The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-06
THE WAR ON LAGER
Public Sentiment Regarding the En-
fOrcement of the Excise Law.
WE MUST HAVE OUR LAGERl
Views at Length Upon
Liquid Liberty.

u
to bring. by compromise or some sort or other.
Speaking politically, they would seem to be In a
decidedly unenviabe position. II they try to con-
ciliate the liquor men, they will be branded as
brbe-takers and corruptonists by the radical anti
wine party. II they meet the liquor question
squarely and fairly and execute the law, POLITICAL
revolution threatens them, two years hence, to
sweep the city, which will change all party re-
lations at present existing As matter OF fact,
there are to be found among the propre-
tors Of many OF the gardens and saloons
reasonable men, who, though determined to contest
the enforcement OF the statute, ready to admit
that the present law seems to be the will Of the
law-making party. and that the Excise Board can
not avoid "tackling" the question. All Of the pro-
prietOrs admit that the Board has the law greatly
in its favor and that 1t must becomes dead Tight
between the two antagunisms- 1t Is asserted on
the other hand by prominent man in the bust
ness that "the present law has holes enough In 1t
to drive cart through" and that test case, well
defended, would make the fact apparent. As the
Sunday question now stands 1t is certain that
there is much to be said upon both sides. That
such IL the fact is easily ascertained by hearing
both sides argued by their respective adherents.
TWO SUNDAYS MORE.
The Commissioners, on the ono hand, seem
anxious to do their duty fairly by both anti and
pro liquor men. There seems to be an earnest de-
sire to avoid all the low trickery and adroit double
facedness which many years ago characterized the
action of an Excise Board That they are acting
in all fairness with the Sunday liquor question is
evidenced by the fact that q fifteen days extern
sion has been granted upon the time for making
application for licenses. This announces that the
struggle s yet thing OF the future, and that the
beer drinkers may indulge for two Sundays more
at least. The clauses in the law which are violated
during every day Of the week are those in regard
to selling to minors and intoxicated persons.
WHATS YOUR AGE. MY HEARTY ~
The liquor men declare that it is impossible to
avoid breaking this clause. They assert that their
bartenders or waters cannot discriminate regard
ing the age Of young man or woman to such q
nicely; that out OF $500 persons, all clamoring for
lager, waiter should be able to serve only those
who have reached the age Of legal accountability.
s declared to be an impossibility. Men who are on
the verge Of the deepest drunkenness may be able
to deceive a rather negligent waiter and the last
glass Of brandy may put him under the table. The
Excise Commissioners have in view the oblitera-
ton OF many OF the low resorts which, as yet, the
police have been unable to suppress BY revOking
the licenses OF all such places upon their
opening again action can be brought for selling
without license and the Offenders punished. AS
1t Is there Is no possible way OF reaching them.
The Board will exercise great care In the issuing
ofnew licenses. Already the Police Department
has made up and furnished to the Commissioners
OF Excise an alphabetical
LIST OF EVERY DRINKING SALOON
in the metropolis, its character and the class OF
who frequent II. This list will be carefully in
spected, and those whose names are not found In
the great book Will be thoroughly looked up by the
agents OF the Board. Dressed IN citizens clothes,
agents of the Board wnl make the rounds aud
visit all places making application for licenses and
the report upon the same will determine the &C
a n lA ia IN hQ dad M
part OF the duty OF the Commissioners to prevent,
SO far as possible the murderous Arrays which are
the places themselves, and thereby breaking up the
haunts of vice which are so demoralizing to the
whole community.
The Board OF Excise were visited few days
since by many or the leading beer sellers Of the
city, and while better understanding may have
been arrived at 1t Is very certain that no settle
ment was proposed on either side As for the
Commissioners they merely say, as they hand outs
copy OF the aw:-.'Read this for Yourself sir, and
see what we are expected and sworn to execute.
The dilemma mn is bad enough for you perhaps, but
else" The vender Of lager then adjusts his eye
glass and spells out the law. No matter how he
twists 1t or how light he tries to make It, the hard
TACT remains that he must not open on Sunday
Visions Of numerous hall Dimes which on that day
sented by each, AWAKEN righteous indignation in
his heart and he declares the statute an outrage
upon civil liberty. the Sunday clause is the i'm.
portant one. Rumors have gone abroad that 1t Is
TO be enforced-"There's the rub"
"A WORD IN YOUR EARn
All the dealers have some kind OF an opinion re-
garding the Sunday liquor question. few are
quite liberal in their views. Here is the opinion OF
one Of the most reasonable encountered yester-
ay:-"I believe that the Board have right, under
the new law, to attempt to prevent the sale Of
liquors on Sunday but there is nothing about closing
the shops. My place has been visited by one OF the
Excise commissioners, and he finds very little to
condemn. The great trouble, from first to last, is
mate business. In Germany, when public garden
Is opened and patrontzed by the class which visits
the Central Park Garden and my place, the law
protects the proprietor, and, instead Of doing all
that 1t can 10 destroy his business encourages
him. MY garden is regarded In no better light by
The result Is that although my place Is licensed,
cannot command
THE PROTECTION OF THE LAW
You believe that the law was strengthened be-
cause OF the recent murders committed by those
who were intoxicated That Is a mistake The
when the sale of liquor on Sunday was almost
totally prevented. The papers on Monday morn
one hundred and fifty arrests, about one-half OF
which are for intoxicaton. Call 1t 200 for the sake
OF saving trouble, and would ask you Il even 200
drunken people in population Of 900 900 is very
Every town throughout the country
can show as great an average Are the S99,soo
rwo HUNDRED TopERss
Inc assertion that l keep a disorderly house is
without without anv foundation; There are iqlly 5000
number not above one or two ever cause any dis
turoance. The clamor is raised against my place
The people In the netghborhood would shut
out the 4,99S persons Just because two rufiians
got in among the crowd. II the Germans
are to be locked out OF their beer gardens
they cannot be driven like sheep into The churches.
so long as we are orderly we want to be let alone.
! am in favor OF Furnishing drunkenness very
severely. Give every man three months on the
Island who Is found drunk in the streets and there
will be fewer cases. This system, however, OF pun
ishing people for doing what they regard as the
simple exercise OF their liberty, only because some
one else gets drunk. is nonsense, We don't want
to hear any more oft"
BUILDING UP THE SUBURBS.
Nearly all the dealers sing IN the same tune, bus
one was encountered who said eff the Germans
cannot get what they want at home they will go
away lot 1t on Sundays. The strlngency with
which the law was carried out In 1867 drove
great deal OF business to Jersey City. Brooklyn
and, especially Hoboken. Thousands upon thou
SANDS OF dollars earned here In New York were
taken across one OF the rivers and expended. we
cannot go on building up the suburban villages.