, 1873-05-18

- TIE SuNDAY-BEER QUESTION.
There is a disposition among tho Germans tc
hold Mayor Medin personally responsible for til,
enforcement Of the Sunday saloon-ordinance,
and the consequent crusade against the German
custom Of observing Sunday as a day Of recrea.
ton. The only circumstance that could have
| suggested this assumption is, thst Mayor Medil
has been the only City Executive. among all who
have tried to do it, who has succeeded in enforc-
ing the law without partiality or evasion. This
fact, however, does not warrant the conclusion
that he approves Of tho ordinance in tho form III
| which it stands on the statute-book, or that it
was his desire to give it an offensive construc-
| ton. It means simply that he has been placed
IN different circumstances from his predecessors
circumstances that seemed to require tho en-
forcement Of 3 law that had been allowed to fall
into diausa during period Of nearly twenty
yeara. It is difficult to see how Mr.
Medill's personal preferences could havo
entered into the controversy at all.
Whether he were in full accord with the
local Temperance leaders. or wholly opposed to
them in private sentiment, could make no dit-
ference with his official duty. It is probable
that, with no hankering after drink Of any kind,
he has suffered more Inconvenience than any
six Or sixty Germans, whether beer-drinkers or
beer-sellers. But, whatever may be his personal
md private views, he had nothing else to do as
Mayor but enforce the Sunday ordinance, when
the issue vas pressed upon him. The Mayor
had nothing to do with making the laws, but he
Eas elected to enforce them, and took IN oath
that he would do so. He could not rightfully
be Influenced by the circumstances that his prcdo-
ceesora had in part neglected to enforce them
It maj have been natural to the excited condi-
hon Of the German mind to confuse the execu-
ton OF the law with the 1aw itself, when they
found it enforced by Mayor Medill, though other
Mayors had failed to enforce it. This would be
false and dangerous issue to make at the polls,
however. When people come to vote for men
Who Will not enforce laws, they enter upon un-.
safe ground. Their issue should concern the
law itself, and their aim, from the German point
Of view, should be to elect men who will repeal
the law.
We have made these remarks, SO far as they
are personal to Mayor Medill, without any con-
sultation with him, and not in the way Of
apology for anything he has done or omitted to
do It is well known that the 1sw against keep
ing Baloons open on Sunday Was forced upon the
attention after public agitation
hae s48@sssat2}hg 4R8@sst}hg, called by prominent German
citizen, Mr: Henry Greenebaum. One Of tho
most vigorous demands of this assembly Of citi-
zens was TINT the criminal laws should be en-
forced. The meeting was held at time when
the lawless Glasses Of the city were committing
daily outrases upon the community, and when
the newspapers we're filed with the chronicles OF
violent crimes. The popular demand for the
vigorous enforcement OF the laws Was thought
by al good citizens to be timely and proper It
was then that the Temperance agitatozs stepped !
in and drew attention to the fact that one Of the
laws OF the city required that ali saloons should ]
be closed On Sunday, and they demanded that
this ordinance should .be observed among the
rest. There Was no lawful retreat from the no.
ihon which they assumed MI Greenebaum
withdrew from the movement when this element
sas introduced, but it was not for Mr. Greene
'aum, not for the Mayor, nor for any other citi-
zen OF Official, to say what particular laws should
" enforced and what should be ignored. It was
'ound impossible to make distinction under
he law between the whisky SALOONS and the beer
gardens. The " Puritan element" as the Ger
mans call it, had the advantage of the law on
heir side, and they pushed. it to the extreme.
t is pecularity OF this element, that it mikes
ta fight, it not on religious grounds, at least
nth strong religious bias, and here, quite as
much as upon difference Of tastes respecting
aa1t liquors, the Issue is Joined. It was this
aement, whose strength in the community need
lot be underrated, that beaet Mayor Medin for
he enforcement Of the Sunday-law, and there
7ss no choice for him but to comply. It is
gainst this element that the Germans hare or
anized, aud are seeking to secure the co-opera-
on Of the Roman Catholics, and that portion Of
10 natiye-born population who have no special:
,Gglous bias. ~ .
The disposition to make the Republican
arty responsible for what is known a.
'e Puritan. element, as the szaats-zeiuing,
10 Union, and most Of the Germans
. doing, has just this Justification. Tt is
ne that many OF the most prominent men in
q Republican party, and TINT portion OF the
nix and file which hare contributed most to its
spectabi1ity and success in the country at
rge, are Of that way Of thinking which the Ger
ans denorninate >"Puritanic." The Repub1i-
party, as political organization, cares not a
lit whether beer or whisky a1e sold seven days u
the week, Or only six. rheleadefs generally q
'uld prefer to haSe it sold eight days, il any 4
re votes could be got by ! it. Nevertheless, u
"Purltan element" as it is called can con- \
i the party, when it chooses to do so; in the IL
'te at 1arge, If not in the city, and the Ger II
'ns seem to think it necessary to- give the Il
Fty shock which shall 80 far alarm it "a to :!
Enanently weaken the influence Of this e1e- 10
mt. This, take it, is the rationale Of thonew II