The Washington times., 1912-05-23

Senator Works-Do you not think II
would make your license worth more
money IL the number of saloons were
reduced, and would 1t not tend to make
possible?
Mr.. Harvey-That suggestion would,
off hand, be apparently an advantage.
Then 1t has its drawbacks. II would
a monopoly of II to certain extent.
1t would put the business in the hands
OF a few, and to the few places all
the people would have to go. Now, all
are not the same caliber of people, ac--
cording to their own idea. Some of
them feel that they do not care to as
sociate and mingle with some other
II the saloons OF Washington, or the
liquor Establishments, were confined to
a small territory, and ! believe that
idea is in keeping somewhat with your
bill, Senator-and the license was very
high. the people that come from all
parts of the city and all parts Of the
world who desire to be supplied with
liquor would all have to patronize In
churchmen, If might say it, the states
men, and the business men, their en-
ployes, and those whom they did not
care to mingle with or associate with
go to the same place to get what they
desired. And our desires, in many in
stances, are much the same, whether
we are rich or poor, and particularly
sor,fa so far as our appetites are con-
Those people. as say, that perhaps
would not make 1t very agreeable to
associate with other people even In
saloon or a wholesale liquor establish
ment, II there is another class OF place
where they can be accommodated in
their own way, in the manner In which
they want to be accommodated, and to
be by themselves, without associating
or interfering or pushing themselves
upon people who perhaps do not desire
their company.
Senator works-Then you do have
class distinctions even in the saloons
in Washington?
Mr. Harvey--I am not in favor of
class distinctions. / am opposed to
class legislation. I am now speaking
from observation, and say that patrons
0t auof d s;d surss m oo s,bow hos ar ga e,bow With
all other men. While they regard them
as men in their places and desire to
meet them, they do not want to sit
down to eat and drink with then;
Of places to accommodate different
tastes.
Senator Thurston.
In discussing the questions Of saloons
in the southwest section Of the city, ex-
liquor interests, said:
DR.. Spooner-Mey 1 ask Senator
Thurston a question?
Mr.. Thurston-Certainly.
DR.. Spooner-Are you acquainted with
the conditions in the southwest? l live
there. Are you acquainted with the con-
ditions there?
Mr. Thurston-Not at all. sir.
DR.. Spooner-You do not know how
many saloons there are west of Seventh
street?
Mr. Thurston-I do not know anything
the other side of Pennsylvania avenue
in my life, except a few times to get
to. the wharf, or to go to the Agri-
cultural building or some other building.
Smithsonian Institution, on B street.
Mr.. Thurston-When have been
through there on the street car l have
not liked the looks of things in that
pf1r pr. s spooner"fhank on you. Let me say
this to you. Senator: West Of Seventh
street. between Seventh and Fourteenth
streets down to the river, there are very
Seventh street to Fourteenth street
down to the river. there is just iittlo
cluster OF saloons. There are. from
the Acknowledgement OF Mr.. Harvey
down in the southwest, and nearly all
Of those saloons are east Of Seventh
street, including Seventh street. and
south Of B street, bounded on the east
by South Capitol street. They are near
ly all of them in that region.
Mr.. Thurston-I know that is a pretty
hard part OF the town. and 1 know from
what l have read and been told that
IN that part OF the town. do not think
1t grows so much out of the saloons,
but out of the character of the popula-
ton, the poverty of the people, and the
Ignorance Of the people living there.
"a orQ "a a av,1 AaI
gether in that locality as thickly as
they are-I believe that out of that re-
gion comes a very large proportion of
all our trouble in the Police Court. '''
Adjusting Conditions.
II would say that from my stand
point, If it were my duty to take care
Of proper adjustment of the saloon
business in residential portions of a
city, I would see to 1t that I took care
Of the liquor conditions in the poorer
parts Of the city, and did It, first, be-
cause whatever danger there is from
the use of liquor It is always more dan
gerous in what you might call-per-
haps I ought not to call It that--the
low communities in the ignorant quar-
ters than there is among the people of
standing who live in their own houses
or else live in comfortable houses and
are fairly we'll to do in the world"
DIR. Spooner-That is exactly our con-
tention.
Mr.. Thurston-WeIl. I stand for that,
and think every thoughtful man does.
During the progress of the hearings
Mr.. Harvey said:
We have heard very much about south
Washington. Two years ago under sim
liar circumstances at a hearing in this
city Father O'Rourke, said, LAS a priest
/ go among our people at all times of
the day and night. and south Washing
ton is very much maligned. Very few
people know anything about 1t except
what they read in the newspapers.
There are a great many of the poorer
classes OF people there and a great many
OF the colored race. Nearly every Sun
day 1 go through the parish and I new
er see a barroom open" That was
Father O'Rourke. And today the gem
tlcmep who are present here will recall
that Father O'Rourke said he was born
in south Washington. That afterward
he became priest az St. Dominic's.
which was one of the largest Catholic
parishes west of Philadelphia. Today I
have asked Father Meagher his sue
cessor, to come up and say something
to the committee in relation to south
Washington, of which SO much has been
said
Father Meagher's Testimony.
Father ]. r. Meagher testified at some
length regarding his views upon the
liquor traffic, and then said:
Just one word now In conclusion,