Evening star., 1934-01-21
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Sentiment against the overhead wires
was steadily increasing in this country
o,ros;.;o so years ago.
oppos4l4oA 10 especially on the
Overhead Wires. score b,,i1d,nas 81 tns use
supports for the electric Conductors,
The Star of January %. 1884, thus re-
lates bit Of direct action on the part
Of property owner in another city:
Another bold man has been fighting
the overhead wires in Philadelphia, and
the account he gives of his experience
TO reporter illustrates the disposition
OF the companies to override private
rights. The citizen. who keeps a hotel
was much annoyed by the wires on the
roof, which had become a nuisance and
a damage. What bothered him most.
however, was the visits of the linemen
TO repair the wires. These employees
he said. would run in day and night
and tramp through the hotel as If they
owned 1t. To stop this practice he for
bade their entrance whereupon they
sought access BY the servants door.
Denied this, when discovered, they
climbed up the fire escape To foil this
scheme the proprietor, cut of the lower
clrcumvented him again by making step
ladders Of themselves and climbing on
each others shoulders until they could
reach the shortened stairway Driven
to desperation, the hotel men now or
dered every wire passing over the roof
to be cut, and cut they were. 80 In all.
but the next day on glancing upward
he saw nine new wires stretched over
his roof"
The question of liquor licenses was
under discussion in the District half a
century ago as now. The
Frotest or Star of January "a. 1884,
Petition saws:
There can hardly be
any doubt that the sentiment of this
community, could 1t find expression
would be largely against that particular
recommendation of the District Com
missioners to the Senate District Com
mittee. which requires that the protests
Of neighboring residents and property
holders should be obtained in order to
prevent the issuing of a liquor license
instead of petition in its favor be-
ing necessary as now to justify the is
suance of the permission or authority
sought Keeping out of view for the
moment all questions of morals or SEN
timent involved in the liquor traffic. or
any other pursuit, subject to legal for
malities or police surveillance. it seems
to us to be sound principle that those
who want a particular thing somewhat
out Of the common should be willing
to take the trouble Of getting 1t In ac-
cordance with such regulations as may
be prescribed. instead of putting upon
those who object or may be Indifferent
to it the labor and responsibility of
preventing it.
The objection urged to the present
license plan by the Commissioners Is
that it is liable to the abuse of black
mailing by unprincipled persons. is not
entitled to serious consideration and
will not probably have much weight
with rejecting people. 1t is possible
that men have taken and may again
take advantage of the power they pos
sess in regard to applications for IL
cense, or permit their objections to be
balanced by money consideration. but
to take into account. 1t must be re-
membered. Furthermore, that In this
country no person is obliged by law or
public sentiment to follow any particu-
lar business, and when people choose
to enter upon calling about the pro-
priety or moral effect Of which there
may exist honest differences Of opinion,
they should not regard it a hardship
If required to first obtain the consent
Of a majority Of those recognized as
rightfully to be affected personally or
in their property rights by the place
where and the person by whom 1t is to
be conducted Least Of all. one would
think, should the public authorities
seek to reverse the very proper rela-
tions now existing between applicants
and the public"