, 1872-10-23
TEE LAGER-BEER WAR.

TEE LAGER-BEER WAR.
The experiment of enforcing the Sunday laws
with reference to tho sale Of lager-beer las now
reached crisis, in the presence Of which it ia
we'll to stop and consider whether this sweeping
and wholesale innovation is not calculated to
work more Of mischief than good, and eventual
1y to defeat the very end sought to be accom-
p1ished. It must be remembered, first OF all,
that the endeayor to enforce the law, and the
public opinion which has demanded its enforce
,ment, have not grown out of opposition to
drinking beer, or any special determination that,
while men may drink on weekdays, they shall
not drink on Sundays. The first movement OF
popular opinion towards the enforcement of the
law commenced with the murder of Policeman
O'3Ieara by Rafferty, in O. low drinking-den.
Other murders and ,murderous assaults
followed this in rapid succession,
each having its origin in SINH
lar localities, and at last the public became
alarmed for its own safety, and both the secu~
lar and religious classes OF the community met
to counsel together in what manner this fearful
increase Of crime could be stayed, and protec-
ton guaranteed to people in the public streets,
not only from murderously y-inclned wretches,
but from all eorts OF criminals. At these meet
ings, and in the interviews Of these Committees
with the public authorities, it was universally
conceded that these murders and murderous as-
saults were Immediately caused by the use OF
Intoxicating liquors, and that the great majority
of these crimes were perpetrated on Saturday
nights and Sundays. Before leaving this brief
record Of the origin Of the movement, that its
character and responsibility may be exactly as
certained, it should be stated that the
| first proposition to close tue saloons
on Sundays came from the Committee appointed
by the meeting known as the Greenebaum meet
| inc. Nr, Greenebaum's Committee ascertained
from the Corporation Counsel TINT there was q
Sunday 1aw on the statute-books and in the city
! ordinances, and then urged its enforcement, and
! the Committee appointed at the subsequent
meeting Of prominent clergymen and layrnen
| enaphasized the demand and morally co.operated
! With Mr. Greenebaums Committee. Concerning
the origin and the object Of the movement, there
l
| can be no question. Mr. Greenebaum for the
| public at large, Rev. DR.. Kittredge and ReV. Z.
f. Fowler for the religious classes, are the spon-
sors of it; its object is to suppress the alarming
| increase Of crime.
While there is no question about either the
| oriein or the object Of the movement, there ID
at the game time no question that it is the duty
of the authorities to enforce any existing law
when their attention is called to it and the pub
| lie make the demand. But there are two ways OF
enforcing law. It may be enforced wisely Or
foolishly, and especially SO in this instance
The Sunday law will be enforced wisely It it If
carried out with reference to the plain and only
object OF this movement, namely, the sup
preston Of crime. 1t should operate only upon
the places where crime originates, and there il
no difficulty in locating these places. The Linz
| between the places which breed crime and those
which do not is drawn so distinctly that there If
no danger Of making mistake. It is the LOS
whiRkey-dens and groggeries, and that triple
combination Of the restaurant, whiskey-shop
and brothel, which produce these crimes. al
far as the law is applied to the5'
and all other places where intoxicating liquor
are sold On Sunday, it is wise enforcement
There is, however, a foolish way OF enforcing
the law, and one which, lis evident, must defea
the very result which it is intended to secure
When the beer-sa1oon is included within the pro
visions of the law, and the attempt is mado t.
close them, the friends Of the movement over
shoot the mark, and array powerful public sen
timent against them, which not only is sure
operate against them but may eventually pre-
duce greater crimes, and a more alarming DANCE
TO the public safety, than those which hav
threatened it for some time past. 1ntoSicatin
liquors are not sold Tor only razely) at the bee1
saloons The records Of the past twenty year
l. show that crime neither originates nor result
frcm the sale Of beer. The closing OF the bee
saloon, therefore, contributes nothing to"al
the stoppago OF crime while it directly infringe
upon palpablo personal right. 1t is just
; | foolish to tell a German that he sha
/ not drink beer as to tell an American TIL
he ehall not drink coffee, or Frenchman tilt
, be shall not drink claret. Beer is tho nat1on'
, beverage Of the German. He has drank
daily from youth up. 1t is the bread enl me-
, | of the peasant, and az Indispensable to him
water to the American 1aboror. No question
, right or wrong is involved in its use. High az
Low, rich and poor, children and adults, the Ed
a | peror and the peasant, the minister and u
: flock, priest and bishop, eaint and sinner,
use it alike as habit and necessity OF life, wee