New-York tribune., 1896-12-12
A PETORT ~ KIND.

The unfortunate ebuitiOns Of temper in when
Senator Ranes has several times INDUCED III
the course of the investigation now in progress
concerning the workings Of the Liquor Tax law
which bears his name seem to be producing their
logical effect in provoking rctOrts in similar
strain. The Tribune has already called the Sen
ator's attention to the necessity for avoiding any
exhibition of resentment or manifestation or
temper in the conduct Of the inquiry, 1t being
entirely out Of place and nncallcd for. besides
prejudicing in the public mind the cause Ior
which the investigation has ostcnsibly been SET
on foot His threat to amend the law so as TO
close all the hotels and clubs In order to reach
the fake" hotels and bogus drinking clubs was
foolish exhibition of temper and in extremely
bad taste. SO. too. his declaration in Bui1alo' i'll
answer to the suggestion that citizens OF German
birth. who had been accustomed to drink beer
with their meals every day in the week. ought
not to be deprived of the privilege OF procuring
1t on Sunday, that he meant to stop SUNDAY
beer-sellr- - Germans or no Germans was not
courteous, to say the least, and could only nave
the effect to stir up bad blood. In both these
statements there was a threatening tone and
manner entirely unsuitable to the occasion, ana
unbecoming in n person holding official position
II Is not strange that "The New-YOrk World,
which opposes all Sunday laws and all restric
tions upon the liquor traffic, should be provoked
to retort in the same temper. That journal says:
"Mr. Ra,nes backed by a Puritanical rural
"vote, and by the vote that hypocritically caters
Ito rural sentiment, assumes to say that the
"customs habits and sentiments or major
'ity of the people in the cities shall he ar
"bitrarily overrldden by his will This Is
the language of exaggeratOn. There Is no
warrant for the assertion that majority
of the people in the cities are in the habit
of drinking beer with their meals every day ID
the week, and certainly none for the assumption
that all. or even majority, or those VINO use
beer habtually consider themselves aggrieved
by a law which puts reasonable restrictions upon
promiscuous Sunday liquor or beer selling. line
World" is also wrong, think, when 1t says
that the suppression Of Sunday lquor-sclling lis
undertaken not as police measure. but solely
"in assertion Of q Sabbatarianism which has no
"propcr place in the councils Of a purely secu
"lar State that toerates all religions but en-
"forces none" The cold truth is that majority
Of the voters of this State as well Of the cities
as of the rural districts. are in favor OF restrict
Ing tUc oH" Va eA-'''N'"S
laws. and have repeatedly put themselves on
record to that effect.
The purpose Of the Raines law was 10 carry
ont the will Of the voters in this regard. Com
plaInt IS made that for some reason, either
through inherent defects or laxity in it's enforce
ment, or perhaps both, 1t has failed TO fuhl pub
lie expectation. The object Of the present in
uuiry is to gather testimony from all sources as
to its operation and thereon devise remedies Tor
the failure As The Tribune has already SAID,
it is important that the investigation should De
pursued in a judicial spirit. without proposes
sions or prejudice, II any practical result Is 10 be
reached. If ANY class Of citizens, Germans or
others, consider themselves peculiarly aggrieved,
or think that the law operates unjusily or un'
equally to their inconvenience, they should be
afforded a courteous hearing. and care should
be taken not to give them unnecessary offence.
On the other hand they should not permit them
selves to be provoked into charging with big
otry or hypocrisy those who differ with them
as to the political necessity OF Sunday laws ana
restriction of the liquor traffic. We are yet far
from final solution Of the drink question.
But one thing Is certain that we cannot
hasten 1t by violent language or Incorporate
discussion.