Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07

l years ago In washington thAt wefs
regarded by some OF tht
Hard Coal people as extortionat
NJ and there was some OF
| the same "profteerinE'
talk then as now. In The Star OF
September 1. 1853. is a letter which
follows:
| Anthracite undertakes to defend
the dealers in coal against the COM
plants made on account OF the ex-
travagant prices now asked for thai
article and wishes the consumers te
understand that their complaints are
groundless so far as he and other
dealers are concerned. 1 do not pro-
pose to enter into the merits Of the
question beyond one point. 'Anthra.
cite is right in saying that the prtSf
the dealer pays has nothing to dc
with the question save so far as that
| II he pays, say, IS per ton ana IRON
any cause excepting conspiracy &c
advance the price, the market value
! increases to 50 or even $40. he has
right to charge accordingly; but it is
! an old maxim that it is poor rule
that won't work both ways: and or
| that point we have just cause ioi
complaint Dealers in washington
are posted once or twice day. by
telegraph, on the fluctuations in ths
market If the price goes up at the
north it goes up here. II 1t goes down
| at the north the price is not reduced
here. One of the largest dealers in
| this city was asked last winter why
the price was not reduced mere. thers
| being a material reduction in the
north. The answer was We can sell
\ just as much at present prices, and fof
that reason We are not disposed to re-
| duce.' To another dealer customer
remarked. You gentlemen are sure to
know when the price Of coal goes up.
| but you never know when 1t comes
down The answer was: We DON
want to know that Is Anthracite
| either of the two referred to!
| IF the wood and coal dealers were
| the only ones to pursue this course IN
our city we would be mucn more L1
tunate than we are: but 1t is the mis-
fortune of housekeepers In Washine-
ton that a large portion Of the deal
ers in the necessaries Of life shave US
either in the same way or in iignt
| weights and measures. Tne nohes'
| merchant will, in the end, reap his re-
ward"
The Rockville fair was in progress
at this time fifty years ago. drawing
| numbers OF people
Ip.l-;,I. Eo;r from Washington n
we'll as from the
Transport. surrounding coun.
+-v IF was not as easy to reach, now
ever then as now. There WERE Of
course. no automobiles. Nor were
49,. electric cars, and the Metropoli-
tan branch of the Baltimore ana oh'e
wa. not vet in operation. So the oniS
nav for those who had no carriages
Of their own was to take the stage
nd there is to be found in the advsf.
Using columns OF Inc o.ar a
| "FJo. for the Rockville 1air! ms
ala and reliable United States Man
IN. has reduced the fare to ~ pei
round trip during the fair. septemoe,
i, 2 and 3: Buy you your t tssks and IA ~ 6
Street. between 9Th and 7th streets
general stage office.
The question Of separate political
marty devoted to the prohibition cause
was being discussed
r.,:.;.. half a century ago
AA"AA'A eliciting the following
Movement. editorial in The star
of September 4, 1868: ~
"The national temperance conVen-
ton is hammering away at the I'M
practicable project Of forming ma
tional prohibitory liquor law party
| The convention is led of by such i'm
practicable. visionary men as Garri''
Smith, and the movement is opposed
by the sagacious old wheel horses OF
the temperance party, Edward T.
Delayan. for instance. He writes to
the convention that he had always
been in favor of employing moral sua-
sion to induce as many as possible 10
abandon the use and sale OF intoxi,
eating liquors as drink, ana mora
whatever his party, that it was his
duty to his God. hfs family and HE
country to use his ballot to destroy
the license system. He Is opposed 10
! the formation of separate party
which would exhaust itself0in trying
to attain that end. but it would ap-
peal to the total abstainers and pro-
hibitionists within their respective po-
litical circles to make use OF their ut
most influence to bring about the de-
thoughtful, practical men throughout
the country Identified with the tenn
Lperance cause. 1t is folly to attempt
to make a national issue for the adop-
ton of sumptuary laws when the ma
tional government has no jurisdic-
ton to prohibit the sale Of liquors.
The convention at Chicago may do
good in calling public attention to
the evils of intemperance, but will ut
terly fail in it's purpose OF creating a
or$xr ta lNvuy
up existing political organizations"