Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-03
vs.. Beer.

An effort is being made IN the City
Council of this city to modify the Sunday
Liquor Law now in force, so as to permit
the vending of wine and beer on Sunday.
A petition has been circulated among
the saloon keepers and their friends for
this purpose, and an organized effort is
made TO force the measure through the
Council by bringing political influences to
bear upon its members. On the other
hand, a petition praying the Council not
TO modify the law has received over two
thousand signatures. The report of the
Special Committee upon that petition,
published yesterday evening, has the right
tone, and va trnst will prove the keynote
to the action of the Council The report
refers to the fact that it is impossible for
the Council to legalize the traffic in beer
and wine on Sunday, were. they ever SO
much disposed The State Sunday Act
fIs6l makes it unlawful for any one TO
pursue his usual avoeation on the Sab
bath day. Under that law, every bar
room in Cleveland could and should be
closed on Sunday by the police, even
should the Council repeal the present
Liquor Ordinance. Our police force, now
independent of the Council, and just as
much bound to enforce State laws as city
ordinances, could keep the saloons closed
under one law, even should the other be
repealed. The Council cannot, therefore,
v should it desire it, afford relief to
the beer sellers.
But, after all, the strongest argument
against modifying the law lies in in
trinsic justice. If the law is enforced at
all, let it be enforced against all liquors.
If a may sell Rhein wine and lager
beer why may he not sell Scotch ale and
London stout? The reason for the dis
tinction is a political and not a chemical
or philosophical M If the opinion of our
City Fathers was consulted, they would
all avow that a horn of whiskey is as
healthful as a glass OF lager. The modia-
cation in favor oftho latter will be made,
if made at all, because of a desire to catch
the German vote by showing Difference and
preference to the liquor of Vater-land.
Such a course is unworthy the Council
and an insult to the Germans. We do
not believe that the German vote will be
Influenced by the disposition Of the beer
question. We believe that the honest,
fair-minded, intelligent Germans viii
be willing to have the law against the
vending of Intoxicating liquors fairly and
equally enforced, and viii admit that
while the native American goes without
his Bourbon, the German will be able 20
abstain from his beer. Or if he be not so
philosophical, he can be at least practical
enough, as the committee shrewdly sug-
gests, to buy his beer on Saturday, and
drink If al home.
Even if it we're best to distinguish be-
tween malt and spirituous liquors in the
law it viii be impossible to do SC. When
& man sells beer and wine he will sell
whiskey. The police can't help t. He
can't help it himself. And if the law is
modified at all it might rs well be re-
pealed entirely. If the voters of Cleve-
land are ready for this, If they are ready
to see the Sunday quiet of our streets out
ragged by earousal and drunkenness again,
they can find no surer way to bring that
end about than to modify the Sunday
Liquor Law.