The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-23
DON'T LIKE WADE'S TALK.
MOST SALOON MEN CONTENT TO LET
WELL ENOUGH ALONE.

Agitation That Has Been Aroused
VIII Do Them no GOOd-These Gem
sure Wade and say 1t III Becomes
Him TO Have Said What He Has.
Mayor and City Officers Think the
Law Is Enforced-smaIIer Saloon
keepers Uphold the stand Taken
by Wade and Claim He's Right.
The saloonkeepers are not pleased with
| the interview with John T. Wade, one of
| their number, which appeared in the Morn
ing News of Thursday. On the contrary
many Of them are registering vigorous pro-
tess and declare that it i'll becomes Wade
! 10 take the stand that he has. II is even
| said he himself regrets having given vent
| 10 the sentiments that he then expressed
| so freely TO a Morning News reporter and
that he sincerely wishes he had not spok-
en-.
Be this as it may, it is certain that
most of the saloonkeepers are quite con-
| tent with the pres nj status and decidedly
averse TO any agitation that wiz serve TO
| open the subject 10 public discussion. For
many seasons they have pursued the even
/ tenor of their way and shut up or kept
open as best suited their convenience, and
as they were willing or unwilling to take
the somewhat meager chances of detec-
/ ton. Some CT them have found it guile
/ possible 10 Ike open after midnight with
out feeling any dele.erious effects, while
others, notably those who have recently
been sentenced in the Police Court have
not had the sane invariably comfortable
experience.
Comment on the subject has not been
lacking. From the officers of the city
government comes the assertion that the
ordinance IS well enough enforced as il
Is, and they instance the recent imposi-
lions OF fines on offending salOonkeepeTs
TO prove their assertions. From the sa-
ioonkeepers comes d prayer for a speedy
riddanCe OF the whoIe subject and the
avowal of perfect content with things as
they now are. The pub i, meanwhile keeps
still and not having made up its mind,
offers no solution Of the problem. The
| public conscience at present is occupied
with the gambling situation and shows lit
tie disposition to turn from it to the CON
sheraton of other questions of morality,
ia wnlch less is involved. Whether the
saloons close al midnight or at or 8
ia the morn ng makes no apparent differ
ence to the iody polite.
What the salOonkeepers object to is pub
lie agita lion. As matters have been thew
they have had no reason 10 complain. The
ordinance did not annoy those who wished
10 disregard il. and others, who did OBJ
serve its provisions. were not worrying
about It's violation by their more ven
turesone brethren
Inlo this scene of peace and good will
came the statements and the protest of
| Wade The gentle ZephyTs of perfect con-
cord were changed to the wild storms of
disagreement and the saloonkeepers, Or
dinariy peaceful, are tossed 10 and fro
among their windy dissensiOns. Among
them there is talk of answering publicly
| the statements of Wade, and placing their
( position clearly before the people, but the
wiser and older heads discountenance this
/ plan and suggest in its stead that the ag-
tation be suffered to die a natural death.
| If left alone, they are confident that-this
will be its fate, as they assert with ap-
| parent good reason, that the public con-
| science does not demand a rigorous en-
| forcement of the midnight closing ordi-
| nance This is Irrespective of public feel
ing on the subject of the sale of liquor on
Sunday. about which some sentiment has
certainly been aroused.
| There are others of the saloonkeepers.
| though. who stick by what Wade mas said.
/ These reiterate that il is unfair to per-
nit some of the bars to Keep open after
midnight when they, either through fear
I OF the Jaw or real desire to comply
with its provisions, close their places Of
| business They assert that in this man.
ner business is diverted from their bars
to those of their rivals and that after
it has once been taken away in this man.
ner its stays away and they are unable
TO win it back A man, they say, will
so for his Monday drink where he can
get it on Sunday and will seek a noon
the bar where he has already quenched
his thirst during the early hours of the
morning
Il f- r,0ff aal,No - T.
loonkeepers, those whose places do less
business than other, that are doing the
kicking. The proprietors of the larger
places apparently can well afford 10 his.
obey the law and take chance of fine
and do il if they so desire. The others, to
whom 800 is a great deal, exercise a wise
circumspecton. 1t is sometimes difficult
TO tell just which policeman will be on a
particular beat and how his conscience
will urge him to act in the matter of re.
porting violations of the closing ordinances
Mayor Myers, when asked about Wade :
protest against the manner in which the
midnight closing ordinance is enforced or
not enforced. as the case happens to be
disclaimed any special knowledge of the
subject. He said that he had not read
Wade's protest and he had also overlooked
the Morning News editorial on the sub
ject.
Il don't think there is any good ground
for such complaints" said the Mayor af-
ter he had been informed of the substance
Of Wade's kick. II have no doubt that
the midnight closing ordinance is fairly
wei enforced 1t is hardly likely that the
police would exercise any favoritism in "A
matter of this kind. 1t Is doubtless true
that some saloOnkeepers do occasionally
evade the low and keep open for a while
after midnight, but It is rare ordinance
that Is net violated occasionally, and I
do not think this is done as a regular
thing"
Mayor Myers was informed that the bur
den of Wade's complaint was that some
saloonkeepers had a good thing in keep
ing open after midnight, and never being
troubled by the police while others who
would be glad to enjoy the same privilege
did not dare TO do so.
Mr.. Wade must be mistaken about
that" said Mayor Myers. IT am satisfied
that the saloons do not keep open as a
rule after midnight Some do of course