The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-05
Enforceme mt of the Sunday Law.

EnfOrCemen mt of the Sunday Law.
THE law prohibiting the disposal of spirtuous
liquors on Sunday is practically dead letter,
and an encumbrance to the statute-book, so
far, at least, as the city of Philadelphia is
concerned. From the day on which the law
went into effect until the present, a number of
liquor dealers in the city have complied with its
requirements faithfully and uncomplaningly.
AT the same time, by far the greater number
have been just as persistent in their defiance
of its provisions and will so continue until the
strong hand of the law is laid heavily upon
them. Honest efforts have repeatedly been
made by citizens who desired the observance
of the law to bring about this result. Anum-
ber of complaints were made, and on the
strength of these the guilty parties were ar
rested and held in bail to appear at Court.
But they never responded to their bonds, for
the simple reason that the Grand Jury inter
fered, and ignored all the bills of this charac-
ter which were brought to their attention.
The consequences were evident on all sides
yesterday. In many sections of the city the
liquor traffic was carried on with open doors,
without any pretense of interference on the
part of the authorities. In numerous other
cases the drinking saloons were lighted up
brilliantly in the evening, and the tramp of
men and jingle of glasses could be distinctly
heard by any one who happened to be passing;
but to all outward appearances the establish
ments were closed according to law. To all
such, however, there was side entrance, ac-
cessible to the frequenters of the place, if not
in full view of the general public.
The seventh section of the Liquor law now
in force reads as follows:-
at sh all be the duty OF every sheriff, consta-
BILE policeman and officer of police to compel
the observance and TO prevent the violation of
the provisions of this act; and in the discharge
OF such duty, II need be, he shall have power to
close up, and to keep closed any place or places
where such violations become known to him,
whether by his own personal observation, or by
vicinity"
Now, if "any respectable citizen of the
vicinity of these open and defiant violators of
the law should take the trouble to communi-
cate the facts of which he was an eyewitness
to policeman on duty in the neighborhood,
with request that this clear provision of the
act might be enforced by the summary closing
of the establishments, he would be given
some such answer as this :-"Come with me
before an Alderman in the morning, and make
oath of the facts and will arrest these men.
They will then be bound over to appear at
Court, and cannot escape conviction, unless
the next Grand jury like the last, ignores the
bills against them. This is all / can do in the
matter. have no authority to take foroible
possession of tavern, and close its doors; at
least, have no orders to do so, and there is
no such precedent for me to follow. If were
to do as you request l should only involve
myself in difficulty, and would not be able to
secure the support of those officers whose
duty it is to procure the infiction Of the penal
ties provided by the law"
This section of the act-and it is the most
absolutely null and void 1t is so plain and
clear that ''the wayfaring man, though fool, I"
could by no possibility misinterpret It. The
evident object of its trainers was the uncere-
monious closing of every liquor establishment
in which any of its provisions were openly
defed. And yet the police force of this city
are AFRAID to follow its behests, for the simple
reason Ihat they nave received no instructions
on this point, have no preoedents to follow,
expect no support from those whose sworn
duty 1t is to see that the laws are faithfully
executed, and do not care to have their meagre
savings swallowed up by lawyers fees in de-
Tending themselves against actions for trespass
! and false arrest. 1t is safe to say that in no
other city Of the Union is there such an open,