New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-07
Law Us. APPETITE.


The last Legislature Of our State, at the so
licitation of many of the best citizens OF this
metropolis, passed an act regulating the sale OF
intoxicating Drinks in this City, Kings, and
Richmond Counties BY this act, the licensing
of vendors Of the beverages in question was
confided to the Board of Health, whereof the
Police Commissioners form q part. The sale
of such beverages is forbidden on Sunday and
between midnight and daylight of other days
None who will not conform to these and other
wholesome restrictions are to be allowed to
sell at all; and the Police is empowered to
stop the sale of liquors by those who are un-
licensed. In short, the act is another attempt
not to prohibit the sale Of Intoxicating Drinks,
but to render the Liquor Traffic less flagrantly
defiant than hitherto of the dictates OF mo-
rality and decency"
AT once the cry was set up that 1T was UNI
constitutional and the lower stratum of judges,
who owe their position to our innumerabie
grog-shOps and hope to retain 1t by earning
their continued favor, gave opinions accord
ingly. Many hundreds of injunctions were
granted by these libels on the judicial station,
and the enforcement of the restraining sections
of the act thereby Distracted. It's partial en-
forcement for a few weeks largely diminished the
aggregate of Sunday debauchery and crime in
our city and Brooklyn; but the grog-shop judges
reopened the foodgates of not and rowdyism,
and the desolating torrent has since rushed and
roared at will. The Board of Excise, being
estopped by iniunctions fyom enforcing the law
against many of the worst offenders, concluded
to await the action of the higher courts
That action has Mt length been completely
had. BY unanimous decisions of the Supreme
Court Gid District and Court of Appeals, the
law is adjudged constitutional in letter and
spirit. In aggregate and detail. The Cardozo-
McCunn iniunctions are blown TO the winds;
the Boards of Excise and of Police virtually
instructed to go on and enforce the law. And
they have accordingly given notice that they
henceforth wiH enforce it, and that rum-sellers
and law breakers must take due notice and
govern themselves accordingly.
Tie Sunday Mercuy-which aspires to tho
championship of the Liquor interest-now gives
notice that the Courts are TO be defed as the
Legislature has been--that the Rum Traffic is
above legal regulation or control IL says
ain short the Excise LAWS an unauthorized attack
upon the liberties Of the people No Legislature h mo
right to prescribe either what We sha eat or Wlst We
shall drink Neither Is 1t empowered TO make Moham-
than Congress has the power 10 dicte 10 free people
the ora Lords Prayer Win orders to adopt ~
MichaeIs day The law ia unjust It Il an outrage upon
our manhood and we do not hesitate to counsel steady
resistance its execution. When IL is seen that the peO-
Die who are the masters esoyed 10 treat the obnox-
fous law with contempt, our rural legislators VINO are inc
servants Of the people, must repeal IT, ana they WILL
in order TO show our readers how free and
liberal are the notions of The Mercury and its
patrons, we cut from one Of its advertising
columns the following suppressing only the
addresses of the advertisers:
TWO YOUNG SOLDIERS, FULL OF FUN,
and music want 20 correspond With al me HnoynE ana
respectable Correspondents wanted Address with real naiue
A YOUNG GENTLEMAN OF PROPOSES.
sRs lS'I' s se aS' y r sss
OBJECT mutual enjoyment Address with the fullest sondenee
A GENTLEMAN, preparing to visit Europe
Young LADY personal attraction education and rrhneneH com
A YOUNG GENTLEMAN desires making the
"A Of some and ,ssss ySyp sSa Who ecsu
appreciate true and noble nature. Address -.
LNUN AHEAD Two young Nobby Sports,
,os; Of sss. ssS "1 address ss e- '''
YoHSG and geRP ss to Ml pe%sa & as.s
home comforts and wiling to pay literally Cala--'
is any one surprised that a journal which
deems such advertisements proper and decent
should hate and defame the Excise Law2
The law-abding, order-lOving people of
this City and vicinity must rally around the
P6lico and Excise Boards and sustain them In
unfolding and enforcing the most righteous,
beneficent act of our last Legislature. 1t will
dry the tears of thousands of abused and suf
fering wives and satisfy the hunger of tens of
thousands of tipplers' children. Thoroughly
enforced, that act will save millions of dollars
per annum to the poor of our City which now
find their way on Sundays into the rumsellers'
tills. Christians! philanthropists stand by the
law