The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-10
HOW 1T CAME ABOUT.
TaE ISSUE BETWEEN THE CITY
AUTEORITIEs AND TIE CLUBS.

TaE ISSUE BETWEEN THE OFT
AUTEORITIE AND TIE CLUBS.
Mayor Mc0on ough Explains His En-
forcemsnt of the sunday Law
Was First Against thu 7a.Oon5 aut
Through That Againat the Clubs
Demand Trat tle Cub Bars B
Closed-The Mayors Positioa-Th
Clubs to Fight thu enforcement O
the License Ordnance.
1t being un ierstood that the questio
whether the clubs il whicn liquors can b
obtained come within the scope q
the license law Mayor McDonoug
was asked ysJte day how the issue lie
tween the city authorities aud the club
came to be raised.
Mayor McDonongh said that when he be-
came mayor he determined to enforce The
laws as ne found them without felr OF
favor he did not intend to 20 ous OF his
way to make issues That is not his bust
ness. But when issues arose IN the dis
charge of his duties he intended 70 meet
them squarely and lot the proper tribunals
decide them.
"How did the question between l1e Guy
and the clubs a issF
HOW THE ISSUE AROSE.
at arose" said Mayor Nc Donough,
''from the strict enforcement Of the Sunday
law against the saloons. You remember
that the law originally included other KINDS
of business. COuucll amended the ordi-
nance so that it applied only to the saloons
The reason of this was that Oh Sundays
many men are idle, and there was a general
resort TO the corner groceries. The result
was a great deal of drunkenness on Sundays.
'tI,abo-ers wased their wages in drink,
families suffered and the police were kept
busy arresting drunken men and men who
committed Offense5 of one kind and another
because they we're drunk. The experiment of
the Sunday law worked a great reform.
The whole city knows that. Ask the chief
of police TO tell you something Of the change
for the better that has been wrought. You
will he surprised at what you will learn.
ASK the families # the men who wasted
their earnings in saloons on Sundays, and
they will tell you how grateful they are.
Ask employers, aud they will tell you how
much better the condition of their laborers
is now on Mondays than formerly"
CALLED UPON BY CITIZENS.
'But how did you come to make an issue
Win Gue CluDof luby udu always DS6u
exempted from the Sunday law"
"Yes," said Mayor McDonough, "they
had been exempted because there never had
been before a successful effort TO close the
saloons on Sundays. When it was found
that the saloons were closed on Sundays,
prominent citizens came to me and said
that there was a great deal of drinking in
the clubs on Sundays. and that there was no
good reason why clubs should be permitted
to supply drinks to their members on Sun
days-no better reasons for exempting
tnem from the operation Of the Sun
day law than for eXempting the
saloons. 1t was claimed that there was
in favor of the clubs-a dis
which the law did not sanction.
IL was represented that the clubs we're com
posed, as rule, of influential men who
should be the first to set good example, to
lead in a reform that was for the general
good"
did their representations have weight
with youp
Yes" answered the mayor, "particu-
larly to this extent, that il the law did not
exempt the clubs it was my duty to enforce
the law with regard to them"
what action did you take"
81 submitted the question as TO the liabil-
ity of the clubs under the license law to the
city attorney and received an opinion from
him that under the law the clubs were re-
quire1 to take out liquor Licenses, and hav-
ing taken out licenses they must conform to
the Sunday law"
What did you do then"
THE HAINEs' ORDINANCE.
II notified the clubs that they must take
out licenses"
"What was the result3"
'The Introduction into the council of an
rNR-1ir
operation OF the license law. That ordl-
dance was passed and l vetoed it."
"Whyp
because | was satisfied that if it be-
came the law clubs would be opened in all
parts of the city, and the Sunday liquor
law would be practically nulhfied. The
reform had effected in the matter of Sun
day drinking and drunkenness would be
overthrow. My veto was sustained, and
now | propose that the clubs shall take on.
licenses or take the question as to whether
or not the law exempts them from the
license into the courts. II the courts de-
eide they are exempt l shall be free from
any further responsibility with regard to
them, and everybody will be satisfied. 1t
cannot be said then that | discriminate in
favor Of the clubs because they are COM
posed of meu of influence, or for any other
reason. And in enforcing the Sunday law
against Jne saloons II cannot De said that |
discriminate in behalf OF a favored class
NOTHING AGAINST THE CLUBS.
make it clearly understood that | have
no desire to make war upon the clubs. NV
only desire is to enforce the law as it is.
What the law is the courts will say, if the
clubs carry the question there l shall be
satisfied whatever the decision NAV be, but
do not intend to take the responsibility of
exempting the clubs in the face of the
opinion of the city attorney that they are
not exempt. Ny duty is to enforce the law.
and l shall endeavor to do my duty.
] want the saloons also to distinctly UNDER
stand that | am not trying, nor have | any
desire to Cypress them. Some people seem
TO be laboring under the impression that |
have singled them out from all other CLASSES
of business for this purpose, but they are
wrong. All ask of the keepers is that they
respect the laws, and they will never be
molested."
The clubs, it has been stated upon good
authority, will carry the matter into the
courts for adjudication as soon as Mayor
McDonough attempts an enforcement OF
the ordinance, which will be done during
this week. An interesting question in this
connection is who Will try the case, as it ia
stated that both OF Savannah's judges are
disqualified because of being club men.