Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-20
SALOONS MAY OPEN.
No Sunday Restrictions as Far
as the City is Concerned.
BARRIERS REMOVED LAST NIGHT.

nicipaI Code Relating Thereto. and
Throws Entire Responsibility on the
state-The Amendment as Presented
and sustained-The Discussion and Vote.
The city council last evening re-
| moved the barrier to the open saloon
on Sunday under the municipal
code, and hereafter, so far as the city
is concerned, there need he no more
closed doors. or even side doors.
The front doors may be wide open.
and the keeper is asswerable only to
the state law for his acts. In word
the city releases all restrictions
which it has thrown about the liquor
traffic. so far as regulation of Sunday
business is concerned, giving the
state law full swing in the prem
ises.
May BE Wide Open.
The city Of Rock Island thus comes
u'der the same rule that governs in
Chicago, Peoria and Quincy. where
the saloons run wide open on Sunday.
and the city in this case loses what
control it has held over the saloons
BY combining the Sunday traffic to the
side door. The result of the recent
crusade under the city ordinances
has therefore been to open wide the
saloon door on Sunday, and to abolish
the city's right to regulate rather
than to produce effects of rcforma-
tory nature in a practical sense. The
satisfaction, however, of knowing
that no municipal law is being vio-
lated may compensate for the new
conditions TO prevail. Rock Island,
it must be said though, has not been
VIGOROUSLY bad. Open violations Of
The city ordinances have not been the
rule, and the side door entrance
mas been an evasion not fraught with
the evil results that are much more
likely to occur where the city has
not the advantage of holding the
saloon-keeper in fear that he may be
made at any time to answer for going
toe far.
The state law, as matter of
course, remains in force. but it will
be found much more tedious and
laborous task to insure its continuous
and scrupulous application than in
the observation OF the tendency as
regards the city ordinances.
But Three Against 1t.
The amending of the ordinance
was favored by the entire council ex-
cepting Aids. Kennedy, Gall and
Nelson. who cast their votes in the
negative. The matter was presented
by Aid. Dauber, who received a sec
ond from Aid. Johnson. Aid. Maucker
made strong argument for the pas
sage of the amendment. holding it
as Il serious question and worthy the
consideration of any fair-minded per-
son who would look at the extenuat-
ing circumstances. If the city de-
sired to keep its own people at
home, which was an imposslb i lily
under the funeral-like surroundings
OF recent Sundays. and encourage
outsiders to visit here, concessions
such as all modeTnized and life-like
cities give to its business men should
be granted to same extent at least.
especially in view of the strong COM
petition offered by sister city. If
Rock Island WAS isolated. Aid.
Maucker continued, there would be
naught TO suffer. But existing cir
cumstances demanded that some
thing be done. 1t was not the sa-
loon-kceper alone who suffered, but
every form of legitimate bust
ness, and to cripple business was to
injure the city. The saloon people
contributed vast amount annually
into the municipal Golfers; their
money was as good as any,
boiy's. and If people were going
to spend, and Davenport extended
such warm hand of encouragement.
il was no more than justice to allow
them an opportunity to squander it
at home. But the alderman was
strenuously opposed to permitting
women in saloons. and believed every
stall should be removed from bar
rooms. Another reason advanced
why the amendment should be car
ried was to relieve city officials from
the bore of the different factions.
One day it was the women crying for
reform and the following day a
saloon-keeper shouting for the cessa-
ton of the crusaders prosecutions.
Aid. Maucker said he was tired If it,
and believed every other alderman
was. and thought the proper place
for parties with complaints was be-
fore the state authorities.
AID. Kennedy took exception to Aid.
Maucker's views. As well commence
the licensing of gambling dens and
houses of i'll repute if the saloons
were to be opened Sundays. and
moved that the ordinance be laid
over until the next meeting and al
low the aldermen an opportunity to
think before acting. Kennedy's
amendment was put and lost:
Ayes-kennedy, Gall. Nelson's.
Nsys-Maucker, Dauber, Schroe-
der. Zies, Johnson, Surman, Tindall,
Schreiner. Fender. Schneider-l0.
Aid. Dauber's original motion then
carried. all voting aye but Kennedy.
Gall and Nelson.
How the Ordinance Now Reads.
The amended ordinance as pre-
scented and adopted reads: