Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-09-21
LICENSE As IT IS IN
NATIONAL CAPITAL

Na4hankto II. L., sept Iu-tEFcC-
iall-A favorte argument to. prove
prohibition a failure used by those
who support and march under the
banner Of John Barleycorn is that you
see men drunk In Maine. Everybody
is familiar with that old one about
| seeing small boy drunk on Congress
| street in Portland. Maine. They alS
ways follow this up by explaining how
| under the benefcent workings Of To-
cal option or license no such thing
could be: that there would be no vi
olations OF the law.
Splendid. A big argument in favor
Of license-if it were only true
II will, most likely, be admitted by
| all advocates OF license that this city,
the Nations Capitol, is an excellent f.
lustration Of the workings Of license.
The excise law here is as good as any
in the country. II is as well enforced
as any, probably better than most
places.
What is the result,
II scarcely lives up TO the claims Of
the rro-lieense advocates
Careful observation will convince
anyone that the claim Of less drunk
enness in a license place than in a
prohibitory town is not sustained by
Washington. D. c.
Now. YOU won't see a drunken man
every time YOU travel along Pennsyl-
vania avenue between the Peace Mon
ument and Fifteenth street: you won't
see person under the influence of
liquor on F street, y. w, between
Seventh and Fourteenth, each time
you traverse that section, but from
time you Go see them there. Mostly
you see them stagger out OF bar
room, this is on the Avenue. across
the sidewalk TO a taxi. There are few
er bars in F street, but there are lots
Of them on The intersecting thorofares
| and close 20 the business street, and
i is from those that the drunks you
see on T, ccme from. But While YOU
don't always see INTOXICATED men in
these mentioned sections, you only
have TO take { swing down through
I the southwest section Of the city to
see what conditions Of sohriety exist
under license.
Down there you see drunks and lots
CT them. You see men and women
both under the influence. You see
them in other sections of the city, too.
Now under all license laws selling
LIQUOR on Sunday is forbidden, vet one
sees many intoxicated persons on the
streets Of Washington Of a Sunday. !
Only last Sunday afternoon the writer
saw on c street. Northwest, between
New Jersey Avenue and First street.
q drunken negro stretched out on the
sidewalk. unable 10 move. He lay
there screa aiming, crazy drunk. Ohvi-
ously he must had gotten liquor some.
where. This was within three blocks
OF the Capitol building.
OF course. they always tell YOU that
/ enc reason why licensed saloons are
conducive to sohriety and less drink
Ing is that man goes in and buys q
drink and does not take a bottle out
with him. Perhaps. il does. hut ohser-
walton in Washington won't bear the
assertion out. Walk through the resi-
Dental sections most any morning and
observe the number Of empty LIQUOR
bottles On the sidewalk. thrown on
private lawns and in the gutter. That
Will answer the statement that men
% not buy bottles Of liquor in IL
Cense community.
There is another feature Of il which
must certainly appeal to all. Women
are not allowed in the bars. Indeed
10. Aut. and this is the nice feature,
therc arr cafes where women are
served IT tables. During the present
f;nlner tho police have been request
&c 70 search for young girls who have
1e-orle missing. Most Of then-one q
r0,iceman's daughter-have been
found within week. Their stories
have all been the same: Visiting one
q these establishments. taking drink
or two, then a motor ride to one of the
roa adhouses over the district line in
Maryland and-well. it's the same ola
story-another young girl gone wrong.
Sure, il makes one approve of Ii
cense'
Take trip. say, 70 the Alharhra.
ore Of the various beer gardens. At
tractive. to be sure Good music.
bright lights, courteous walters. A lot
Of tables arranged under trees outside.
for those who prefer the open air in
summer. other tables on the inside in
a large attra ctively decorated dining
room Bar? Oh, no; that's on the
ether side Of the wall reached hy
double swinging doors Of mahogany.
Foods are server here. Mostly il is
crabs either hard or soft shelled. But
they are simply an excuse for beer.
All tho hahitues Of the place will. with
very solemn mein. assure Won that il
is DANGEROUS to eat crabs unless yon
drink beer. Drink beer" they will
saw. "and a crab will never give YOU
indigestion or trouble you" They live
UP to their advice.
Here. on pleasant evenings, from 9
until near midnight. you will find the
nIace crowded with boys and girls,
men and women. Yes; tina; stands.
hovs and girl. and they'll al: re drink
ing their beer, as we'll as eating their
crabs.
Possibly such a condition tends tn
reduce drinking. possibly il increases
sohr;e+v hut what DO you say