, 1877-12-16

The most reasonable answer made in opposition to
reduction was that regarding the enormous sala-
Tics paid to Iea1ing artists. the prcparatlon dc
1nandcd by every new play in tho line OF costly
scenery and setting, and hence the vast expense Of
running theatre in good STYLE Nobody can deny
that, in contrast to the salaries paid members OF
othcr and certainly not less cxactng or taborious
professions, aclnrs have reason to congratulate
themselves OH thcir present fortune and financial
value.
The new play at wal7ack's. by the way, cannot
be called an improvement in the programme a that
enough, and tho mounting is as tine us every new
piece receives there. f;nt whatever judgment is
now made up regarding Mr.. Itoucicault's latest
he preferable TO sitting through the five parts OF
''Won at Last" The plot is certainly Frenchy
enough, and the working out of tstartline enough.
There IL proposed dncfing and a rescue from ani-
eide broken hcurtclncss and much tragic dccla-
matiOn, all connected With the struggles Of u re-
formed rouc at 4 husband who unaccountably falls
In love with and, after the ut interim encounters
with fate and earlier lover. at last wins-lls
own wife. The piece has met with as much favor
rs could reasonably be asked for. It belongs to
that class which makes many sigh for d return
TO something true aud human, not human Ah things
arc seen in Paris, but US They appear III a land
where Hash and trash ccftoinly hnye no right to
form or rule tastc.
THE POLICE RAID
upon the liquor-lcalcrs is one Of those temDo-
rary proceedings which, from their very yio-
lence ant. ovrrshQotiug, react upon the or1gi-
natnrs. In this case there is reason why the
prosecuted should claim TO be prosecuted also.
Injustice aud oppression cannot be practiced
with impu1lity, eycn by SO great I'LL authority as
that Of the police government. II it appear to
the sense of the MASSES that wrong has been
tlonc under the cloak of right, the same must
be answered for IN some way. So. II it appear
that hundreds Of have been arrested and given
no choice hit to spend night iii the stations
house. used in unnecessarily harsh liianne1, and
al! because Two CITY Boards CHANGED 10 have fall
ing out then it does nut matter II tine arrested par-
ties were violators of law. they became in Ger.
tain sense martyrs, And as such receive sympathy
and help which otherwi ise never would be theirs.
Iu this way Mr.. Bcccher. who cestAluly Is not
saloon keepers friend advocate. was led 10
condemn the crnsac against this class as arb!tra-
ry spasfnodic unjust, and in reality hnrtf"i in
stead OF helpful to the temperance cause.
The history ut this last movement is instructive.
In the Grst place, the active temperance organzA-
tons have been busily ut work 10 secure IN en-
forceuent of the rigorous statute Of 1897 ever
since the investigations nf Oliver cottcr and others
fonnu that to be the statute still in force. through
the laundering repeats made at Albany. EasiS
last anrng there much agitation at this dtsCov.
cry. aud spastlodic attempt was mntic 10 close
hundreds OF saloons. The principal result al that
in the Murphy 1nuve,uent-was the total bcwiIder-
mcnt Of the EXCISE Commissioners ns to whether
they had any authority. to grant anything The
liouos- sellers bridgcd the chasnl. may be re-
rncmbercd, BY putting three or more beds III 4
s1dc-roon or in the corner. 10 as to bring them.
selves within the tavern provision Licenses were
there was general quiet outwartlly; though the
temperance advocates were not asleep Or 'azy.
When the time came this fall to grant licenses.
the Commissioners were in extreme doubt as TO
their legal position. The test cAsef had none OF
them reached such stngc as to throw light upon
their authority. and some advisers sald one tn1n
some the opposite. Who It was that Suggested
THE BRILLIANT IDEA
Of taking u lauor-scler's money and giving
him receipt instead OF a license is not known,
oufs
with these receipts and promises Of something
more, tho parties went on with their business,
believing they were protected. So they vert
| nractically, until under the stress brought te
[ bear by the reformers, the Excise Commission
crs made the plea that they had only given re-.
| GENTS which did not warrant the sale OF intoXl
cat;nr liquors or any sales at all, and that II the
law vas not enforced it was the fault Of the Police
| Commissioners. This was how too mnch.
Judrc Davis Ind ratcr terrified tho authorities By
| his vigorous charge the Grand Jury. and tht
Grand Jury added to the fear BY the constant G ex'
cumstanccs, il is not strange that where one set o.
| Commissioners tried to shift thc respon
si1il:y wholly upon another SET TINT odnf 9tnf
II turned ont, therefore, that On single nl:ht tht
saloons visited TO such p.lrpose lhat over ~
! persons. can:ht in the act OF selling snspic1on'
! iinuls were marched off to the station houses,
| and had to stay there till the Police Justices
| reachcd their tenctcs next morning some o.
these dealers were Dt the nlHn-luNe4 oluet. :" 4sa
| tncy themselves term respectable anu thgl
offered all sorts Of rccosnzances but to no asal
! Thc Captains were as up in arms as were thet
snncr;nra and determined to make the most OF tht
! rrand OCCASION. OF course there was
HOWL FROM TIE ARRESTED.
| Then the Mayor interviewed sharply the Commts
| s;oners and tried to have them practice dlscrim
! n7tion The subordinntcs had already done this II
| various cases. such as were not unknown IN thl
| caco in the days Of Sunday prosecution anu back
] ,yoor entrances: but where doors and windows ha'
hccn ;ctt clear hc tcspcctabes were not respected
| iudrc Davis Grand Jury ended with present
,nent which set forth the whole license nhsness u
| " nuplic scandal. And now comes another Grant
| Iury 10 the members Of which Judge G1idelsiees
delivered 4 charge very different N spirit from IN
nthrr though moi in favor OF anythfng hut n'oaeFa
| ton and jndicions action; lnh4lc sehtlfl.sHt ~.
reercd nrpun&l. SO that the temperance agltat0F
viii not have victory OF any i'm nportance. Ih
| rnn,1 10 he expected is new Excise law, whlc
| can be understood and enforced
! JUDGE DAVIS
Yesterday decided, i'll the case Of Iroch, bal
render, that the receipt offered rs protect'o
arairst indictment WAS no: protection, or any
thing except possibly mitigation of the penalty
as showing good faith on the part OF the q
! fcnt1cr. 4.If the rule be deemed larsh,' sal
~, I,,;l,-c .t}lc harshucss Is in the law and nc
~ t,.. aI],uiristrat ors" Other test cases arc
nro--css Thr decision Of this one against Iroc
rnhnlds the ,]ustccs who bound oser N: nFrcste
! ,ar;jcs and sends the whole company before u
t:rand Jury. Liquors arc 10 De i"1nu, meam"h''@ t
| in The snail. hidden Eoon1s, Under Tie sldewak
far in 5hr rear. The police.nyn Wink at thes
s;ac.issucs, and the drinking goes ea:!y on: nue
os1t used to in massachusetts and Maine. There
deal Of mystery i'll it just ut present o0t tocfe
a deal OF whisky in il, too, 1nore's thu pity, =