New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-28
THE EXCISE Law ARRAIGNED.
SAID BY THE GRAND JURY TO DISCRIMINATE
UNJUSTLI.

Al BY THE GRAND JURY TO DISCRIMINATE
UNJUSTLY.
The Grand jury for February made the following
prc,cut.cut yesterday ~ General sessions:
From a statement presented 10 us by the District
| Attorney IL appears that ON The fist day Of January In
The present year be found ON tie In the Di-tgictAt
| tYrncy', Office sos complaints, Tor violations OF tie
| excise laws Of this state. alleged to have been COM
mlttel in this county I'm the years 1889 and 1890. upon
which no action Had been taken. 1t also appears that
there were remaining on file lou indictments charging
violations Of the excise iaW found by grand jurors in
thi, county durins the ,X preceding years and not dis
posed OF during that period. The existence Of this
great accumulation # prosecutions wholly ENACTED upon
show, that thc enforcement of the excise law in this
comfy ma, for some time been practically suspended.
After careful inquiry We have reached tho conclusion
that the cause Of this condition of affair, j. WOfold.
In the first place, grand juries are unable 20 act upon
and dispose Of any great nu-.be Of excise complaints
without n~celcctiug the consideration Of The more Sc
ron, offence, which are daily presented 10 them.
During the present term the District Attorney has
from day to day submitted u is many excise com
plants, but owing to the pressure of other busine,,
consisting for the most part Of cases where the IL
PENDANT, wcr, actually confined In Jail upon charges Of
felony. we hay been able 10 con idcr bt few OF Them.
But I'm cur opinion. the principal cause u this
difficulty lies deeper than the occupation Of the Grand
Jurics with other eases. An analyst Of the com
plants and indictments found In this Office by the
District Attorney on the lst OF January last shows that
more than 80 per cent, If not 90 per cent, of them re-
! late 10 violations of the sunday excise law, in keeping
omen licensed saloons and in selling on sundays. After
due con, idcratlOn of the evidence In the cases which
we have disposed IF and with 4 thorough understanding
Of the constantly increasing accumulation or cases. We
have become impressed with the fact that Il deeply
rooted conviction exist, in tins community that the
law is unjust In it, Determinations. which thwart is
enforcement, and that the interests Of the city require
not 80 much additional means Of enforcing IL ~ of re-
modelling it and I~cmedyiug it, defects. We believe
that The law is unjust and has fallen i'm disrepute
because IL is discriminating against classes. and gen
orally speaking, the poorer classes Of the community
at Is q matter OF common notoricty that spir.tuous
and malt liquors arc 10 bc Obtained In all the private
clubs OF this city at any hour {. the day and
almost any hour Of tie night On sunday. and that at
the great majority Of the hotels liquors are sold with
ont meals. the prOprictOrs successfully cvaGlng the
law by treating all persons who cross their thresholds
AS guests. People OF means also may drink at their
homes on sunday from private stock without sug-
gcsIion of criminality. ON the other hand, the
poorer classes. the mechanic, the artisan, the shop
Keeper. the unsklllcd llborer. the great majority Of
whom are OF foreign birth and accustomed to take
beer with their meals every day. have no resource but
the humble beer shops, which. however. the law re
quires shall be closed and kept closed at all hours Of
the sabbath.
$50 long rs the law remains in the form which
/ admits Of such unjust discrimination, there Is little
hope of enforcing IL properly. Ia Tho minds OF all falr