The New York herald., 1877-09-05
AN ANTI-LIQUOR CRUSADE.
THE JERSEY AUTHORITIES NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF MAYOR sIEDLER AND CHARGE OF JUDGE

THE JERSEY AUTHORITIES MovING-MEssAGE
OF MAYOR sIEDLER AND CHARGE OF JUDGE
KNAPP.
Mayor Sicdler, of Jersey City, has made another
saught the liquor dealers in o communication to
tho Police Comm He regrets that Board of
Aldermen should grant a large number of licenses
over his veto That Board, he thinks, in.
fueuccd by the idea that it was the duty oil the
Police Commissioners to maintain the laws and
them TO be respected In cases where dsordery houses
we're kept. The Mayor then says:-"It is notorious
aud VIII be generally admitted that we have city
very large number of liquor dealers who do not keep
respectable houses comply with all the laws and
quremcnts relating thereto, and II is plainly
your duty TO issue such orders through your
chief as will q proper respect for existing
statutes. In the first place would call your attention
the fact that there are many houses which have
license whatever. | am informed by the ASS
Collector OF ln erna Revenue that there collected
lcense fec in behalf of the Unnel States Internal
Revenue from ,066 persons selling liquor IN Jersey
City, winch is much larger humber than the Licenses
gr, ,uled by the Board Of Aldermen"
The Mayor then points out that the police
readily ascertain who the dcaulers, and adds that
there are many disordery houses wbere fights and
braws often occur which are the haunls OF iders and
the hobeds OF crime. The pubic welfare d. manded
thai such places be closed by having them properly
prosecuted In the courts and the names OF the pro.
pretors be brought tue Board Of Aldermen that
their hcen es might be revoked.
Chiei OF Police Nathan has been ordered by the
Police Commissioners to see that the law DO enforced
in accordance with the foregoing recommendation.
ACTION or THE COURT
Az the opening Of the Court OF Oyer and Termincr,
In Jersey CITY, yesterday Judge Knapp called the at
tention Of the Grand Jury 10 the violation OF the
liquor laws. He remarked that the law had stood
long upon the statutes that II was evident
Jerseymen had no desire 10 repeal 1t. II was evident
that liquor should he sold on the Sabbath aud the
sentiment of the majority OF those the liquor traffic
was opposed TO the violaton Of the Sunday law All
other kinds of business closed that day and
why should the retailer OF intoxicating liquors stand
different plane from those engaged In other
businessY The processes OF the court could not
be executed on Sunday. and why should liquor selling
be allowed to 20 onY so far as the responsibility of
these cast upon the Grand Jury II was its
duty to act but II snoud not go beyond that Where
mcnt by the Grand Jury not proper, and 1t
should, therefore, be left to the ordinance
to punish Tor Its violation. With the
sale OF liquor Jersey Cily the Grand
Jury bad nothing do, aud with regard old Jersey
CITY, which excludes Hudson Guy and Bergen, tbere
old ordinance still IN force which reg guated the
sale of liquor on Sundays, and thereby exempted Jer
Jury. But there was another law applicable to the
sale OF liquor on Sunday, which declared the place
where liquor habtualiy sold on demanI ON
Sunday 10 be "a disorderly house, anu OF such tho
Grand Jury bad cognlzance aud should present
in every case. Ia all cases where ordnance In
force the Grand Jury should that the be
forced The Court and jury had nothing to do with
ou side temperance or other They were
there only to perform a legal duty, aud should have
courage enough 10 perform IT, no matter whom the
blow might fall Ii was their clear duty first to ascer-
tain the law and then enforce IL.