The age-herald., 1899-04-08
NOT AFTER THE
 GAMBLING DENIS Dr. Kelly Wants Sunday Closing
 Law First, THE SALOON MEN OBJECT Don't Like Clause Preventing Proprietor From Entering His Saloon and They Want Prohibitory Clause
 on the Drug Stores.
THE SALOON MEN OBJECT

"We had no idea of including the gam bling houses in the Sunday closing ofdl- nance which was presented to the board O. aldermen Thursday afternoon" said Rev. G. c. Kelly, pastor of the First Metho- dist church, yesterday. "Our idea is sim ply to make the fight before the board to get an iron-clad Sunday law which can be enforced, and then to insist its enforce ment. I don't know yet whethehr or not we shall make the attempt to close the gam bling rooms. We will at least have the Sunday question settled first"
 The ordinance, as introduced in the board meeting Thursday, is very much like a Sunday closing ordinance, which Judge Feagin, of the police court, submitted to the board several years ago. He claimed that the Sunday law, as it now stands, was practically impossible to enforce, and lie asked that the board pass one that could be. This the board did not do, however, so Birmingham has been running over since under the old law.
 Find Only One Fault
 The saloon men of Birmingham approve the ordinance as introduced almost unani- mously, with the exception Of the clause which prohibits the proprietor of saloon from entering his place of business on Sun day unless he is accompanied by a police man. number of them also insist that if the saloons are to be governed by such an ironclad law, that the drug stores which sell liquor and the hotels which serve it on their tables, should also be closed.
 "A strict enforcement of the Sunday clos ing law is just what the saloon men of Bir- mingham want,'' said Alderman H. Hents- chel yesterday. 'I was a member of a committee appointed by the Saloonkeepers' Association to go before the police commits sion to ask that the law be enforced, and it was then that Chairman Lane told us that the law was imperfect, and that we must get the board to pass one that could be enforced. Of course l don't think it right to prohibit a man from going Into his own saloon on Sunday, but think that with that exception the ordinance will be passed by the board almost without a dis senting vote.
 '1he ordinance is entirely satisfactory to the saloonkeepers of Birmingham" said E. Solomon, with two exceptions. In the first place it would not be right to prohibit me from coming in my place of business and writing letters on Sunday, if I wanted too, without having policeman standing over me. I venture to say that there are very few business houses in the city which are not opened some time on Sunday by some member of the firm or some employe who has business of some kind on the in- side. l don't see why the saloon man should be singled out and he alone barri- caded out of his store on Sunday. A sec ond objection l have to the law is that no provision is made for closing the drug stores that sell liquor There are about four drug stores in Birmingham in this bu- siness and all of them are at perfect lib erty to sell whisky on Sunday What is the use of pad-locl1ing the saloons without closing the open drug stores?' There would be plenty of non-liquor selling drug stores left to look after the regular Sun day drug business of the town"
 Should Not Keep Owners Out
 "The saloons ought to be closed up,' said M Wise, "but I don't think the ordinance ought to keep the saloon owners out of their places of business on Sunday. There is one thing about locking up the saloons that has never been talked of much, and that is what an advantage such a law would give all of the secret drinking houses out in the country near Birmingham. There are number of them which our young men would frequent, and l am afraid they would come back in town drunk and raising Cain,' and the saloonkeepers would get the blame for it.
 Provided the council lets saloon man go in his saloon on Sunday without police man watching him, and provided they close the whisky drug stores as tight as they do the bar-rooms, think the ordi- nance is a good one and ought to be passed The Sunday law ought to be enforced
 "I am opposed to the ordinance" said Mr. Richardson.
 "I have always obeyed the Sunday law, even as it was," said M. J. Policeman, "but I think it could be made much stronger and much more effective. It's all wrong. though, to talk about shutting man out of his place of business just because he runs saloon"