New-York tribune., 1900-05-28
ATTACK ON RAINFS LAW .
THE REV HORACE PORTER BITTERLY
AsSAILS IT IN PLYMOUTH.
SAYS 1T HAS GREATLY INCREASED SUNDAY
SELLING, DRUNKENNESS AND SOCIAL
vICEsUBJEcT CONSIDERED AT
MEETING OF CHURCH

MEETING OF CHURCH
and the lowest human passions in such depths of
debauchery and shame and crime I dare say
that other piece Of legislation in any American
State has before done This the char
acterzation of the Raines law made by the Rev
Horace Porter, the assistant pastor. at Plymouth
Church last night at meeting which held
Ito consider the state of lawlessness in New-York
City and State"
Hell hath enlarged herself and opened her
mouth without measure Gsaiah v 1D, the
text chosen, the Of which exactly described
the condition of New-York to-day, according to
Mr.. Porter. His sermon created a sensation he
handled the subject without gloves. Brooklyn had
lost its virtue. he said, and the Raines law hotels
rearing up a class of drunken and profigate
women such had been known before.
The Rev. Dr. J. Q. A. Henry, of the Anti-Saloon
League. spoke the work Of his organization in
closing the saloons. Mr.. Porter said in part:
I would gladly lead you this Sunday evening into
paths Of pleasantness and of peace, instead OF
holding up Isaiahs frightful picture to your gaze
you have given me, I bring to you message from
of this vicinity, have forth in the perform
ance of portion of my duties as pastor among
you, seeking TO find and TO save some of the lost
sheep Of the fold.
INFAMOUS BEYOND EXPRESSION.
Many time this long winter past, when would
have gone out to ind, if possible, and to bring
back some who had abandoned their homes. ana
The calls that I have heard the cries of breaking
have led nie to t6e discovery of state Of affairs
in our city, and. as learn in the great state OF
New-York. which is Infamous beyond expression
The Christian people Of New-York City and state
to be in the interests of sobriety Sabbath observ-
ance and common decency, has bound the state
dissertation and to nameless debauchery. As II IS
woTklng r. out IN actuaI practIce' Ihe e. Sew orr
law for the Senator whose name it bears couples
the greed of gain, the greed of drink and the low
est human passions in such depths of debauchery
and shame and crime, as l dare say that no other
piece of legislation in any American State has
ever before done. Taken, this Rainess law, as II
lature; taken on the other hand its operation in
this great city, under Tammany misrue, and we
described by Isaiah's words, that he'll hath en-
measure Indeed, the whole fifth chapter of Isaiah
is most striking portrayal Of the present state
OF affairs in New-York City Read it over until
you 9 Satfh the fun IL meaning Of hn Vision % OF
rulers of His people for judgment, and finds op-
pressioni for righteousness and behods cry. the
oppress 9 ag and poor Pob "h0 the very rulers S'hee 10
The woe he pronounces on those who Join house
to house and field to field till there is no room.
is put 1salah's way or pronouncing certain and
manipulate the common necessities of life. 1t is
m way Of OF breathing out Woe for instance on
zens satanic if it be the work of public officials
The great crimes perpetrafed by the Raines law
are these three: First, it has treacherously made
Sunday selling almost universal in the State,
upon ali the state notwt hstanding the fac5 that
the law has some local option features. This sun
day selling is made possible by the hotel feature Of
ABpuuS no II9s ABu SI9loq ana MBI SQl
BROOKLYNs FIFTEEN HUNDRED HOTELS
The second and most damnable feature OF the
Ranes law is yet TO be told. How comes ~ that
is suddenly able to maintain Between fifteen hun
dred and two thousand hotels? We have had
thronr % 9stor asEs mad ID PStR %
Centre for this vicinity is Manhattan Island al
though indeed we have in Brooklyn the second
dd aH ne ser hfee m asf9s updeT the 1he
ward of two thousand hotels, and is able to main
tain them year after year. SUNDAY selling will not
part explains how these hundreds of saloons have
supported. These saloonists cannot hire eight or
more upper rooms and pay the rent them for
seven days week during all the year, out of the
profits OF the extra liquor selling from the day
that most of these Rai4es saIoOn-hotels are kept
as immoral resorts, A Brooklyn brewer has said
loonists have taken to letting the rooms OF the
@ Ralnes law hotels for immoral purposes. Think
the proud boast of TIE late lamented Commissioner
Scheren that Brooklyn was a city of homes al
most without dsordery house in is limits Com
Brooklyn certainly was one of the cieanest and
Now these hundreds of Raines law hotels have
brought this social vice in from Manhattan and
rlble degree. The newspapers have been warning
US OF the fall OF BROOKLYN These reports are not
work in the matter So far from being mere alarm,
Brooklyn's shame. Never before in Brookiyn's
been in such danger Never before have the vice Of
tntemperance and the social vice been bold.
clutched our boys and girls closely within their
grasp Never before have these vices gone into
very Sunday schools and snatched away young
people as is now being done by this awful con-
spiracy of the Raines hotel keepers, Tammany
corruptors and public Indifference. When Brooklyn
lost her birthright and home rule was taken away
from her she lost her virtue as city and now she
seems almost helpless. When. this spring, the city
police tried TO do their duty and closed private
houses of disorder, the vice found its lOdgmenr IN
Raines law notes & Mhich were & 1re vertoe 6d
the citys reach. Thus the Ra1nes law hotels under
the protection Of the great State Of NewYo York, de-
hed our city in its attempt to purify itself OF hu-
manitys most hideous vices
The third great crime or the EtalneS law is that
bv the aurements of its hotel features il is pro-
ducng a generation of drunken women, such as I
sI1nnOse no American city has before known.
l say is producing drunken women. for the Raines
law hotel cafe is as poisonous stng1ng serpent
f e sfa7fiarity with the social drink habit and
from that they often led into drunkenness and
In the better parts of the city these Raines hotel
israe nin1bers The amount of drink thus induIged
tn4 e L1ords slIreIv 0rodIcing such
generation of drunken women as our American
cities have never known IN the past
have not discussed this law in its fulness. Some
of its features good, and ought TO stand Some.
as I have shown you, are so frightfully bad that
the prophet, that hell hath enlarged herself, ana
opened her mouth without measure.
Bur recently have been familiar with the
shame of these hotels by the robDerles which young
have perpetrated within them Rop6eries
of men of a class whom the public would not
readily have believed are 70 be found IN such re-
sorts o ..
lawyer remarked TO me that It is not min
evils which he may point out. He may point out
facts but IL Is better TO let the public think rs
Cwn way TO the remedies belleve there IS nuCn
sound wisdom in this advice; Specially so since
would be pretty hard pressed 10 ma ana state an an
out. But these evils do call for redouDied activity