The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-15
LOCAL OPTION FOG.
If IT WAS SPREAD TO BLIND GER
MANS IT DIDNyE

created tho greatest amount Of interest among
voters Of all parties yesterday. was what he
said on local option in excise matters. The
home-rulo idea prevailed throughout tho entire
letter, and 1t was a cause OF much wonder to the
men who have familiarized themselves with
Mr.. Lows political past and have watched his
conduct since the beginning of the Greater
New York agitation, when the plot to foist him
on the new city az Mayor was first Matched by
. lot Of irresponsibles, that he should begin
now. whom It IL practically impossible. a work
which chance and the fortunes Of politics threw
in his way months ago.
These mon say that as a member OF the
Greater New York Charter Commission, in
which body he was O most conspicuous figure.
ho could have done moro for local option than
he ever can do now, eithor as Mayor Of the
greater city or just plain ordinary citizen. At
the Same time, 1t is said, no never made tho
slightest effort to got into the charter clauses
which would take certain powers. held by the
State over tho city, out Of the hands Of tho
former to be placed with the officials Of the lat
ter. IL he had any local option ideas at that
time they didn't crop out. 1t looks as though
Mr.. Low had suddenly hit upon the local option
idea as a good vote winner. and means TO play
1t for all it is worth.
To make sure that this local option idea was
never brought up in the meetings of the Greater
NOW 1OTk NnurICT commission Dy MT. Low, anu
that no attempt was ever made by him to incor.
porate the principle in the charter. a Sun re-
porter questioned a member of the commission
on the subject yesterday. The Commissioner
made tho following statement:
Tho matter OF local option was mover
brought up at any OF the meetings OF the com.
mission, either by Mir. Low or any other mem
Der OF tho body. when tho commission was
about beginning its work on tho charter the
excise question was taken out OF its hands by
tho passage of the Raincs law in tho Legisla-
ture. This was n matter of much relief to the
members OF the commission. Mr.. Low included.
as It saved us any further work on the always
troublesome question of the liquor traffic. No
suggestion was ever made by any member of
the commission to try and regain local option in
York charter. | do not think any one would
have hanlpcred the passage OF the charter by
Of I i; ;SS'',a.''' :" 'n.s way 10 nau 'n0usn'
were evidently meant to please all sides. but,
Judging by the criticisms heard about town yes
terday. they don't. 1t looks as il Mr.. Low had
Germans. He might have landed a good bit OF
1t had he been u little more definite in his re-
quality Of the few sentences devoted to The
matter has made the Germans suspicious. 1t
will be PTTSe t t nh hard ar h for Mr. iIn,e Low SwH o to fool it the Ger, Ger;
are on the lookout for just such vote-catching
sentiments as those uttered by Mr.. Low. When
\ alo thNCu y tnCN say
they are found to contain nothing in the shape
OF this city and Brooklyn who are interested in
the sale of liquor was made Yesterday. the idea
lows remarks about excise ,I laws. - The n result
was the discovery that the Germans are far
from nront satisfied j 81 cd. They say that 4. Mr. 1 Lows para,
OF much Importance; While he points out n
fault ns which IF the sa laT BE- , aoSs,r s"ydi Into Int SAYS symp nGfh;
with n liberal Interpretation OF the law.
They like the statement that en- excise law for
ion OF tho city. but say that Mr.. Low neglects to
make it clear who shall be the judge OF that
msfero not very much impressed by what Mr..
Low seems to have addressed. particularly to
they say MI" Mr.. L npSa is really ye Very y' snsa aha .ra%y.
and says nothing that is calculated to inspire
Sood ont Of a the 1Iau a6s t men who get their liveli-
One OF the wealthiest German liquor dealers
holds ont the slightest hope to the Germans of a
more liberal excise law. His language is very
ing one gets the impression that he is in favor
Of the conditions that the Germans have been
ever. and it will he found to mean nothing OF the
kind. Mr.; Low has just skinned over the sur
eIeverly. but not ddlevSrly enough to fool
t their Ge eTn ib,D who are n, a people to do
consistently close up all the places on Sunday
and In other ways rigidly enforce the Raines
law on the ground that an appeal taken to the
people demanded such action. 1t Is this vague
way Of talking about vitality important ques.
trick, and more than once the Germans have
been bamboozled out of their votes by mems Of
has made a direct 5idy for ofnt the taa1 Mr' !ote
IN his letter. He has not gone about 1t in
that he will not get it. unless he says some
thing easier to interpret into a reflection OF our
views than his utterances to the Cts. The New
York Germans are all ARA we'd auainat the
friends of strict liquor laws. They want liberal
liquor laws; and they will probably vote to get
ture the vote, or any part of it, with any such
vague and indefinite statements as those made
Another German interested in the liquor
business in this city said yesterday:
votes with this Raines law opinion OF his.
Nowadays the Germans in the big cities have a
sboufs they know enough of the Language to SEQ
clearly Just what Mr.. Low doesn't mean. II he
ihSs t come aev out al and Z saw nSs 80 ! e He eo ,nI h wny d dons It 7
III Us ali IN doubt. WIZ i to EnoS now
tried to dodge. liz; saw that he would
the few uncertain sentences which we find in
his letter devoted to the liouor question. The
way in which Mr.. Low says. am a Republican
Il sympsthy with the purposes OF the Citizens
can express himself quite clearly when he wants
70. Why didn't he talk that way about the
liquor matter The Germans want 20 know Just
Thet q candidate means when he talks about
the liquor traffic. Mr.. Low can't fool the Ger.
emit style"
Over IN Brooklyn the Germans were equally
dissatisfied with the Low letter: Louis Phillips.
the proprietor OF Turn Hall on Meserole street,
paid that Mr.. Lows utterances were anything
but pleasing to tho Germans. who had expected
something definite from a man who stood as the
eendidste OF the people. Martin Haeslop, one
citation. said that, in his opinion. Mr.. Lows esti
mato OF tho Raines' law was incorrect. Former
Police Justice Goetting said:
Mr.. Low falls to point out any remedy for
the faines law as 1t stands. and altogether II
seemB to mo that no says very little. II h,
wanted to make any kind OF an impression with
the Germans no should have stated his position
clearly"
Tho attorney for tho liquor Dealers Associa
sion In Brooklyn, which 10 made up largely OF
m had this to say:
MT. Low has skipped over the principle cues
fion. that OF Sunday closing, without a word
Ills other statements are uncertain and incom
Rlete. though couched in pleasing language
Inc policy expressed In the letter, which at firsI
sight appears liberal toward tho liquor trade
was no doubt written for tho purpose OF attract
m m