The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-15
A committee Of the church

palm association, has prepared
a plan for solving the liquor
problem, in accordance with {
suggestion from Bishop Pott er
says the New York Sun. The
same general subject was also
discussed by Cardinal Gibbons
in an address on Wednesday
last before the Maryland Tenn
perance alliance.
The Episcopalian plan OPP
poses the Sunday opening OF
saloons to any extent, and in
cludes the drafting of a bill to
prohibit the Sunday sale of Ii.
: quor over the bars of clubs and
hotels, so that the legal restric-
ton may "apply with equal
pressure on the rich and the
poor" 1t also calls for legisla-
tion for "the prompt trial Of
offenders against the excise and
cognate laws" by a special
judge, and urges the establish
ment of a substitute for the sa.
loon 'on a large SCALE" where
no liquor shall be sold and
which shall contain ga restau
rant, reading and billiard rooms,
and sleeping Accommodations for
respectable men," Cardinal
Gibbons regards prohibition as
impracticable in large commu.
mites, except that he would
have the liquor saloons closed
absolutely on Sunday. He fla
vors high license, the restric-
ton of the number of saloons in
a district, their prohibition
within a certain proximity to a
church or a schoolhouse, and
the general regulation of the
sale of liquor by judicious legis
lation.
Il will be seen, therefore, that
those two authorities, Episcopal
and Roman Catholic, agree in
the main as to the remedial
measures desired. Neither op
poses the sale of intoxicating
beverages. except on Sunday,
but both recognize the traffic as
practically necessary, for both
regard the temperate use of
them as justifiable; and to salts
fly that demand the liquor must
be sold. The difference be-
tween them is touching the
provision of a substitute Cor
the saloon, of which the Car
dinal has nothing to say, but
which, presumably, is contrary
to the policy of the Roman
Catholic church in dealing with
social matters. OF course, too,
the Church Temperance Socie-
It's recommendation as to the
trial of excise cases refers to a
subject peculiar to New York. If.
too, the bars of clubs and hotels
should be closed on Sunday, il
is only because the prohibition
of liquor selling should be uni
form when il Is undertaken at
all. II is not because there is
any discrimination in their ia
yor which makes any inequali
" between the rich and the
poor, for there is no such dis
tinction. They have remained
open on the theory that a club
or a hotel is a mans private
house, where he is free to drink
his own liquor. If that theory |
is untentable, they can be closed |
now without additional legisIa-
ton. Besides, both the rich
and the poor drink at both pub.
lie bars and such private bars.
We are sorry that the Church
Temperance Society should
make a distinction for which
there is no justification what
ever, and which is mischieyous.
Cardinal Gibbons does not fall
into any error Of the kind, and
it is highly creditable 10 the
Roman Catholic church gener-
ally, that it never lends itself
10 the proyocation of jealousy
and distrust between the rich
and the poor.
With a view to planning a
substitute for the liquor saloon,
he Church Temperance society
will send its secretary to Europe :
Turing the coming summer to
nyesti0ata the yvnrk;na, nf i'm.