Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-28
LIQUOR MEN TO CLOSE.
Latest Feature In New York
 City's Excise Situation.
PASSED BY A THREE-FIFTHs VOTE.

President Hirsch Makes a Sensational
 Speech, In Which He Says That the Po-
 lice Found That They Could Not Keep
 the Saloons Shut.
 NEW YORK, Aug. 2S.--The Central As sociation of the Wine, Liquor and Beer Dealers of New York county had a red hot session in Terrace Garden, and wound up by unwillingly indorsing the resolu- tion which their excise committee passed some days ago, to obey the law and close up on Sunday.
 There were about 200 of the members of the association present, and while the ex- act figures of the first vote taken on the question are not known it is known that the ratio of voting was about to in fla vor of obeying the law. The vote was aft erward made unanimous.
 Besides the members there were present Patrick H. Noon, the state organizer of the liquor dealers; Major James Sheridan of Bridgeport, president of the Connecti- cut Liquor Dealers association, and Dan- iel Holland, president of the state associa- tion. Morris Tekulsky, the ex-presdent of the state association, took a prominent part in the proceedings.
 Henry Hirsch. the president of the asso- citation of New York county, set the ball rolling at the very start of the meeting in a somewhat remarkable speech, which outlined the policy tho association is to pursue. Mir. Hirsch's speech was carefully prepared in advance. It surprised and didn't altogether please those members of the association who had come there with the intention of voting not to support the excise committee in the stand it had taken ill favor of Obeying the law. MT. Hirsch started out by saying:
 President Hirsch's Speech.
 "The circumstances which have rem dered necessary the call for this meeting arc of prime magnitude and importance and are calculated to lead to an action on the part of this body unprecedented in the history of the Wine, Liquor and Beer Deal CTS Association of the City of New York for its extent and gravity"
 This was applauded by everybody. Then Mir. Hirsch proceeded, as he said, to tell some facts He said:
 'There is n law on the statute books which ordains that wines, beers or spiritu- ous liquors should not be sold on Sunday under penalty of the law. Heretofore that law has been disposed of by liberal in depreciation on the part of the courts and enforced with a considerable degree of moderation by the executive officers, but today this law has assumed a more alarm ing aspect for the dealers in our traffic and is being applied with unmitigated se- verty upon offenders
 'Such is our position today. We must protect ourselves from infamy and dis grace. Compliance with the resolutions of the excise committee may operate se- verely upon and play havoc with many of our members, but yet these unfortunate individuals must find consolation in the fact that it is an indispensably necessary action under the circumstances, if we de- sire to protect our members and hold our position and reputation in the community as law abiding association.
 Tn the past the law under which we are now suffering was rendered practical nullity by public consent, which permit ted it to remain in innocuous desuetude. Naturally an offense against it was con- sidered only a compliance with the desire and demand of the bulk of the people who have looked upon, and to my belief do to- day consider the present excise laws-as harsh, unjust, oppressive, aggravatingly restrictive and glaringly and flagitiously inadequate to the conditions as they are found in this cosmopolitan city. But to- day the public officials, both executive and judicial, being actuated by motives which from the. character of the gentlemen
 
 have deemed it fit to brand as criminal in a high degree tho sale of glass of beer on Sunday and subject the perpetrator of such an act to a cruel and ignominious punishment.
 Police Were Powerless.
 "The time has now come when we should take step forward, and that can be accomplished by placing ourselves in the category of citizens who respect the law, be it what it may. We have estab lished the fact beyond contention that the police cannot stop the sale of liquor on Sunday by their own cxertiOns, yet this result is attended with circumstances which are annoying and discomforting to us. Towering over all of us is that hideous reputation of constant violators of the law which is wont to burden with hu initiation and disgrace not only ourselves, but our families, whom surely every good father should love and respect and shield from degradation.
 "To avoid such a stigma let us demon strate to the people that while no power at the disposal of the police could enforce the law we ourselves are going to abide by it and help to enforce it, so that the peace and order of the community can be maintained by the police, who heretofore were placed as guards of honor before the doors of our stores. I reiterate, let us com ply with the law for the present and as- sume our places in the community as law abiding citizens, and then in this status lot us concentrate our skill and energy in an unrcmitting and persevoring campaign for tho procurement of such excise laws as will afford us such relief as our rights, privileges and immunities as citizens guarantee to us such laws as will suffer us to go unmolested and unencumbercd in the pursuit of our avocation in life." MT. Hirsch went on to predict that MT. Roosevelt. though ho couldn't close the saloons on Sunday before, would now be 1 able and would certainly do his best to l close on Sundays now the saloons of non- members of the association, so that the | trade of members who close will not suf- | fer The courts would also infiict severe penalties.
 Good Templars In Convention. BUFFALO, Aug. 2S.-Four hundred | Good Templars' lodges are represented at | the state convention here by 500 delegates The convention will have banquet on Thursday evening and trip to Niagara Falls on Friday
 pr. w. w. Cable Dead. | PITTsBURG, Aug. 2s.-Dr. w. W. Cable, | an eminent physician of this city and a brother of George W. Gable, the novelist, died here, aged 70 years
 TELEGRAPHIC BRIEFS.