The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-17
LIQUOR AND L0AFERS
ARE DUNMORE EVILS
Burgess PoweII's Administration to Be.
gin with Fertilization.
PERSUASIVE PLAN TO BE TRIED
Saloon Mon Have Reen Asked to
Keep Their Places Closed on SUM
day, and the Corner Loafer Has
Been ordered to Beat q Retreat.
Movement Is Not Crusade.
Saloon Men Have Promised to Help
and Burgess Powell Feels Satisfied.

moral and material publication in ac-
cordance with the wishes and efforts of
Daniel Powell, the Republican who
was elected burgess of the borough a
year ago, but who was not able to as
sumo the Office until very recently.
The returns. it will be remembered,
showed Victor Burschell. chief of the
fire department and a Democrat, elect
ed, but after a long and expensive con-
test in the courts Mr.. Powell and 9TH
er Republicans were permitted to oc-
cupy the offices to which they had been
fairly elected.
Dunmore has been governed" after
fashion by Democrats for many years
but Republicans claim and many
Democrats admit that the govern
ment" has been very nominal. The in
adequacy of the borough's officials or
their Indifference was in no respect
more in evidence than in wide-open
saloons on Sunday and concentrating
at night time. While many towns and
cities are too-evidently afflicted with
these two evils they have been prob
ably more general III Dunmore than in
any other large town in the county.
When Burgess Powell assumed office
on Jan. a, he concluded his inaugural
iiISSpSC with tlio pebiS' eNph'
A QUIET SUNDAY.
Let me state that while 1 consider it
very important that we should look well
after the material interests of the bo-
| rough, it is also of vital Importance that
| we do what we can to promote the moral
tone of our community, and with that
| end in view, therefore, 1 would suggest
| that our police officers do their whole
1tttr In fIA ma fnf, nf fIn ha
which are being kept open upon the Sab
bath contrary to the laws of cur land.
The street corners must also be kept
| free from the crowds who nightly con-
gregate and by their language and ac-
| tions tend to make affairs most unpleas-
| ant.
A novel feature of Burgess Powell's
| plan is that he has been assured the
aid of the licensed saloonkeepers and
is hopeful of being successful in put
| ting down the two evils. Well-known
| residents of Dunmore informed a Tri-
| bune reporter last night that the bor-
ough had been more orderly and quieter
| during yesterday and the Sunday pre-
ceding than on any Sabbath in sew
| eral years.
| Yesterday it was possible to refresh
the inner man with intoxicating liquids
if one had the price, but the number
| of places open were few and their traf-
| fic was conducted with extreme eau
! ton. There was some concentrating,
| too, but the ranks Of the idler were
perceptibly thinner than three weeks
| ago, their tobacco splitting was less
| voluminous and there was total alb
sence Of loud, profane talk and insult
| ing remarks to women.
| 1t is not Burgess Powells idea to
make crusade. He realizes that there
| is a sufficient respectable element of
| all parties in the borough to give moral
| support and weight to his course. He
| has personally visited several saloon
| men and secured promises from them
| to keep their places closed on Sunday
| and has directed Chief of Police p. j.
| Haley and the three other policemen to
make the request general.
In an interview at his home last night
with Tribune reporter, Burgess
Powell said: 'It is too early to talk
in detail of the success OF my efforts.
The result has been observed on only
| two Sundays, but am highly pleased
with the way things have gone thus
far and if I didn't say anything else
I would want to express my thanks to
the saloon men themselves for helping
| me. From reports made to me and
from personal knowledge I know they
are disposed to abide by my request.
AGAINST ALL OF THEM.
"It would be manifestly unfair to
| insist on one saloon being closed and
make no attempt to lose another and
| that is just what I do not propose to
do. My efforts will be directed against
all of them. Yes, the 'holes-in the
WALL SO called, are impeding our work,
but as the saloon men are just as anx-
ious as the authorities to abolish those
places l guess the problem will work
out all right.
lone Of Dunmores greatest eyesores
has been its corners Here have con-
gregated on idle days and all evenings
scores of loafers whose profane talk
insults to women and tobacco-spitting
have been a curse to the community
All this / certainly shall have abol-
ished If 1t is the only official act of
my administration. A borough isn't
worth the name If it submits to that
kind of nuisance on few street cor
ners and suffers the spectacle of hav-
ing It's women unsafe without escorts"
Since Sunday, Jan. 9, the Sunday
closing movement and other proposed
reforms have formed the chief borough
topic of conversation in the business
places. From information gathered by
Tribune reporter last night the bur-
CESS has enough moral support back
of him to encourage him to success and
to make it unpleasant for any who may
openly oppose the plan.