New-York tribune., 1880-01-11
M CRnSRYlS NIEWS.

TIE STATEMENTS or THE ENCtsE COMMISSIONERS
rROSoUNCED FALsE-MoRE THAN 1000 UNiI-
cEvsED LIQUOR sHoPs-WnFRE TIE BLAME
Rrsrs
"The Excise Commissioners say that they are
closing up the unlicensed liquor stores Of the city,
and they arr only 900 in number said The Rev. DR..
Howard Crosby 10 n TRIBUNE reporter last evening,
in speaking of the agitation over the subject of unli-
censed dealers In plain terms they lie ourageously
Instead Of 900 unlicensed liquor shops, the actual
number isi2S7 One Of the officers Of our Society
for the Prevention OF Crmcl is United States lu-
fernal Revenue Inspector and knows the number OF
places at which liquor IS retaIed under United
States license The number is nearly 10000. The
Commissioners put the number of licensed places at
between 1000 and GOOO. and adding to this number
their estimate Of 900 unlicensed places they make
the entire number something more than 5000. De-
dnct this number from 10000 aud you have the
number Of places OF which they fake no cognizance.
where liouor is sold in open violation of the law
witlno effort on the part OF the Commissioners to
restrain them. Now either one Of two things Is true
either the Commissioners are willing to allow these
unlicensed places To continue in their violation Of
tho law for reasons Of their own or else they do ge'
tbe money from the dealers. give the licenses and
make 10 report upon It. Iwon't say which of them
Il true bat one or the other certainly is And ifthe
frat il denied by the Commissioners ard
ia not true then We know where the money
from the dealers goes; the city doesn't get 1t.
It's al foderol about the Commissioners shutting
up the unlicensed shops and say without hesita-
ton that the assertion that they are being closed IS
falsehood. In speaking Ia this way OF The Com
mi,soners wish to exclnde Mr.. Morton, for he IS
not responsible for it. But Commissioners Morrison
and Merkle have done bad work.
gave TO MAYOR Cooper go afiidavts aud
Ann a
places that were licensed as hotels that hadn't one
single feature of hotel about them Many OF
them had only a single room. Tho American
Institute Fair was licensed as hotel In
another case there was nothing but "A
bar. | brought these cases to Mayor Cooper
| and asked him: viii you not remove these men
who are so unfit for Office He has done nothing.
don't attribute any bad motive TO Mayor Cooper L
think he is man OF good intentions, but he has de-
! laycd action"
'.What do you think of superintendent Walling's
statement that the police are unable to arrest the
vioators of the lawi"
"Ithink.n Dr. Crosby replied, that Superin-
| tendent Walllng is right. The police are not To
| blame for this reason not a single policeman can
| make such an arrest without meeting Win reOuKe
from the police magistrate before whom lie brings
his prisoner. The officer swears to an open VIOLA
| ton of the law; q dozen men are ready
| to swear that the Iiquorseller is man
of good moral character, aud that no never sVld u
drop of lquor in his life, that upon the Suhuy
in question his place closed. le folice justice
discharges the prisoner and saws 20 the ohcer tou
90 about vOur business and don't You dare 10 Dilhg
such n case here again.. And what can tile POInoe
| man dof But when we make complaint ana pIose-
cute l., the policeman are always ready 20 alu us,
No the police are not TO blame. Ine trouDie 10 WIN
the Commissioners and the courts -,
"Ths prosecution of Commissioners Meihlo huu
Morrison I'm the courts failed, VIII your society
renew their efforts in that direction" "
mo We have another remedy now III ne" Jaw
that will be presented to the Legsiatuc ~ 10y
days Our purpose was to thoroughly test the OLD
law Rut when we found that on the planest posi-
ble ease n was impossible to get CON
yiction of the Commissioners from
mry. we gave up the old law. l
have had nv word with Mayor Wekham for
testfying 10 the good character OF tne COM
missioneTs on that trial, and III ave
another TO Mayor Ely when l sec NM y dney
| gave their testimony in the face OF COM
missioner Morrison's testimony from the witness.
stand. and Mayor Wickham Acknowledged tnal m
| Their testimony saved them from CONVICTION we
nave given up alli hope from the courts OF tht E1
else board under the present law. but tbe new law
will probably restrict the number OF liquor sloref
or hotels in the city To one to every oOO @
This will bring the number down IRON i~vuoo ~ y :
| about 1000. Then we propose To nave '
nroyislon that it shall not be necessary iO
, | The complainant to taste the liquor solo, pu
| IL will he sufficient even for hun TO see sometnlnl
soId over the bar TO be drunk, even u moIsss
, | and water The present Legislature - III sympatIu,
with us and We think that they VIII pass ths ~
without much opposition IN the Legslatules ts5,
Then we think we will be able 10 DO sono oneo''
. work In breaking up the evil"