The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-25


on the subject that are in force here
strictly enforced. And tn Is wish in
which every SALON man and every man
who makes his living from the sale OF
liquor should heartily join.
The liquor business is nowhere re-
garded as an unm xtd go d, even the
most rabid anti-prohibit onist recognizing
that in it there are possibilities of evil.
TIE law of every civil lied country rec
ognizes also these possibili es and every
where on earth where liquor IS sold, I'M
der the sanction of law. its sale is sur
rounded by legal safeguards and restric-
tons. The wisdom If the race recognizes
that these SAT, gIarls are necessary to
the protection Of the race.
when we were m king the fight for
local option in the Legislature. it was
possible for our representatives TO
say that upon such ques-
ton each community was the
best judge of its own interests
and a sufficient answer to the clamors of
the white ribbon army 10 point to the
fact that the liquor laws were enforced.
What can we say when every one of
these laws is violated and no effort is
made to enforce them? What are the
liquor men going to do when they face
the next fight for a general prohibition
law? How are they going to answer the
broils and shooting and stabbing ARRAYS
the inspiration of which can be traced
directly TO mean whisky? The law says
liquor must not be sold on Sundays, to
minors or persons already intoxicated
and it would be the part of wisdom for
those in the business to see to it that
these commandments are zealously en-
forced.
Furthermore" said the conservative
n ~
blew contemplative puff of smoke to-
wards the ceiling, when the barrooms are
permitted to keep open on Sunday, 1t
gives their owners an advantage in the
race of life to which they are not entitled.
When the honest laboring man is paid his
wages on Saturday night and on all of the
next day the corner grog shop waves him
a seductive invitation to come inside,
spend his cash and forget his woes, there
is mighty little chance for the butcher and
the baker and the candlestick maker on
Monday morning By that time he has ac-
cumulated large stock of remorse, but
has very little cash on hand"
That's one side of the case and 50 far
l am a Law and Order Lacquer of the
most violent description, though not as
yet admitted to the inner councils of the
order. When. however, my brethren per-
sist in seeing fragrant violations of the
moral law in the sale of beefsteaks soda
water and fne-tooth combs on Sunday
and work themselves up to a fine state
of Indignation because such things be.
am possessed Of a strong desire to take
my dollar out. Just between US, 1 be-
come little bit weary. The show of in
dignation anent such trivialities has to
me all the Objectionable features of an
anti-c,imax.
''Why, l would be willing to wager
something that here is scarce a member
of the league who on Sunday doesn't
make a special effort to have something
good for dinner, and to that end requires
his servants to labor a little more stren-
uously. Most of them ride regu-
arly TO church, either in their
own carriages or on the street
cars, and thus make use of the labor of
others. Many of them, doubtless, can see
no reason why they should not spend half
an hour on Sunday mornings reading
their mail Few of them fail to read the
Monday morning newspapers, on which
men have labored diligently. all of the pre-
cedng day. Consistency is indeed jewel,
and a rare and precious one.
zone hears muah nonsense about re
spect for law which those who enthuse
on the subject say should be yielded no
matter what the law Is. To secure respect
a lew must be respectable-a fact our
worthy fellow citizens sometimes over
hook. Unless law commends itself as
wise and just to the enlightened con-
sciences OF good men, unless it be based
on reason and not on dogma, it is not re-
spectacle, and respect for it can only be
secured by force. pogmas never COM
manded the reverence of those who don't
believe them.
Let the Law ard Order League con-
centrate it's efforts on one acknowledged
evil and it will fad itself sup orted by
strong sentiment in the community and
able, possibly, to do something that will
rebound to the commun tvs good If it
insists upon scattering its efforts Over
the visible face of creation. as it now
seems inclined to do. it will be like a
stream a mile w de and an inch thick
rather imposing in appearance, but not
Mt all dangerous
Such views as these are heard rather
frequently in Savannah, EXPIRE sed by m II
who are conservative and substantial cit
liens.