The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-25
Kyals' Peaceful Sunday Bill.


representative Ryals, in an interview
,rblsh-d in the MORNING News yesterday,
said that the ssatim snt in b0tl branches Of
the legislature appeared TO be in favor u
what is known as the quart bill. which IS
now pending in the Senate. Tnis bill
makes it an offenss to sell intoxicating
liquors in less quantities than q la7t, or to
drink intoxicating liquors within mile OF
the place where they we're purchased Rep
resentative Ryals is of the opinion that
he will be able to get the legislature to az
cept his bill as a substitute for the quart
bill, for the reason that the main purpose of
those who f4vor the quart bill is to
put stop to drsm-drinking on
Sundays, and that is the object of his bill.
Those engaged in the liquor business in
iscity are understood to favor the Ryals
bill. There is no doubt that they prefer it
to the quart bill, which, if enforced, would
virtually destroy their business, as we'll as
that of liquor dealers 10 all other parts of
the state.
/ The MORNING News has several times
warned the liquor dealers that if no regard
was paid to the laws which prohibit the
selling of liquor on Sundays general pro-
hibition law would, in all probability, be
passed. They have not needed the warn
ing, however. The back doors of drinking
places in all parts of the city are understood
to be open every Sunday. The lights
shining through the transom, the crowds
of black and white men, particularly black
men, about the saloons, and drunken
men on the streets, show, beyond all doubt,
that the business of the drains lops is as
lively on Sundays as on other days.
The authorizes say that they cannot
make out cases against the offenders, and
that ley eau do nothing toward enforcing
ths law against Sunday liquor selling,
unless citizens come forward as prosecutors.
That excuse does not satisfy any one. If
the police were made TO understand that it
was part of their duty to arrest any dram
shop keeper who sold liquor on Sundays,
and that they would be held re-
sponsible for any neglect of this duty,
the back doors, as well as the frolt ones,
of the saloons would be closed on Sundays.
The law against Sunday liquor selling is
enforced in Macon and Atlanta, and it
could be enforced in this and other ci ties of
the state where it is now violated, if there
were a determination on the part o. the
authorities to enforce it.
The main reason why the sentiment is so
strong against Sunday liquor selling is that
laboring men are idle on that day, and too
many of them spend their time in the dram
shops wasting the money which their fam
HES need and uniting themselves for the
following days duties. The blacks, espe-
cially, cannot Withstand the temptation of
drinking to excess on Sundays. The back
doors of dram shops have a fascination for
them which they cannot resist, and 1t is
not too much to say that Sunday drinking
does more to demoralizs and degrade them
than any other thing.
The MORNING News has never advocated
a general prohibitory law, and does not
advise the enactment Of the quart bill, be-
cause it does not believe it can be satisfac-
torily enforced where there is not an over
whelming public sentiment in it's favor. 1t
has always favored local option as the best
method of controlling the liquor traffic, be-
cause in communities in which a majority
of the people are against the traffic it can
be suppressed.
The MORNING NEWS, however, is in favor
of any measure that promises to effectually
close the dram shops on Sundays. Sunday
| dram drinking is the occasion of more evil;
than dram drinking on all the other days in
the week. If Representative Ryals' bill viii
give the state sober, peaceful Sundays, lei
it become a law by all means. If it should
not prove efPectual in closing the dram shops
on Sundays, it is quite cert in that the mex
thing would be stringent prohibition law
If the republicans were as earnest in their