New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-30
EXCISE REFORM DISCUSSED.
wELI~KNowN NEw<YoRKERs GIVE
THEIR VIEWS
SETH LOW SHOWS HOW THE LAWS SHOULD Eh'
CHANGED MASS MEETING AT CHICK
EPINC HAIL.


CHANGED MASS MEETING AT CHICK
ERINo HALL.
There were nearly as many w6snen+as men In
the audience which gathered in Chickering Hall
last evening 10 hear a discussion Of Local Up
ton and Sunday Saloons" The meeting was heio
under the auspices OF the Excise Reform Assoc's-
ton. and was not political gathering In any
sense Prominent men had been invited 10 'a'N
abou: the excise question without reference 10
the local campaign and in a calm and dispassioh-
ate manner. 4s.e
Some Of the men who went to the meeting with
the expectation Of hearing the excise question uis
cussed from political viewpoint were SO nuch
disappointed that they departed before 'hey hau
heard half of the speecheg. Those who remained
enjoyed the discussion and frequently applauoeo
the speakers Emong ihe men on the platform
were Dorman r. Eaton, President Seth Low f'o-
lessor Felix Adler. Arthur Won Briesen ana 'he
Rev Dr. Rsinsford Before the meeting was
called TO order the audience was entertained oy
good music by an organis,e -----
Dorman Il. Eaton. The president Of the assoc
citation when ne called the meeting to order
aeon after o'clock. said that the association had
no desire TO influence the approaching eiccV'oi'
The question for the evenings discussion, he
the public at the present time. and the question
was. rs II wise 10 open the saloons on sunday
%, a,I7" There were loud cries of NO, no. III
the audience. and Mr.. Eaton put the question
aga,n in this form: should New-Yoik City nave
home rule or local option. as 10 the opening Oh
the saloons on Sunday Without attempting
10 answer the question he introduced seth i-o"
as the chief speakerof the evening.
SETH lows ADDRESS.
President Low wasteeeived with applause ne
said in part: - = -
Mr. Chairman and fellow-citizens:- THIS meeting.
as understand II. is IN no sense part % '"e o'"
campaign 1t is a meeting called for the purpose OF
considering the existing excise Law Of. the State
upon It's merits Al good men shou.d unite IN sus-
tanning the enforcement CT law. but !; Is equally
legitimate for citizens to discuss existlis awe a.
10 whetber or not they are what they ought 10 De;
A discussion of the excise law from TINS point OF
view seems to me particularly timely because a.
the present moment mems minas are la sss ti,ns
in that direction. ! am one OF those VINO peme aT
that the excise law should be radically cnangeu.
In INV opinion the fundamental priucpIe OF H. as
II stands to-day. is radically wrong re ~
The excise law of the State OF New-fork AZ the
present time is that the liquor traffic shall be con
trolled by the discretion OF three men rmpg the
E Excse soaph haye the right to Withhold license
or TO grant IT, This Discretionary power ioueea ~
ooar no ri evils from which we suffer in my
Judgment 1t is this power Iatner nm ,or
np
so strongly into politics
WOULD BE IN POLITICS
- butchers or bakers we're allowed to follow their
business only with the consent Of board OF three
men, butchers bakers would be IN politics pre-
cisely as the liquor trade Is now a moments re-
aectioni will show you that the Excise Board. in
one sense holds the business of the entire liquor
trade in the hollow of lis hand: Not only so, the
Excise Board Is IN position TO conIroi ,hs poll
Accordsngly :; has been found that the control Of
the Excise Board is one of the most powerful pc.
.itical engines that can be placed in the hands OF
anv political party. The Excise Commissioners
occupy position toward a larse and wealthy trade
In which they are exposed 10 three of the strong
est temptations 10 which human nature can be ex-
posed The strain upon an Excise BOARD there,
fore. In large city Is greater than humanity, IN
Its average rum is capable Of bearing.
WHY 1T IS WRONG.
These are the reasons why belieYe that the en-
,stng excise law OF the State Of NewYork is rad
ically wrong in depending upon the eemeu; of dis
cretioh for the control of the liquor traffic The
United States Government leves excise tax.
but dc eVff he Snsnss VINO rRe state se Of ohio few
years ags adopted this prin S in What is
iirely tn. elemest OF discretion In the admins
o Se ST size the Of S tax to hsh Tx n"6 Of
sagHs IT'S b sG Is OF s Me see ins
TO me 20 be des. able In my own opinion !, Is
i come now, 10 the discussion Of a question. Of
course. apparent that the Causes of the law ,ouch-
Ing the sale OF liquor on Sunday might De the
under one form OF excise law as under the other
ana IT Is also s clear ha the popnf b S
ton turns upon this point / am In sympathy with
h s Tss ssy me as S @
capacity or The other hand that belief does not
at all Imply the, The stste.n framing an excise
questions of detail in regard to the law. The ex-
the statute book IN one important par,icmal It is
cerned. the merits Of which the opinion OF
communities is SHARPLY divided,
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE
In the presence Of such divided sentiment what
does statesmanshp require 10 the excise law In
relation 10 this detail of Sunday selling? 1t re-
Quires, In my judgment. that the law In any CON-
munity should conform to the public sentiment Of
that community IN that detail While the excise
law is State law. It is enforced in every
munity by the officers of the community. 1t is OF
the utmost consequence therefore, that those Off
GERS should know that behind the law as 1t applies
In their community there is the effective public
sentiment OF ne community miel sen IN the
munity might be taken at Intervals OF five or ten
iudic;ous. Such system would have the greai
advantage OF tending to educate the. comm Unity
as 10 res own best interests Ia fnatte|- OF NtEi
concern TO itself The question should always be
decided by vote taken for this purpose alone, so
Something ike this is done all the great cities in
munitfes must be content In my Judgment, to see
every municipal interest threatened with the dan
ger OF being subordinated to this difference Of
opinion on the question Of Sunday liquor selling
Ii is not statesmanlke to continue such a situa-
coed city N @
1t to this hazard also II seems to me the part of
true statesmanship 10 legislate in regard TO
excise that whatever law is adopted shall be auto
matte in Its working and thus free from the dan
gers that attach 10 the control Of the liquor traffic
by discretion. and also that IN every community
the excise law 10 the detail OF Sunday liquor
selling Shall be known conform to- the public
sentiment CT the community whose officers must
enforce the law. because law that must be To-
cally enforced II x have not local public sentiment
behind it, becomes locally blue law even II 1t
remains upon the statute book Of the State. Gap
plause)
SPEECH OF PROFESSOR ADLER
There was much applause for President Low