New-York tribune., 1902-01-24

a glass of beer on Sunday. / am satisfied, by
careful investigation, that the only result of our
joint effort was that during Roosevelt's admin
1stration the liquor dealers paid for selling on
Sunday $40 month instead of So"
Mr.: Jerome went further, and stated, with his
usual clearness. why this law cannot be enforced
in this sense in the city of New-York. He said
The law which prohibits the sale of liquor on
Sunday in the city of .New-York cannot be en-
forced for the reason that there are at least
ZoOeoo people here who not only do not yield
willing obedience 10 it, but yield no obedience
and incite others to violate it,
These being the facts OF the case-and they
will not be disputed by those who we'll in
formed-what, 1 should like to ask, is the ad-
vantage of marching once more over the mel
ancholy road that has brought DR.. Parkhurst.
Mr.. Jerome and myself and many others to this
conviction. in order to make assurance trehly
sure? Purely political considerations. you prop
ery say. should be dsregarded. But this is
what happens in the city of New-York in addi-
which DR.. Parkhurst has spoken, when an at
tempt is made by the police power to close all
access to saloons on Sunday, no matter how
clandestine 1t may be.
THE LAST STATE WORST THAN THE
FIRST
For two or three weeks. while the pressure
lasts every vessel that will hold liquor is filled
on Saturday, with the result that many lodgings
become saloons the Sunday following. BY
the end of a few weeks arrangements are COM
pleted by which liquor be had in the
behind the saloon. or In the room above or in
the room to one side, and the illegal Sunday
before the pressure began. In other words. the
police pressure aimed at making even clan
destine access to the saloons impossible does
not result in the enforcement of the law, but
only in driving the breach of the law one step
further back. In the mean while this pressure
causes the fires OF blackmail to burn as with
forced draught, and the last state of the city
under such policy is than the first. 1t
is difficult enough at best to break up blackma.
An administration of the excise law that only
doubles the inducements to blackmail but which
cannot stop illegal sales. may well be called in
question.
1t must be added that such police pressure
as is even nominally successful in preventing
all access to saloons Sunday never has been,
and never can be- maintained for more than a
few weeks at a time The city cannot be left for
a long period IAN open field for the preparation
Of other crimes" and neither can an admnistra-
ton justify itself in saying, by throwing all its
weight on one law. what laws shall be obeyed
and what laws may be broken with impunity."
To sum up: The attitude of this administra-
ton toward the excise law can be clearly de-
fined. 1t will continue to enforce the excise
law as one Of the general body of laws which
1T is called upon to enforce in the best manner
practica BILE with the means at it's disposal. It
Will take immediate cognizance of any complaint
of breach of the law that is called to its atten-
tion but II will not concentrate the entire police
force on this one law and let all other laws go
by the board 1t will also do everything II can
while 1t is in power to break up the bribery and
corruption of which the excise law has been
for so long the fruitful parent.
If anything further is called for in response
to your letter 1t could not be better said than
in these words attributed TO the president of
your society: $50 long as pretend TO be doing
more than we can do shall not succeed in
doing so much might do" Respectfully,
SETH LOW Mayor.
When Lewis Nixon was asked If he had read
the Mayors letter, he said:
Il only had time to glance over the letter
hastily, and I hardly fell like expressing an
opinion on it. Mr.. Low and his cabinet should
have fair chance to frame policy with ref
erence to the excise and other laws and then
have time to carry out the policy. No one can
make important changes in municipal affairs
in an offhand manner. Mr.. Low is entitled to
sufficient time, and after that time has elapsed
he should be judged by the results. which will
tell for themselves"