The Monitor-register., 1896-04-17

telegrapned to their stauuoh friend.
Senator Frye, of Maine. urging thorough
Investigation. Ten of the state W. G.
L. U. presidents have also been asked to
communicate with their Senators in Con.
gress requesting them to give the matter
their attention.
Gotham's New Liquor Law.
The Raines law, for the regulation of
The liquor traffic, received the signature
of Governor Morton, and went into effect
in Brooklyn and many other cities and
towns of the Empire state on SUNDAY.
March 30.
The law requires absolute prohibition
one seventh of the time, and the New
York papers (Which, by the way, have
fought it to the death) lave such state
ments as the following:
"Not since Brooklyn was a village has
the sale of alcoholic beverages been
brought to such an absolute standstilI as
on Sunday. The law was enforced in all
its provisions by order of the police
authorities. Liquor dealers showed a
thorough fear of the new law and the
penalties which it imposes; the saloons
wera closed. their curtains and shades
were drawn up so that the inside could
be seen from the sidewalk; they were
deserted, and crowds of men stood on the
street corners and bemoaned the fact,
All the prominent clubs observed the new
law. A hotel had the following sign:
'Raines to day. Sunshine to morrow
but no free lunch.' One sa%loou.keeper
had his sign draped in mourning, and his
liquor license hanging in his window
framed in black crepe. Another had the
words, 1t never Raines it pours.' A
lady pugilist. who keeps a saloon,
remarked to a reporter, Pm going to get
out of the business; it comes to a pretty
pass when a lady can't earn an honest
living; Pm going back to prize fighting
unless my brewer puts up the dough for
my licsnse.'"
Representatives of the Law Enforce
meut League of Brooklyn visited two
hundred and fifty saloons, and found but
seven in which they could be even sus
pected of doing business. These will be
reported to the district attorney. To
Yonkers nearly all the saloons were open
to public view, showing that the Raines
law was pretty generally observed. In
Cohoes a saloon keeper was arrested for
having his saloon open on Sunday, and as
soon as the fact became known every
other saloon-keeper in the city closed up
his place. In Syracuse ''even the drug
gists" refused to sell liquor. In Rome,
N. Y, "All saloons closed on Sunday as
provided by the Raines law. This is the
first time in the history of the town that
all the saloons were ever closed on Sum-
day."
This is certainly interesting informa-
ton. We hope every Christian voter who
reads this will lay these things to heart,
remembering that when there is an officer
and not a peri lrer behind the ordinance,
a man and not d mouse behind the law,
prohibition will prohibit even in
Gotham.
The good faith of Governor Morton is
pledged to this bill. We have bad occa.
sion to make some structures on his action
in the past in relation to the Shoreham
Hotel, in Washington, d. c.; but he
signed the Scientific Temperance Bill of
the W. G. T. u, and in his last annual
message he urged more strenuous temper
ance legislation, and in face of the united
baying like b~loodhounds on his track of
the liquor traffic of New York state he
has signed the Raines bill, which is
certainly far ahead of anything that state
has known in many a year. For these
and other reasons we rejoice to record the
appreciation that we feel toward one
who, while never-in accord with us con-
corning prohibition, has in spite of that
put in a strong stroke for the cause of
temperance, and has done it in a presi-
! dental year wherein he is himself a candi-
date for the highest office in the gift of
the people. All this should us
to hope, and especially when we have
reason to believe that Governor Morton
has appointed, in the person of Col. Fl.
Ii. Lyman, of Oswego, an excise com.
missioner who will enforce the law.
Colonel Lyman is aclean man, politically;
he is the Governors personal selection
and has declared that he proposes to live
up to his oath of office. These facts
coupled with the proved statement made
by Theodore Roosevelt Gin face oil the
false declarations of the New York World
that crime had increased in New York
during his administrator are certainly
most cheering to reformers. 1t seems
that crime has decreased sixteen per cent
and the enforcement of law has largely
increased, Notwithstanding the fact that
the World and the other daily papers in
New York city have done their best to
invite criminals to New York city for the
express purpose of breaking down the
administration of which Mr.. Roosevelt is
the leading light. Thinking people will
not forget that the liquor oligarchy spared
no pains to prevent the adoption of the
law.-Unton Signal
Your comrade,
1 C-------- r0IL ~ M annn