
Hugh r. Harvey~s argument was based
nthe alleged infringement on personal
liberty by the proposed new laws, which.
he reiterated, created a condition equal
TO prohibition through various restrictive
measures.
Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, vice presi-
dent Of the board Of education, was
among the witnesses before the COM
mittee of Senators earlier in the day.
She protested against the number Of sa-
looms now in operation near the various
public schools OF the city. Near Central
High school, the Polk school, and the
Henry school, she said. were fourteen
saloons.
Another saloon was run opposite the
- = TwHN1 Wa3nNN
near the Business High School. All OF
these she asserted. were detrimental to
the higher morality Of the pupils who
were required TO pass them daily.
Thomas Jesse Jones presented charts
used by the Men and Religion Forward
Movement TO show that the maintenance
Of saloons in the District cost $3,50,oOO
annually, or about S1i10 per capita, in
the northwest section of the city, $l2.70
in the southwest, 500 in the southeast.
and $50 in the northeast. He further
more showed that the precincts in which
the greatest number of arrests occurred
during the year were those where the
largest number OF saloons were main
tained.
An interesting bit of description was
furnished by Harry Robinson, a motor
man, who was called to attest the con- |
ditions along Seventh street northwest. |
Robinson made the assertion that eight |
out of ten accidents on this street had |
been caused by drunken men trying to |
catch cars. |
He added that the corner of Seventh |
and X streets northwest seemed a
rendezvous for intoxicated persons. He
described an occasion one night when an
eighteen-year-old girl was put on a street
car he was operating, in such c0ndi- |
tion OF inebriety that she could not stand.
William F. Gilmore sent in a letter IA
Voring changes in the excise laws. He is
a member of the Arnalgamated Society of
Carpenters and Joiners, which is incor-
porated abroad. President Milton SHELL
ings, Of Central Labor Union, called at |
tention to the fact that the society had
been expelled from Central Labor Union. |
Rev. S. II. Woodrow. pastor of the !
First Congregational Church; Rev. J. |
Milton Waldrun. of Shiloh Baptist |
Church; Attorney A. B. Browne. and |
George Francis Williams were among |
those urging stricter excise laws. |
Prof. Irving Fisher, of Yale, gave sta
tistics to show how the death rate had
grown less in certain foreign countries
with lessened use OF alcohol. =