New-York tribune., 1896-11-26

..ho,o,s and fake clubs are yet to be dealt with'
..wbicb 50 long as they exist. will be a source
..of trouble and that with some grand ana peut
..iurics there Is disposition to ignore complaints
..for violations Of this law.
Mr. Raipcs still insists that he did not over
.,,,o tho number of excise violations IN tnls
,oiobhorhood regardless of the reflection thus
c,st upon his confidential agents. who were
so necessary n feature of his system last VIII
tor ,rheir duty was to see that the law was
opforccd to visit all places where liquor was
sold and see that they were properly licensed
Gan If no that Mr.. Raines has found these agents
useless for political purposes owing to the civil
sorvcc rules. and has determined to join In the
prcsent attack on those rules by impcaching the
,tHc;encv of the agents? The Senators principal
rrouud for belief in his estimate of the extent
~ violotions is the large number Of Federal H.
censcs rs compared with State licenses issued
under the old law. He says that in 1S''' there
were 5000 more and he thinks there is prob
ably the same difference now. though ne gives
no irurcs. Now. everybody at all familiar with
the rural districts knows that hquor-deai'hS
solely under n Federal license was common
thing when the old law was in force. IN 'o"nS
which exercising local option. granted no IL
ccnses there might be one or dozeh piaceS
where liquor could be obtained. ana p"o"o
opinion generally protected the dealers from
prosecution so long as they carried on thelr pus
ness quietly, but they always pald tne re"c'' ~
tax Even farmers who kept hard cider III 'heir
cellars and sold Il to their neghbors often tooN
ont Federal licenses. though they never dreamed
of themselves as liquor-dcalers subject 10 'he
Excise Board Under the new law the same
conditions are likely to prevail. The Federa'
fax is n small one. and people do not try 10 eVaue
II The State fax is n large one. and people do
.v,d. II Therefore there Is bound TO be great
1rer,rce in tne number of State and Federal
licenses issued. In this city. moreover 'ne ST.
crot lqnor- r-sclling is largely carried on III ha's
and houses which are open only Ia perSohS "i'oi
the proprictors trust. To hunt down this form
Of lianor-sclllng is rs difficult as to stamp out
the vices which accompany II.
commissioner Lyman. who cares Tor the rep"
tation Of bis department even If Mr. Kain'S docs
moi gives some figures which. in conjunction
with those furnished by the District-Attorhey
Office, go far to explain Illegal nIuor-selilIlg
since Nav 1850 "Raincs law clubs nave Deeh
incorrorated and are doing business in spite of
the police and Mr.. Lyman says that Whii" there
NAV have been some individual cases of neglect
Of duty which is to bc conceded he does h"'
believe that there has been any wholesale or
serious neglect. He thinks the police have maze
"a remarkably good showing. considering the
'oh~iac"> placed in their way. the most serious
"of which, in my opinion. is a lack of Legal pfe'r-
dents and established court rulings To guide
.thcm in their duty. The truth of this Il
shown hy the fact that with l.1lo arrests be-
tween April and November :. only iS' lndlct-
mcntS were found. on trial Of these ~ pleas
Of guilty were obtained and IL convictions Sc
cured Mr.. Raincs would better look in some
other direction for a scapcgOat.