The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-08

many cases there is not matter Of secrecy; they
sell as openly as those who have the license TO
SELL
RESPECT UNCLE SAM.
Tt is a well known fact that the revenue IL.
censes taken out from the United States govern.
ment exceed by the hundreds the license that are
applied Tor and granted by this court. These
people seem to have a wholesome regard for
Uncle Sam but msny Of them do net care a con.
tinental for Uncle Penn.
Now, why is this2 II is simply because the
revenue officers Of the United States government
follow up these people, seize them, coniscate
their liquors, drag them into tho United States
court, and there they are convicted; they are
not only indicted, but they are convicted. They
know from experience that il they violate the
revenue. laws Of the United States government
they will suffer for it, they would rather pay
their money in advance; ii is cheaper, more
economical, and better all around.
As I say, this condition exists in this com.
munity, IL we may believe general report; and
not only it exists. hut as | said a moment ago,
it is getting worse. The places where there has
been illegal selling have been hitherto in spots,
around in the suburbs, places where they would
not be so well noticed; but now whole wards Of
this city are without license, and they are not
temperance wards either. No applications come
in with remonstrances that keep them out.
For years in one Of the wards of this city there
has not been an application, and yet anybody
who walks through the streets Of it can see
plainly before his eyes the evidence of places
where liquors are sold; it is advertised on tho
windows as YOU go by. The constable of that
ward comes in here five times year and swears
that there is no selling that he knows anything
about
Now that ward is being duplicated; there ate
two other wards not far distant from the one
that have referred to, where for a time there
were a number of applications come in. Now
what is the case?
LICENSES DECREASING.
You have merely to look at our license docket
TO see that the number of applications instead Of
growing larger with the growth of the ward arc
growing smaller Otherwise reputable men, for.
merly respectable saloon keepers and holders OF
licenses, have abandoned the idea that a license
is necessary and are selling like their neighbors
without any.
That is cheaper and they have found out
that the experiment does not hurt: nobody i.
convicted; this all goes on, nobody ever
brought up; what is the of paying for a
license? as a matter of business il is cheaper.
1t is true the man puts himself down as
violator Of the law and ne knows it, bur h,
is not made uncomfortable otherwise. And SC
emboldcned has this matter become that parties
who go through the farce Of applying for
license, being represented here in court by
lawyer, though they meant business, the
court granting them license they let it lie
never take it out, never pay for it, and it is
revoked.
They make that prctence and they 90 on. Now
think | am justified in saying to you il
this public way, referring to these public mat
ters, as they are public, that this matter il
increasing. this violation of the law is going
on, spreading. People who would otherwise oh
serve the law and who otherwise orderly
think that they can disregard this part Of it,
1t is spreading through this community, il
may say so, like creeping paralysis, and who
knows where ii will end. Such thing as th
is pregnant with evil. gentlemen, because JUS
as soon you get parties who think they cal
disregard the law in respect. 1t is very APT
to weaken the moral effect OF the law in othe
respects with regard to themselves and with re
gard To their general observation OF the law.
So with regard to selling on Sunday. !
anything, this is worse than the other. Partie
who have not license cannot be expected I,
regard the law i'll other respects; they will sci
on Sunday, Of course. But il does not stol
there. Not only is Sunday selling indulgcd il
by those who have not the license but thos
who have. Except in the country districts ther
is hardly pretcnce Of an observance Of thi
part Of the law. Licensed places keep thei
front doors closed pull mp their blinds; but yol
go along the street and if there is not I,
every one Of them side door. and try tn
side door on Sunday, and see whether it Won
open.
THEIR BUSY DAY.
| venture to say if you went into a sa,oo'
on Sunday you would think from what wa
going on there that they ought TO hang NJ
the sign "This is my busy day" Now. why i
this? There is reason for it. Sunday is
l., -
socially inclined II the saloon is open an,
they are at all inclined to indulgence of tina
kind there is where they flock, there is whcr
they find society and there is where the salool
keeper finds remuneration. II is the best da,
of the week for the liquor dealer; he knows i
and takes advantage of it,
That would be all right ii the rest cf us di,
not have to suffer; but tell You, gentlemen
that there is more evil comes to the Communit'
generally from Sunday liquor selling than iron
all the selling on the other days of the week
! refer to your own experiences now.
How often on Monday morning do We ope,
the newspaper and an account of Sunda,
brawl, and man killed, murdered, all the &c
suit OF Sunday liquor selling. In my judgmen
nine-tenths of such occurrences are to be trace,
to this source You may think it a small thin,
to sell on Sunday, that it is kind of relic o
the blue laws that used to prevail in New Eng
land, but it is not so, gentlemen, as your sobe
reason must convince you il you think over it
Not only is the adagc truthful that a Sabbatl
well spent brings week of content, but
Sabbath of sobriety is a necessary part of IT,
This matter applies particularly to place
where some of our foreign population abound
Take the Slavs and Poles and Italians; the
are somewhat given to drink, and some O
them when drunk crazy drunk, and tn
trouble that comes from them is not when the
working during the days Of the week, bu
it s at their christenings and their festivities
accompanied by beer drinking furnished TO then
on Sunday.
Election day is also a forbidden day in tn
law, and about as little observed as Sunday
although perhaps the results are not as bad
but the object of the law with regard TO clos
ing on election day is that when man i
called upon to vote, to exercise the high pre-
rogative OF a citizen his will be sobe
vote and not drunken one. II yo
can get man drunk and influence him in tina
way, or influence him by a drink, the com
munity suffers.
lie is RESPONSIBLE.
A man who has a hotel, a license, canno
shield himself by the suggestion that some
body else did il; that he gave strict order
that his house and bar should be closed o.
Sunday. The man is master of his own house
he is bound to see that it is closed. II b
suffers his bar to be open and his bar.keeper
to lac there, he is as responsible as though h
himself were present and might Just as wei
himself go and deal out the drinks. He is a.
accessory to what may happen in the way @
selling on Sunday or selling liquors on electio
day. The law puts tie responsibility upon hin
and he cannot evade ii by endeavoring to shift
il of on to somebody else.
Then again, still further, there is the sale Z