New-York tribune., 1901-11-10
JEROME FOR OPEN SUNDAY.
HIS REASONS FOR FAvoRING CHANGE
IN RAINES LAW-TO RESUME JUDI
CIAL DUTIES TOMORROW.

Lakeville, Conn, Nov. (SpeciaD--Justice
William Travers Jerome. District Attorney elect
of New-York County, will return to New-York
Sunday night the train reaching the Grand
Central Station at $50 o'clock. He is in first
class health. His throat, which nearly gave out
from excessive speaking in the campaign, is all
right again. Since Wednesday he has been
knocking around the countryside in white
sweater. meeting the mail trains to get bundles
of letters. shaking hands with the farmers and
school teachers, and staying out of doors all he
possibly could. On Monday morning he will be
on the bench in the Court of Special Sessions
II was learned to-day that Justice Jerome will
take early steps to sound the leading business
and professional men Of the city on the advisa-
bility of securing amendments to the Raines
law which will wipe the Raines law hotels as
they exist to-day in New-York out of existence,
Mr. Jerome is not going to take the initiative in
the movement unless he finds there is no one
else to do it.
Others are far better qualified TO lead in the
movement to have the law amended than 1 am"
to that the initiative ought TO be taken by
public-spirited men who have made a study of
civic conditions and are convinced that the
Raines law hotels in New-York to-day are
largely responsible for the spread of vice on
the East Side. The author of the law did not
of course, anticipate the evasions which the sa-
loon men in New-York have been able to prac-
tse under it. Some of those evasions should
have been anticipated All of them could not
be Every familiar with the liquor ques-
ton in New-York knows that saloonkeepers, in
order to comply with the ten-roorn clause in
the Raines law. have allowed their places to
become the resort of disorderly persons The
disorderIy places really are shielded by the
law II seems to me that the Ranes law hotel.
as SUCH should be absolutely wiped out. When
1t may seem necessary. from the preponder
ance Of public sentiment in a neighborhood
that there should be liquor store. let the dealer
have it without the present Raines law provt-
sions. Every one knows that mere furnish
ing of dry sandwich with drinks does not real
ly constitute the furnishing of meal so there
viii be no increase in the consumption of liquor
by abolishing the iniquitous Raines law hotels
they exist to-day. Before bring
about better conditions in New-York it is fun
damentally necessary that the features of the
excise law egalizing the Ranes law hotels.
called should be repealed.
Another equally important change needed In
the excise laws is the one making in lawful
to sell liquor on Sunday. If it does not seem
wise to our lawmakers to allow open Sunday
in other than cities of the first class we'll and
good In my opinion. if Buffalo and Rochester
want to come in on the change they should he
allowed to- But for New-York il seems TO me
that the time has come when we should change
the Sunday laws so as to permit poor TO
buy beer on Sunday under reasonable and proper
restrictions. Men who work the side door will
drink more beer or liquor with open Sun
day, and certainly they Will have more abid-
ing respect for the law If they do not continu-
ously violate IL. As / said many times from
the platform in the campaign just closed, there
should be proper restrictions surrounding the
sale of liquor Sunday. 1t seems to me that
none should be sold during recognized church
hours
IF it is shown to the Republican legislature
that New York people really desire to try SUM-
day opening, L believe the legislature will give
us what ask for. | don't think il ought TO
he looked on as a political question at all. 1t
relates to morals and hygiene and respect for
the law If citizens go to the legislature and
tell the members what they know about the
practical operations of the Raines law in the
light of the last four years, and ask for an
amendment and also ask for an amendment
permitting the sale of liquor on Sunday under
proper restrictions it seems to me that common
sense will prevail and that we shall get the
change. There is no necessity that | know OF
for lesseniug the price for liquor license. There
need be no diminution in State revenues on ac-
count of the proposed changes. The liquor men
with whom | have talked would be willing to
pay the Raines law rates for licenses. but the
respectable in the business are sick OF
blackmaiI and of being under the ban of the law
for selling liquor on Sunday under Raines law
hotel licenses If no one else shows DISPOSE
ton to take the initiative in getting the present
law changed the lines l have indicated, L
done. 1t is more probable. however. that fifteen
or twenty men, prominent in church and social
work win take the necessary steps this winter
TO properly present the subject to the legls-
lature and ask for the desired changes
Mr. Jerome will have with him tomorrow AS
sistant District Attorneys Cans, Schurman and
Ciarvan. The selection of a tentative staff VIII
be considered this week. Two of Mr. Jerome's
callers yesterday were officers of the Austro-
Hungarian Anti-Tammany Society. They in
vited Mr.. Jerome to attend dinner of the or
Ganzation at the Cafe Liberty at early date
He accepted. Mr.. Jerome will give a private
dinner for his campaign managers before the
holidays.
This afternoon he attended the football game
between the HotChkiss School first eleven and
a team of Hotchkiss alumni. largely Yale fresh
men and sophomores The Hotchkiss boys won
by of to = through superior team work
The wind blew chilly over the athletic field. and,
to keep warm, Mr.. Jerome played duck on the
rock with his boy, William Travers, tr. and
half a dozen friends. When the justice was it
the boy took particular pains TO make it inter
esting for him.