New-York tribune., 1901-12-20
OPEN SALOONS FOR A YEAR
J1rsTICE JEROME MAY FAVOR AN En-
,Fpr,rExT I.aW-HIS REASONS.

DETRIMENTAL LAW-HIS REASONS
.-,.,,. 30 the growing opposition to his ad-
..o,, If a Sunday opening law, Justice Jerome
nav ask the legislature TO pass Dill emooo' :
to- Gonna of the views he has advocated merelf
as an experiment with the understanding tiia'
II at the end of twelve months the piah ~ .. a
manifest failure the next legislature 7it'ii
wand or sbrosate the experimental law Yes
+erdav In answer to a question. Mr jerome
said:
.I believe that twelve months would suffice
for practical and fairly thorough trlai oA d
Sunday opening law.
80 that If it were fatally defective IN practlce
1t could be abrogated?'' he was asked
yes" said he but it would have to be non
estlv tried To go at it i'll any half-hearted
manner would not be fair to those who desire a
change in the existing situation. I think that a
twelve months trial would demonstrate the WIS
dom OF the proposed new law"
In his speech in Rochester Tuesday night
Justice Jerome advocated the opening of saloons
on Sundays from / to II p. m He was asked
yesterday why he did not propose TO leave the
saloons open all day Sunday
That is a small view TO take of the question,
replied Mr.. Jerome The present law cannot
be enforced because the people opposed to it
They don't want it enforced. AS it stands now
it is attended by necessary evils and these evils
should be minimiZed much as possible. The
question is How should II be done" BY allow
ing the saloons to remain open from L TO II
o'clock you can enforce the law with an honest
police administration, and the saloonkeeper will
assist in its enforcement. Through this change
the people will have respect for the law, where
now they have contempt for 1t, and II has be-
come a farce. You cannot enforce a law which
is not consonant with the wishes of so large a
o< hat jc of
ing law with its inseparable evils?"
DO you personally wish TO see the saloons
open on Sunday?" the justice asked.
II do not" he replied so far as am per-
sonally concerned l would prefer to see them all
closed tight But that is not the thing We
must try TO do the best we can for the people.
and sink our own personal feelings for the good
of the entire community.
will bill embodying your views on needed
changes in the liquor laws be ready for intro
duction at the opening OF the egislature?' he
was asked.
Il think So" sald Mr.. Jerome. I would like
70 saw that in this whole matter 1 am trying to
bring about ameIioration of conditions pres
ent confessedy bad, and in doing that l am
merely trying to qualify on the pledges | made
all right There is a limit to physical strength
and 10 the hours of the day. Whatever may oe
the result, am certain Of one thing. anu that IS
that the advocacy of changes in the existing
laws has quickened public interest in the sub
ject and whether much or little comes out Of it,
il is certain that the matter will be more Sc
rously studied than heretofore. 1t seems TO me
that il Is not much question of what would
be the ideally perfect thing 10 do as II is one OF
what be brought about. l have no doubt
that II the man living in f two or three room
fiat in this city would do the proper thing when
the thermometer IS above 30 on summer Sun
day afternoon he would go 10 some cool spot. If
he could find one, and perhaps read 'Plutarchs
Lives some equally serious book; but the
fact of the matter is. he Hon't do that. He be-
lieves that drink OF cool beer IS what he
needs and be supplies the need II he can. II,
instead II doing this, he could bring himself 10
think th~ he ami his family would he better off
looking at menagerie or visiting one Of the
Carnegie free libraries. l said before, ne
would be better of. Whatever is done. II should
not be forgotten that the primary duty of en-
forcing the law devolves upon the Chief OF Po-
lice ard the Commissioner and Mayor. The Dis
trict Attorneys duty is secondary. 1t would not
he a deTeliction on the part Of the District At
torney II he allowed every saloon in the city 10
violate the law Sunday. II r. the business
ot the District Attorney to bring about an in
dictment after the police have done their part
prosecute the cases they get