The High-License Fight of 1885
As Seattle grapples with the rise of saloons, local temperance advocates and city officials debate the 'high license' strategy to curb the city’s drinking problem.
The story, cleaned up
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The policy of St. Paul, Minnesota, following its adoption of the high license, is a subject of great interest. At a meeting held to discuss the issue, Bishop Ireland argued that the saloon traffic was a 'fearful conspiracy against humanity.' In St. Paul, the high license law reduced the number of saloons from 574 to 474, and the increase in population was matched by a decrease in drinking-related arrests. In Seattle, the debate is heating up. Ordinance No. 637, currently before the City Council, seeks to raise the cost of a liquor license to $300 a year, hoping that by taxing the trade heavily, the city can discourage the proliferation of drinking establishments. Supporters argue that the 'poor man' who supposedly wants cheap saloons is actually a fabrication of wealthy distillers who fear the regulation of their industry. They claim the current saturation of saloons—one for every 100 people—leads directly to lawlessness, violations of Sunday closing laws, and the corruption of youth. The ordinance mandates stricter oversight, requiring saloon owners to file bonds and prove their character to the Council before a license is granted, marking a new phase in Seattle’s ongoing battle with the social costs of alcohol.
“The policy of high license does not mean because that which it does will remain; I will not repeat your story of intemperance—the story is well known, and we do not exaggerate when we say it emanates from the liquor trade.”
This 1885 struggle over saloon regulation and the 'high license' fee mirrors contemporary debates in Seattle regarding land-use policy, commercial zoning, and the regulation of businesses that impact neighborhood quality of life. Just as the city then struggled with the density of saloons, current residents remain locked in debates over how much control city government should have in restricting the character of our commercial corridors.
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