Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-08
NEARDEER SALOONS
FIGHT COMPETITION
Attack Will Be Based on Chester
official's Opinion Licenses
Are Necessary
MEANS WAR ON BREWERS

ll3 AHe iegauty OIL nehr-peei s"'Vo w
other than licensed establishments unCer
/ the Brooks high license law will be at
tackled by the saloonmen in their fight
against the breweries, following an
4 opinion given by A. A. Cochran, city
solicitor of Chester.
Mr.. Cochran delivered the opinion to
Mayor Mcdowell, of Chester, and 1t
win be used as the basis for an order
n closing the shops selling near-beer at
sChester, unless they pay the regular
filicense. Mr.. Cochran contends sale OF
linear beer by other than licensed saloons
HIS Illegal.
Mr.. Cochrans opinion is based on
1.-The Brooks high license law, adopted
MAY 13, 1887, which provides that 1t
shall be unlawful to keep or maintain
Iany house, room or place, hotel, Inn or
tavern where any vinous. spirltuous.
malt or brewed liquors or any admix-
& Eture thereof, are sold at retail, except
~ license therefor shall have been OBJ
tained as hereinafter provided. =,
Continuing with his opinion, the
y ester city solicitor says:
Purpose of Law
.The Brooks high license law was
| nssed for the purpose of regulating ana
,straining the sale Of vinous and spirit
ous malt or brewed liquors. or any ad-
ixtures thereof. and therefore no one
|F is the right in this state to sell said
iuors, or any admixture thereof,
| ithout first obtaining a license. as
divided by the act. Beer and, like.
E ise, near beer, are brcwed liquors and
,nsequently any one selling or desiring
|fso sell near beer must do so under a
Elicense first obtained as provided by the
act. :,
s.The law provides penalties for SELL
Il ing or offering for sale such beverages
I without license. and. in my opinion, any
|, person who sells or offers for sale near
beer or any similar mixture without
cense Is violating the act and becomes
once subject to the penalties pro-
ided."
while District Attorney Samuel P.
Rotan refused to discuss the opinion
last night, it was said by other law
yers identified with the effort to dis
T entangle questions raised by the war
time prohibition measure to possess
sound logic.
Effect of Ruling
ssSuch a ruling would obviate the
necessity for argument as to whether
4 drink is Intoxicating or not and put
the issue squarely on the question of
Its ingredients" said James j. Cor
/ don, Jr., assistant district attorney.
~ am not especially familiar with the
Brooks law. but if it is as set forth
INV Mr.. Cochran, his opinion seems per-
sfectfy sound"
Francis Fisher Kane. United States
4 district attorney. yesterday applied for
4 the use of the whole police force for the
apprehension of violators of the prohi-
bltion law. but failed to obtain any
4 bromise from Superintendent Robinson.
Nh The federal attorney, declaring him
&self Handicapped by the lack of men in
& His own department and finding Insult :
+ cient the six detectives loaned to him
+ W the municipality. asked that every
batrcln,an in the city be placed at his
Il copntnand Superintendent Robinson
Il asked Mr.. Kane to send him letter
containing a federal Interpretation OF
II the act and the exact work which he
wA4fited the police to perform.
/ He reminded the federal attorney
that the police bureau had no chemist
\ to analyze liquors which might be con
fscated during Investigations and that
there was no appropriation by Councils
4 for enforcing the federal law.
Mr.. Kane promised to furnish the
data desired and Mr.. Robinson said he
would stake the matter up with Di-
rector Wilson"
Civil war is a possibility if the sale
Of beer is continued, in the opinion of
DR.. b. e. F. Prugh, chairman of the
prohibition state committee, which is
Ito meet at Harrisburg today. Doctor
4 Prugh sees only woe and ruin in case
there is not "a revival of Righteousness
II our land"
4 Describes Situation
M The doctor. in calling his meeting
Eat which plans for enforcing the bone
Edry parts of the new amendment viii
be discussed, tells how Harrisburg
4 brewers deliver their products openly
and continues:
ssJuly /, which was to be the advent
II OF wartime prohibition, has come, ant
reports from all over the land show III
\ the real lawiessness of the legalizet
outlaw, as the liquor traffic has lont
f been called. The way in which th'
franc has been defying the law, ant
z the way in which it has been able t.
Il subject some of the courts of land int
doing its bidding, and the way even ou
President has been led to lend himsel
TO seeking the perpetuation of its ne
farious life, ought to be enough t.
show any thinking man the necessit!
OF its death. Never before in the his
4 tory of our country has any body O.
men been seen to be so high handed
In their doings and so utterly unwill
ing to submit to law since antebellun
4 days. when the slavery question pro
/ sluced very like results.
eve do not want another civil war
hut il we are not to have a taste o
ii In some parts of our land thos
who are. in authority will have t
7 awake to sense of their obligations
to enforce the law. Too long has tn
spirit which would obey only such law
81 es are pleasing been allowed to exist