, 1879-02-26

lnd dangerous 1sst1o Ior tue ne3t c'ty
election.
@.--.--@:@.@
RENEWAL OF SUNDAY TEMPERANCE AG-
lTATI0N.
There Is o cotorio OF professional tompor-
ance reformers In this city that nlways comes
to tho front just before city election Is to
take plnce. Tho chief aim Of this particular
sot is to agitato tho closing Of tho saloons on |
Sunday. Some Of tho lenders in this movo-
mcnt have chilled on a1r. A. Ii. WR1aHT, a
candidate for Mayor, aud propouudal Huch /
questions rs wcro Designed to inturo his pros
poets. II would utmost look as Il they were |
enissarIes from tho Democratic camp en-.
denvosiug to entrap tho probable Republican
candidate and break him down, it possible,
by forcing from him declaration In favor Of
roviving tho political Sunday Issue. Under
thcBo circumstances, Alr. WH1ouT would
have been justified in refusing to rarlsy
with these gontlemen. 1Io chose. however,
to tell them frankly TINT ho regards tho Sun.
day question as settled by the people Of
Chicago; TINT ho Ia not disposed to roopou
it; that ho is not opposed to any portion Of
tho citizens amusing themselves Ms thoy SEQ
1T on Sunday 80 long rs they do not inter-
fere with any other portion Of Chicagos pop
ulation; that he will not lend himself to auy
system Of hired espionage npon saloons,
but TINT, ii selected Mayor, he will content
himself with tho effort to compel saloons
and plnces Of public amusement to mnintain
order mud decency, and tllero lot the matter
rest. htr. Wn1ouT said tho wiscst things be
could say when ho consented to talk with
these gentlemen at all, and his views will
meet with tho approval Of tho graat mass Of
no desire to ronow the Sunday crusade md
throw the city into the hauds Of tho bummars
again by forcing sulnptuary issuo which is
sure to DO overwhelmingly defeated
This Sunday issue was first forced upon
tho city in 1873 by the same class Of CRIT
saders. But then thcro was n city ordinance
requiring the n1nyor aud police to closo the
saloons on tho frat day Of tho week, and
thoro was at TINT time mandatory warrant
for tho donnud TINT such ordinance be Gu
forced. The ropeal of the ordinance became
tho chief and absorbing fssuo Of tho city
election that followed in tho fall Of TINT yoar.
The Germans, Scandinnviana. and Irish,
with thousands Of Americans, voted together
iu opposition to tho Sunday Law. Tho DEM
ocrats generally voted tho o-called Liberal"
ticket, which had been nominated in lien Of
tho Democratic ticket. Many moderate Re-
pubiicaus who believed tho Sunday ordinance
to be m unnecessary infringement upon tho
social habits Of largo md respectable clnss
of tho population voted with the Liberal"
party. All tho bummers. ths gamblers, tho
low md vicious claases supported TINT ticket
for purposes Of thoir own. Tho result was
TINT tho city WIS swept by tho nutl-Sunday-
ordinance movement by an overwhelming
mnIority, and tho obnoxious ordinance VIVA
promptly repealed by tho now Council ''.'''
There is now no city ordinance which re-
qufrcs or authorizes tho uso of tho police in
goncrnl crusade against aaloons and placcs
Of amusement, or those who visit them, on
Sunday, md the duty Of tho city authorities
is confined simply to enforcing tho present
ordinance in regard to keeping the doors
shut during certain hours, aud otherwise
maintaining tho sano ordor anil decorum on
| Sunday rs on other days of tho woek.
/ The law which A1cssrs. CRuM, GooDsrEEp,
sroDpAnp, md othars cited to 5Ir. Wn1onr
| il State statute, directed generally against
tipr]ing.houscs, which Gun bo enforced In
villages md rural noighborhoo1s where, the
mnsa of the people arc Of Now England do
scont, and arc opposed to keeping saloons
open on the first day Of tho week. Int In n
vast city like Chicago, whcre two-thirtlB OF
tho adult population are Of foreign birth,
tue Mayor ia under no obligation
to make tho chief employment of tho
police, which is maintained by local taxation,
tho enforcement Of State sumptuary laws.
Violations for tho Stato law can only be
punished by tho usual process OF indictment
trial, aud conviction.
Tho professional prohibitionis.a who callei
upon Ar. Wn1auT may undertake thia worl
as individuals or as au association, but it Il
impcrtlnent for them to donand TINT .
cantlitlnte for 31nyor shall make himself
responsible for tho State statutes, or rso
local police force, supported for othor plr
rosds, to aid In ths enforcement Of Htat4
statutes which aro not criminal in thoir bear
ings and Layo not tho sanction Of tho poopl
Of this particular community.
At nll events, those crusaders may rest as
sured that tho Republican party in this cit.
caunot again DO made tho soapcgoat for thst
pct hobby, and that responsible, taxpnyin
citizens will not again incur the danger 0
turning tho City Government over to til
bunnaors by forcing a large class Of respect
nblo citzenH aud tAxpnyora to yoto with th