The Jersey City news., 1892-05-17
WANSHR'S APATHY.
Church People Beginning to
Wonder Why He Does
Not Fight Sunday
Rum.
WAITING AND HOPING.
Talks With Leading Clergymen-
What Is a Little Waste to the
Giant Drink Evil?


liquor saloons on Sunday is receiving the
solid appreciation and support of the en-
tire moral element of Hudson County.
Even those not religiously inclined, but
who know the danger Of allowing Justice
| to wink at the wholesale violation of
| law passed in the interest of decency,
good government and the personal well
fare of those who make up the masses
openly express their appreciation and en-
courage the remedial effort.
That Mayor Wanser who has just been
elected on platform of promises Of mum
| icipal reform that gave him the almost
solid support of the churches, has thus
far, during the bitter fight for the sup
preston of the Sunday liquor traffic, alb
stained from saying word pro or con. is
beginning to surprise the enthusiastic
clergy who rallied to his support.
Individually they are averse to criti-
cizing the actions of the chief magistrate
as yet. They are inclined to excuse him
on the ground that his duties have thus
far prevented him from giving proper
thought to the all important subject.
Some of them, how ever. are already be-
ginning to ask themselves:-Is it true he
| is afraid Of the liquor mems voter Is it
true he received the liquor mems supportf
Does the enormous vote he received, es.
pecially in the Fourth, indicate promises
on his part to those German people who
openly declare themselves in favor Of a
Continental Sab bbath?"
MR.. MMINN's POSITION.
| The Rev. Edward McMinn. of the Sum-
nit avenue Baptist Church, is one Of those
who seek to excuse Mr.. Wanser at least
| for the present. The Rev. gentleman was
| one of the leading members who partiei-
| pated in the celebrated conference of
ministers just before the recent Mayoralty
| election, and though that body adjourned
without endorsing any candidate. as Mr..
| MCMinn said last evening, the result of
! the conference was at least a universal
| impression that to Mr. Wanser only, of
the two men who had show of being
elected, could the church element look
| for reformation of existing moral abuses;
| that those who battled for Mr.. Wa nser
politically would be battling again st i'm
morality.
| "As to my own actions in that coa-
| ference" said Mr.. McMinn to a reporter
| of THE JERSEY CITY NEWS last evening
| you will remember / took the ground
| that we could not expect Mr. Wanser to
| aid much in the suppression Of the liquor
| traffic because he was 'one of the boys
| SO to speak"
| "What do you mean by one of the
| boys?" asked the reporter.
| 'Oh. socially-that is l suppose he likes
| his glass of wine. Politicians, surrounded
| by the company they must almost neces-
| sarily surround themselves with, are
| usually men who at least occasionally
| drink wine or other Intoxicating drinks.
| and such men are not usually in favor of
| the abolition of the liquor traffic.
should have preferred to endorse a candi-
| date who was known to be free from such
| Influences"
| LIVING IN HOPE.
| "Does the church element commend
| the action of the police and The NEWS in
their efforts to close the saloons on Sun
| day?" asked the reporter.
NATURALLY, the majority of the churches
! will encourage any effort in that direc-
| tion. My own church passed resolution
| commencing and upholding Judge lip
| pincott in his attitude upon the subject
as soon as his attitude was recognized.
| The law should be sustained so long as it
rests upon the statute books"
| "If the saloons are again thrown open
| on Sunday will the churches make a
| demonstration against them~
| "Well, think it IS safe to say the
Methodist, the Baptist. the Pres byterian
| and probably some of the Reformed
| churches would"
| "Do you not thiuk it strange that Mayor
| Wanser has thus far kept very mum
upon The subjectp
| "Well, now. l don't wish to criticize
| Mayor Wanser. No doubt he is pressed
| for time, and may not as yet have had
| the opportunity to give the proper
amount of thought to the subject that
| would enable him to make good fight
| in the cause Of this much needed reform.
| 1t is one of the evils, no doubt, that the
| church element that supported him ex-
| poets to see him eradicate. That element
| naturally expects to see him aid in abol-
| ishing transRressions of the law"
| THE LIQUOR OCTOPUS.
| The Rev. Father Hennessy, of st.
| Patrick's Church. has always been known
as being unalterably opposed to legal or
ecclesiastical countenancc of Sunday
"Every day" he said, advances the
difficulty of suppresIing 1t. The liquor
| traffic as a whole Is a giant monster,
whose proportions are beyond measure
ment. AS to the Sunday law. it seems
| paralyzed. 1t must remain dead letter
| unless put into force by the proper author
| tiles. There is nothing we lament more
| than the progress of the saloon-the ex-
| tension of the liquor traffic. Our church
| labor would be much abridged were it not
/ for the saloon. The Sunday traffic is
| especially hateful to us. 1t keeps people
away from their religious duties. But
| tWo-thirds of our own people came to
| divine worship. The other third is kept
| away by the temptations of the saloon.
| As fast as we make a temperance man
the saloon takes him away. The number
| OF saloons in this city is astonishing.
| There are at least one hundred Of them in
| my parish.
| COMPARISON OF EVILS.
| 81 do not wish to put myself in the atti-
| tude of criticizing our CHIEF Magistrate.
| He was supported largely by an element
| that looks to him for aid IN a proper en-
! forcemenI of the laws and preservation
| of the sacred character of the Lords
! Day. We have no doubt from
the professions of the Mayor
| that he will meet its expectations.
| We are all waiting aud hoping that ne
will set his mind to bring about reform
OF this gigantic evil The evil of a little
| extravaganza In the government of u
| city, the employment of few men more
| than is needed is not for n moment TO be
compared with the dreadful havoc that is
made by this monster of drink distributed
| by the saloons on the Sabbath day. 1t is
J bad enough In the week to allow these
| places to be open. Our WORK. however, 1s
that Of moral snasioR. 1t is the duty OF