New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-01
A QUESTION FOR LTOUOR.DEiLEPS.

A QUESTION FOR HQUOR-DEiLERS
Just before the wine. liquor and beer sellers
Of this town march in body to the polls and
vote the Democratic ticket. in obedience to the
behest Of any association or Executive Com
mittee Of an association, might 1t not be well
for SO many Of them as have ordinary intelli-
gence to stop a moment and consider the sig
nifcance of their action, as well as its possible
effect? If they stop TO ask themselves seriously
why they are voting in body for the Tammany
ticket upon the appeals which have been made
to them as a class, they will observe that 1t IS
for no other reason than that their business mas
been injured, as the liquor-dealers say In their
circular. by the policy Of the reform adminstra-
ton which ousted Tammany from ofiice last
wear. But that policy they will notice when
they stop TO think, will not be changed by any
thing they can do this year. Their votes next
Tuesday will not affect it in the least. For the
reform policy relates simply to the enforcement
Of law. and under the present municipal adilin-
istraton and the present Police COMMISSION
tho laws will continue to be enforced, whoever
NAV be elected County Clerk or Register, or
whatever Judges may he chosen So far as the
comfy ticket is concerned, their action Will
hova but one meaning and that will be that
,hav ore so angry at the enforcement OF law
that they are ready TO strike blindly at the party
that enforces it, and by their votes snow 'heir
sympathy with the party that made the law OUT
winks at its violation. Meantime they DO noun
ing TO help themselves. They simply waste
their energies and their opportunities IN uh-
meaning and purposeess rage
Let us recall them TO their senses Iheir at'i-
tude. or the attitude in which the action OF inc
Executive Committee of the liquor-dealers would
nut them is one of opposition to law. Their de-
mand is that they should be permitted 10 vloia'e
law with immunity Are they 50 blind as not 10
see that of their own motion they put themselves
in the class of criminals; Of habiual lawDreak-
ers: and that the more angrily they protest
against law enforcement, and insist upon special
Immunites the more distinctly and unmistak-
ably they classify themselves! DO they suppose
for single instant that they can help them
selves or do anything except array against '"'hi-
selves the strenuous and continuing hostility or
| rho law-abiding mass Of voters by such a course
Of action? What, we beg TO ask them. and we
urge them to give the inquiry earnest considera-
tion-what during the last six months has done
! more than anything else to give the wine, Deer
and ljouor dealers Of this town fair standing
|
ing from the public? What but their organized
| action month two ago in resolving 10 OBEY
the law? Wher. before have the liquor-dealers
as a body done anything that raised them so
much in public estimation. or that was so effec'
tive in making their calling reputable and de-
cent? Let us not mince matters. The liquor
| dealers calling has never been held IN hiSh
repute But when as an association they re
solved to obey the law at what seemed 10 De
some pecuniary loss and sacrifice OF profits the
whole public thought better of them. And they
if they will stop to think about it-thousht bet
ter Of themselves. They were no longer law
breakers. but law-abiding citizens, pursuing a
legitimate vocation within the law.
But now what are they doing, or proposing TO
do? Why-if they follow the directions OF the
Executive Committee Of their organization
Just this: They are proposing 70 say by their
votes that they are not law-abiding; that they
are not willing TO submit TO the same laws that
all other classes in the community recognize
and obey; that, in short, their business rights
and personal liberties as they put 1t, all de-
pend upon their being INDUCED In a special
license TO defy authority and violate law. For
that Is what il comes to in the end. That is the
sole contention and the only claim. So then the
question comes home TO those liquordealers
who do really desire 10 make their calling
reputable and decent, and who do not wish to
make themselves oucasts by lawlessness,
whether on the whole, they will help themselves
or their business by following the directions and
obeying the dictates Of the men whose sole de-
sire seems to be TO put the entire class Of liquor
dealers upon the same low level OF lawbreakers
and criminals And they have also TO consider
that in following the lead Of these fellows they
! effect nothing whatever to their own advantage
but simply put themselves on record as angry
unnecessarily, unreasonably and useessly pro-
testing against the enforcement OF law Finally
would 1t not be we'll for liquor-dealers as class
70 range themselves on the side Of law and order
and take their chances with every other bust
ness interest instead Of demanding special priv
Ileges and arrayng themselves In hostility to
the overwhelming mass Of citizens who recOg
nize their obligations and yield cheerful obedi.
ence to the law?