The Irish standard., 1895-08-17
club On Sunday, then count me as one
ho stands for Il mod ihcat ion of the law
az us He'd. sto the drinking places 'of the

cheer y. Mr. o Sullivan went on
ss, I. rom the age OF the Puritan gloomy
sabbath, we have advanced to q time
u when reasonable enjoyment is no longer
d generally considered rs inconsistent with
4 d proper observance of the Lords day.
We have also reached the time in this
cosmopolitan town when, as in the for
eiEn places from which they come. many
of our inhabitants have come to regard
ale and beer as necessary articles OF
N table fare. There is also a considerable
portion Of the com munity which regards
light wines as indispensable to social and
orderly entertainment. Can we with JUS
lice deny to the right to purchase on
Sunday? @s {
"Are we to punish the orderly citizen
who drinks In moderation for the drunk
EN- brawler. who will drink and brawl in
spite Of the law? The effect of so-called
absolute prohibition proves that it only
prohibits those who respect the law and
are the least addicted to drink: it can
not prohibit the drunken and riotous
thinker; he will anticipate the law and
provide against it, -
'sSit down!" "Shamew were heard
above the Kisses and cheers. Most OF the
audience were on their feet as Mr.. O'Sul-
Ivan resumed:
"And here we may learn something
from the recent enforcement Of our Sun
day law. The immoderate drinker and
bis companions, who find it difficult to
visit the saloon on Sunday, now provide
themselves on Saturday, not with bev-
erage which will not keep, but with the
most treacherous of poisonous drink,
and On Sunday, in the presence OF youth
and innocence, the home becomes the
scene Of debauchery darker by far WITH
iniquity than the disorder which before
fourished at the saloon or in the streets
within reach of the law"
The tu2mit of Kisses and cheers be-
came so great at this point, and the au
dience was in such g. state Of excitement
that Archbishop Corrigan got up, de-
manded silence and said:
"Unless these demonstrations OF dis.
favor towards the speaker cease will
leave the hail."
f"That is right; give him fair show"
shouted Mr.. Roosevelt, Mr.. O. Sullivan
then concluded:
''From considerations such as these
and after an unprecedented observation
of the effects produced by the various
kinds and degrees of excise and prohib-
Mory laws, I have arrived at the con-.
viction that the best interests of tenn
perance and order can better be conserv-
ed by law which while it permits the
opening Of saloons on Sunday, will at the
same time mean disorder with the strong
hand Of repression"
A volley of Kisses and groans, partfc-
ularly from the women, GREETED Mr.. O'sul-
livaE's closing. It changed to a roar Of
cheers when Vicar General Mooney in
troduced Theodore Roosevelt. Mr.. Roose-
welt smiled at the audience in just the
same way that he smiles on a policeman
whom he has caught lying to cover up
breech Of discipline, and upon whom he
is about to impose heavy penalty.
Mayor Strong looked up at him with an
wait now and hear from my little po-
lice commissioner. Everybody expected
something 10 drop, and they were not
disappointed.
Il am going to vary what I am going
to say in order to SUPPLEMENT- the remark
able appeal for temperance that we have
just listened to- he said quietly. In fact
he did not raise his voice very high at
any time. He ort,of talked through his
teeth. Il want to express my gratitude
to the Catholic Church, because it stands
nanfully for temperance and for a day
Of rest and of innocent enjoyment.
AS listened TO the eloquent address
OF the gentleman who preceded me, and
realized that he was pleading for the old
lady in the poem, who said to her hus-
band
1t may have been right to dissemble your
love,
But pray why did you kick me down
stairs? z.s
Grub it into him, Teddy" shouted one
man, while the crowd cheered. In fact,
the cheering was almost continuous,
hardly minute passing that a part Of
the audience was not on it's feet,
II shall not speak to you from my poll
tics tonight" continued Mr.. Roosevelt.
ri have better sense. ! am not here as a
politician. / came here as One American
speaking tn mis- fellowSAmericans. The
trust that [ have administered and am
now administering, whether my work
has been vel done or i'll has been admin
istered without regard to politics. con-
slider only the. criminal. I care nothing
for the political affiliations of the GRIM
incl. When people have told me that
my party would go down if honestly en-
forced the law, have said SO be It'll
would rather that my party should go
down than to see, its representatives
false to- their oaths. s544
II and my colleagues, two Of one party
and two OF another, have known no poll
tics In the police board. The other day
we reduced to the ranks two roundsmen
who had not performed their duty. They
are beginning to understand that that Is
our way. We promoted two men In their
places who had proved themselves to be
brave heroes, who performed their duty
faithfully. Some Of the politicians of my
own party came to me and said that the
two men had reduced were Americans
Professionals and Republicans, and that
she two men had promoted were of Irish
parentage, OF the Catholic faith, and, I
believe, tariff reformers. My answer
was that we cared nothing for their birth,
their creed or their politics, but that If
they did not do their duty their heads
would go off as quickly as the heads OF
their predecessors had. a7s-.
ri agree with Senator O'Sulliyan that
we want honesty. We are against dis
honesty. No more fragrant kind Of dis
honesty can be found than to dencunce,
whether openly or by implication, honest
officials because they enforce honestly
the laws they find on the statute books.
We have made this fight fairly and
squarely On the honest enforcement scf
law. Our opponents dare not meetsus
squarely and fairly on the issue they
really stand upon, that ts, that we should
enforce the law dishonestly."s