New-York tribune., 1901-11-11
REFORM THE EXCISE La WIS.
HOW GOOD CITIZENS UP THE STATE
MAY AID MAYOR Low By PUTTING
ASIDE PREJUDICE.
tn the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. Your editorial article Good Citizens
Must Aid Mr. Low is timely and satisfactory
as far az il goes Without sacrifices on the part
of men competent to fill executive positions the
incoming administration surely cannot be sue
cess The salaries attached to city offices are
not large enough to attract men Of the requisite
caIibre and unless civic pride and devotion to
DUTY are admitted as motives by the men whom
Mayor Low calls about him. the personnel OF the
administration cannot be what many OF US would
wish it.
But over and above this question or admins
tration looms the larger and more important
question of general policy, and in this the CO.
operation of good citizens will be even more
necessary than in the securing OF personally
satisfactory offceholdeTs- The city has oeen
wrested from Tammany misrule- Citizens Of all
classes have risen in revolt against olackmah
and corruption How can their allegiance be
retained? How can they be made to prefer per-
manently the government of honest men, VINO
NAV be forced to give them something they do
ro+ want TO that Of rogues and thieves VINO.
with all their faults. have given a government
that is in many respects in accord with PUBIC
sentiment?
There is no use in closing our eyes to the TACT
that New-York is no longer a country town. 1t
is a great cosmopolitan city, with all the COM
plex life of a twentieth century metropolis i's
problens are not those OF OSdensours anu
Rochester and Eimira, but those OF LONDON anu
Paris and Berlin No administration however
honest and clean and we'll intentloned. can &c
s,ccassfuI and receive the Endorsement OF the
voters which does not recognize this 1act' IA7
,-inc,n1e of home rule is bound to prevail IN lhe
end The only question is. Shall the RUE Oe
honest and met the requirements OF 'ne situa-
rion or shall the people be forced TO attain 'Ne'
ends by returning deliberately 10 olSnoNe''' 40
the lesser OF The two evils:
. Conditions and not theories, conLIonl
I~n1Ass these conditions realized ana 1aceu
-. wi, c,itv will revert TO Tammany RUE
two wears hence But it is not Mayor Lo"
.,o,a wbo must face the conditions BY MN
,,f ba is noverIess The great BODY OF oi'i-
o,e bo+b of the city and the state. must CIV
nm their preiudices and academic dlseuS''o--0
.,d sat down TO realities. The aid OF the IesiS-
Iature is essential
1Iaratofore there has been no real sooo op-
nortunity to try the experiment Oh i4Oe =
the laws The time is now ripe anu u''e'
is seized promptly another decade at lea
elapse before the opportunity recurs- -
900 and youth cannot live together 1ou'h =
,,,,bla. age is lame. Youth will win nohe't,
- ,ossibIe dishonesty. if necessary IL "'u4O
seem to be better that il should WIN , Hoi7
First and foremost in this process OF hOoi-
izing the laws comes the quesuoh u
New-York is going TO have open Sdi'o-'
c,,na.1 during some part of the day In tne
nas+ this has been accomplished through poN'7
fa,oritisn, and blackmail- Tribute is just d
,.-...of,,, ., The saloonkeeper as 10 the ary-
Goods merchant We hear a great deal ao0u-
e,.,- We hear very little about eorruptloA
J., connection with the boxes and bales OF s0O-7
.ha. oru,har the sidewalks in the drySoOuS W.
+rict averv weekday An open saloon oii 81
sa,- is No more expensive to the proprietor ~
bIockaded sidewalk, but the saloonheePe
ceives only abuse for purchasing pm "a
taction while the drysoods merchdht ID -.
rnon as a model citizen though ne CUT Up x,,
noIice in order to obtain sidewalk rooiii III -
tn carry on his business Ihe olys' it,
-. ar;nl,s champagne with his SUNDAY u
nor and no fault is found with nim ei'net
that or for buying police protectioh u"Ae les
week The saloonkeeper sells peer 0i f
- noorer man on Sunday and he oecome'
q Iawbreaker. In reality ne Is no ~ ,-.
r,ar,,sa than the merchant. He is no more ~.
hit loss respectable under the ia"
II II is right to drink champagne IL Gam" 10,
o.. say, beer and the law recognizes -
..ho ,s criminal by licensing the saie- 80.
-. nav he considered settled Tine que'
,af, is Shall the sale take place on Sunuas
.,,ission of the law or without 1t. =,
nI.ce II will In itself it is not criii
Eorb,dden by law the GROUNDS WI 1T
policy, public sentiment so strongly ae' :, to
that bribery and corruption are reSo loon
supply the demand. The public, not 'he ,,,,on.
Keepers. are responsible. for that eos,s .'s. 10
and the people of moral ideas VINO ~ .re
asr,,, the facts as they stand out nakeoS