New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-17
THEY MUST OBEY THE LAW.
MAYOR STRONG SAYS THE LIoUoR-DEAL-
rRs MISUNDERSTOOD HIM.
NOT AND GOULD NOT PROMISE THEM
1uMuxIrr-MoRRIs TEKuLsKY SAYS THE
MAYOR Used PLAIN LANGUAGE


A. at his conference with the lquor-dealers
u,,ttee ' on Tuesday for testing public opin-
hc keeping all liQuOr-plaCes tightly closed on
crdavs until ! or 2 p M. and selling between
.ho, time and II p. m. had received too liberal
an Interpretation,
"1 have no fault to find with the accounts of
the conference as printed in the papers this
r,orning. but did not intend to be understood
consenting TO any plan for opening liquor
stores in violation of law. l distinctly said. as
The Tribune correctly quoted me- that l could
promise no immunity II the law violated.
"I simply wanted the liquor men to get to-
eether and come to an agreement among them
solves as TO the best way Of dealing with the
Sundav-openng question. The idea of telling
them that they might go ahead between and II
n M in violation of existing law never entered
NV head want the expression Of pubic opin-
ION IN this question of Sunday liquor selling. and
that is what wished to impress on the COM
mttee.'
"Some Of the hquor-dealers are preparing to
o,an next Sunday between and II p. m. Mr..
Navor. acting upon what they say they under
stood you 10 suggest
THEY'D better not" replied the Mayor. "If
they do they will get into trouble. They mis-
understood me II they imagined that l could
authorize them to violate the law.
~ want the liquor men to consider these ques-
tions among themselves and when they come
here again, two weeks from now, as We ar
ranged yesterday, We will talk the matter over
in all its phases, and may be able TO reach con-
clusion which will be productive of reform. l
am in hopes that something may yet come out
Of this and that we may be able to bring about
a settlement satisfactory to the majority of the
people
While Mayor Strong has not said so In so
MANY words he has evidently made up his
mind that the present law which prohibits the
sale of all vinous. spirituous malt liquors be-
tween 12 D. m Saturday and a. m. on Monday,
cannot be enforced in New-York. He is anxious
FOR the enactment of a law which can be en-
forced. The central fact which he believes must
be brought to the attention Of the good people,
by which he means the temperance portion OF
the community, who are against any sunday
selling all, is that so long as the majority OF
the people of New-York are opposed 10 the en-
forcement of the Excise laws as they stand ii
Will not only be useless TO try TO enforce them.
but that the effort to do so is inseparable from
continued corruption OF the police This is re-
garded additional and weighty reason for
amending the law so to permit the sale of
beer, wine and other liquors during certain
hours of Sunday If the nquor-places can be
hermetically closed until . o'clock Sundays
II will be, in the Mayors view, great i'm
provement present conditions. where liquor
is dispensed in nine-tenths Of the barrooms not
only all day Sunday. but continuously through
Saturday night and until the small hours or
Monday. on the principle that half loaf Is
better than no bread. or, as the Mayor expressed
1t on Tuesday, IF I can get them TO close up
half of Sunday they would only sin half as
much as they have been doing" II is believed
by many temperance advocates who have be-
come converts to the plan OF allowing the sale
of liquor during Sunday afternoons and even
hat tha I isla mi he
amend the Excise laws permitting these
changes.
Morris Tekulsky. ex-president Of the State
Liquor Dealers Association. who was principal
spokesman at the Mayors conference with the
liquor-dealers' committee. expressed great as
tonishment yesterday when told that the Mayor
disclamed any intention Of advising the liquor
men TO open their places on sundays between
and II p. m.
sky, that he wanted us TO try the experiment
as early as next Sunday, the object being to
test public sentiment on the subject and aid
him in overcoming prejudice by keeping closed
during church hours His idea was. and he
certainly expressed IT in plain language that
II we kept all our places closed until p m
and sold only after that hour. the good
people might be won over to change In the
law, and the sale of liquor authorized during
certain hours on Sundays.
II cannot say what the effect OF this change
in the Mayors attitude will be We Will have
q meeting of the Liquor Dealers Association
Of this city next TUESDAY evening; when the
Mayors office yesterday / was in favor OF
calling a special meeting OF the association for
Friday evening, so that complete and thoroush
preparations could be made for next SUNDAY
having every place closed tight from II sat
urday night till p. M. Sunday and then open
ing for the rest OF the day and evening
Nothing so far as / can see can be done now
until the regular meeting Tuesday night
1T is incomprehensible TO me how so many
intelligent men could nave m MisuhdeTs'ooa hIG p,
mean what we thought he did more than half
that was said in the Mayors office yesterday
must have been utter nonsense
Mr.. Tekulsky said that for MS part ne
favored A trial Of the plan of closing up until
2 D. m. all over the city 50 as 10 allow Colonel
Strong and the people generally to see now
1t worked
Mayor Strong. in commenting on the discus
sion in the Legislature yesterday regarding
bills affecting this city in which members both
In fine Senate and Assembly appeared as his
spokesmen, said that he had no personal rep
resentative IN either branch Of the Legislature,
and he did not think that there was necessity
a number of cIergymen went to see the
Rev DR. Charles II. Parkhurst yesterday. ana
talked with him about the unexpected atutude
~ Navor Strong toward the liquor dealers.
Some OF them were so much wrought up that
they suggested that Mayor strong might De
in1peached if he continued to advise the liquor
dea ers as had been reported. They were some
what relieved when they understood that the
Mayor denied that he mad ADVISED the nqu0r
dealers to violate the law by keeping their
places Of business open between and IL p m,
but they said II was all wrong Tor reform
Mayor to consult with the liquor dealers ana
express sympathy with them.
DIR. Parkhurst expressed convicton that
the attitude Of Mayor Strong would disgust
many church members with the new Admin
istration. He said that while he did not object
10 the Mayors views about Excise matters
the effect OF the Mayors declarations would
be the drawing Of broad line between citi- |
Zens VINO had supported the cause of municipal
reform. The movement which placed Colonel
Strong In the Mayors chair" he said. was
started by the churches and synagogues and
now they VIII be against him He made n !
bIunder In patting the liquor dealers on the |
back and seeking TO bring about changed |
conditions which TekulslSy and the rest of |
them favor"