The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-07
The Lager Beer Issue.

In the view Of the Stuats.Z eitung, Herr
OTTENDoRFER's German paper, the lager
beer issue will overshadow all other
questions at the municipal election, but
its Importance will be so great, the popular
demand for it's settlement 80 insistent, and
the concern Of the voters for the non.enforce
ment Of the existing Excise law 30 pro-
found, that both political parties will lose
no time in taking It out Of the field Of con-
~troversy by both agreeing as to 1t. In other
words, the Staats.Zeitung Is convinced
that there will be no divergence of
opinion between the two parties on
the lager beer question. II, how
ever, tho Germans expect Tammany to
satisfy them on that issue. 1t warns them
that they will be disappointed. "Tamma-
n.y." It says, is not 80 ignorant as to allow
the anti Sabbatarians to take them in tow.
Tammany has to depend for support upon a
powerful element which favors the Raines
law. Even IL this is surprising news to
some of our German idealists, we are ready
to stand by it,"
This "news" may be surprising to the
German idealists, but it Is not at all sur
prising to the c~ommon-sense, matter-of-
fact, we'll Uniformed, and disinterestcd OBJ
servers Of municipal politics. The Raines
law, regarded in it's political aspect. has n
much larger measure of support than some
of the German idealists appear to under
stand. By the taxpayer, the ~law.abiding
citizen, the man Of business. the industri-
GUS mechanic, the Raines law is regarded as
q successful revenue-gettinR measure from
the profits Of the trade which Is always en-
failing enormous expenditures upon the
public treasury. 1t Is a measure unde
which taxes have been reduced and the
revenues OF the State and the cities in
creased.
This is the popular strength of the Raines
law with the great body of voters, but it is
not the particular source of strength to
which the Stadts.Zeitung refers. Among
the liquor dealers, as distinguishable from
the lager beer sellers, a distinction which
every political worker clearly understands,
the Raines law Is a popular measure.
The tax, it Is true, has been increased,
but in compensation the competition has
been reduced, and opportunities for Sunday
telling in such of the places as have club or
hotel licenses have been made possible and
very lucrative at the same time. Less
beer is sold in cans, but there is no
profit in that, and there has been a ma
terial increase in the business Of the
places in which are sold beverages
upon which there is a profit. Moreover,
the menace and annoyance of police
espionage have been very largely done away
with, as the official figures of the Police
Department prove. During the three
months ending July 1, 1895, under the
former Excise law, the number Of arrests
for alleged violations of it was 2,2s6.
During the last quarter, under the Raines
law, officially reported, the lumber was
$40 only. Many of the most active sup
porters of Tammany Hall and its policies
have benefited pecuniarily by the new law.
This powerful element" as the Stats
Zeitung describes it, does not seek the re-
peal of the Raines law and will not coun-
tenance any vigorous warfare against it,
and whiskey is stronger than beer.
The Stdats-Zeitung accordingly concludes
its dissertation on the political situation
with the comment that the Germans would
like to see a liberal man as Mayor, but
they don't want to see a Mayor who halls
from Tammany Hall.