San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-11-12
SUNDAY LAW FAILED.
Back Doors Open-and the Au-
thorities Are Disguised
With the Work of Spy
inc ON Saloons
ing on Saloons

ing on Saloons
New Orleans, Nov. 12.-The
spasmodic attempt to enforce the
Sunday law, put into effect since
the adjournment of the legisla-
ture, has again failed. The back
doors were open in every direc-
ton Sunday and though the po-
lice, who are not nearsighted,
were evidently aware of the fact,
they made no attempts to arrest
anybody. The word had mystic
riously been passed along the
line that the energy shown for a
couple of weeks should be abated.
Hence, Saturday night and
Sunday anybody who wanted a
drink or wanted to get on a roy
al jag had a full opportunity to
do so.
The result of the recent failure
in the attempt to put this OBJ
nOxious law into effect was en-
tirely unexpected. To enforce
the law cOmpletely-and it is not
worth having on the statute
books if it is not going to be en-
forced completely-would re-
quire the doubling of the present
police force and the enlistment
in the service of a vast number
of spies. The present force is en-
tirely inadequate to the work of
keeping the back doors of. the sa-
looms closed.
During the last session of the
legislature an effort was made to
repeal the law. Rev. DR.. Lyons,
who is a bundle of industry and
pluck, headed a delegation that
went to the state capital and en-
tered a vigorous protest against
the repeal. DR.. Lyons promised
that if the law was allowed to re-
main on the statute books he and
the Sunday Rest League would
undertake to enforce it. At first
there was a sentiment in favor of
the repeal of the law, but mem
bers of the house and senate
agreed to give DR.. Lyons a chance
to see what he could do. DIR. Ly-
ons went to work; the police
board said it was willing to give
him assistance; Mr.. Mari promis,
ed whatever help he could ex-
tend, and for one or two Sun
days the law was fairly well en-
forced. But in doing so the pO-
lice force had to be taken away
from the performance of other
duties and the result was that
thieves had full swing from mid
night Saturday until midnight
Sunday. There never has been
a time in the history of the city
of New Orleans when the thieves
have been so active as they have
recently been in this city, and it
is not to be doubted that the ac-
ton of the authorities in taking
the force away from its regular
beats to spy on the saloons has
had considerable to do with the
frequency with which residences
have been robbed. There are in
deed multiplied instances where
a policeman has been stationed
for hours before the back door
of a saloon to prevent tipping,
while he has been compelled to
let the territory under his charge
go entirely neglected. Even then
there has not been a full enforce
ment of the law, and it is unques-
tionable that the police as usual,
have shown discrimination, and
have forced some saloons to close
while winking at violations in
other directions. 1t is related
that on st. Charles street this
has been particularly the case,
and a number of the saloon
keepers have been up in arms
over the action of the authori-
ties, in closing them up. while
4