New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-28
SENSIBLE LIQUOR.DEALERS.

SENSIBLE LIQUORDEALERS.
In deciding 10 obey the letter OF the sunday
closing law and cooperate win the fohce 'oln
nissioncrs In its enforcement, the Liquor beai
ers' Association undoubtedly buildcd Det'cr IMAM
they knew No matter what may nave peeh 'he
impclling motive. whether simple rear OF Tie
consequences Of violating law or me desire 10
bring about the repeal Of the law by lis rigorous
enforcement or an honest purpose to render Tie
obedience Of good citizens 10 existing statutes
whatever the motivc-one thing Is clear: mat
they have by this act pat themselves before the
community in the only attitude In which thcy
can command respect for their vocation ana
hearing for their cause. So long as they appeared
before the public in The attitude OF awbrcak"rs
or contcmners If the law they could not with
any sort Of propricty consistency demand
hearing in the forum Of public opinion as against
laws which, however severe in their operation
had been deliberately enacted with the assent
and sanction Of the majority Of voters. 80 long
go ,hov dcacd tho law. and audaciously claimed
exemption from its requirements ana immunity
from It's penalties, they could Fave no s'ahulhs
In court That the law stood on inc s'a'"'e
books was proof absolute that II emood'eu 'he
will Of the majority. To violate IN" uc'! "
openly and deliberately was such contempt an"
defiance Of the majority rs to put me ''oi"'ors
beyond aud outside Of any argument rs 10 'lc
merits or dement's Of the law win 'hose VINO
were responsible for lis enactment. N'i'her III
courts Of law nor the forum OF pubic OPINION
can the brawcr against the law iseIr iorce II
hearing. BY his own act he puts himself OUT OF
cour; and into the dock.
In deciding as body 10 obey the law ana
assist in enforcing It's obedience, the nquor-deai
crs at once put themselves in position where
they may properly and consistently argue De-
fore thc voters Of the State the mpracticaDillty,
thc Injustice. tn, unequal operation, the hard
shin privaton or any other offensive feature OF
tbc existing excise law They NAV come now
Ms lawabiding citizens presenting arguments Tor
the roneal or modification Of the law. Ihcy can
truthfully say: I'VE are obeylng the law though
I'VE consider II a hardship; we defer to the VIII
"of the majority as expressed In the law, but
Eve think we can convince the majority That
"tbe law was passed without full consideration
..of lis consequences and ought 10 be either re-
..pcaled or essentially changed in the interest not
..alone Of ourselves as class, but OF the gen
"cral public" Obedience 10 law admits them al
once 10 the forum of public opinion and the
legitimate exercise Of argument and appeal from
which their attitude of hostility TO the enforce
mont Of law excluded them. BY this act. too,
they Nft the whole discussion out OF the at
mospherc OF violent contention and disorderly
hrawllnc I'D to the level Of reason and cold com
nonsense These gentlemen have now made IL
possIble for themselves 10 60 before the people
with calm presentation Of the reasons Tor
which in their Judgment. the present Sunday
isin o. no
equally upon classes and works hardship ana
nrlyatlon upon large numbers II citizens. they
nav now appeal 10 reason rather than passion,
70 Judgment rather than prejudice. II IL 10 their
credit. and n may possibly In the end be 10 their
advantage that they have by n scnsible-and. In
fact, the only scnsiblc-proccdurc lifted up the
whole discussion II the subject In which they are
so much Interested to nghcr plane and into a
clearer atmosphere.
Blu, they have also done another thing. which
Is vastly more TO their own advantage. though
but few of them may be at present fairly con-
scious Of It, They have done more to make their
calling reputablc-and they will do well to give
serious consideration 10 this perhaps unconsid-
cred aspect Of the case-they have done more to
make their calling reputable than all the laws or
all the orders passed for the enforcement or non
enforcement Of laws could ever have effected.
They may not know IT, They ought to- The
association could do itself and its members no
greater service thar by directing its efforts TO
instilling this idea. that by simply taking organ
lied action in favor of implicit obedience to law
II has made the vocation more reputable and
decent. and on par with all others.
They should know how much this means
Ii means. from matcrialistc point OF
view. exemption from Matchmaking; from the
cxtortions which corrupt administration com
pel for immunity; but II means much more
for the honest and law-abiding dealer: II makes
him the social equal Of all men engaged
in lawful vacations. lie is no longer put under
suspicion by his calling violator OF law 80
long as the liquor-dcalers were banded toGcfher
in efforts TO defy or cvadc the law 1t could not
he otherwise than that the business should he
considered disreputabe, and that those engaged
in II should be in some sense under social ban.
The action Of the association, II ratified rs
permanent rule Of conduct. though very impor-
tant in the present emergency as an aid TO the 1
enforcement Of law Is of vastly more conse-
ouence 10 the liquor-dealcrs themselves in the
great change II will effect in the attitude OF the
public toward them and in their own social rela-
tons