New-York tribune., 1902-04-11
JEROME FEARS FOR REFORM
WITHOUT REPEAL, OF EXCISE LAW HE
SAYS 1T WILL NOT WIN AGAIN
IN GENERATION.

District Attorney Jerome last night IN an adoress
delivered before the Mems Club OF tne Juosoh
Memorial Church. asserted that not another uHe IN
a generation would a reform administration ba
elected unless the present liquor law was repeated
He spoke on The Present Excise Law in It's Kela-
ton TO Public Life" The Rev. David A. McMurraS,
president of the club. who occupied the chair' anu
the Rev. Edward Judson. pastor of the ch"i''''
both of whom the platform as well as d
large audience composed mainly of members Oh 'he
church seemed 10 be much shocked when in the
course of his address Justice Jerome SAID tha' II
was no wonder some people preferred the Saloon I"
the church on Sunday. with the milk ana water
diet handed ont from majority of the pulpts,
and frankly confessed that he himself did not go u
church and did not feel any desire TO go 'here
under the circumstances.
The excise question:, he said. rs ques'oh
which has to be met with sound cold Juoehie"''
and not with any preconceived notions 'hd' W"
are egislating for any body of saints. or that you
ars IN turn this cosmopolitan city into Garden OF
Eden You will have to keep in mind that you
are legislating for a community with much OF sol
row and sin it in; that you are making laws ioi
mon and women who, while not absolutely bad or
absolutely good constantly slipping pacR III
heir atten,nt TO use their dead selves as step
ming stones TO higher things. You are not LEXIS
lating for the communicates OF the JuuSoi NJ
mortal Church of the st. PatrickS Catheurd''
but lust for men and women such as have Just
indicated
this question | Wish to God could stop the
linuor traffic altogether. But If you SHUT these
one hundred and ffty-four thousand people out OF
the saloon against their wish. they viii avense
themselves by electng party that will appoint
as Police Commissioner man who Will WINK AT
violations of the excise law. As sure as we hve'
unless the present liquor law is repealed fhis ad-
minstration will land where the Strong admins
tration landed and there is more hope OF any
of us seeing another than there is of us seeing the
dawn of a new century" He maintained that the
american Sabbath element had no right 10
saddle their views on those OF different opinion
"As for the claim that the Sunday saloon breeds
best-to keep the saloons open for limited num-
from o'clock in the morning until ] O'CLOCK the
next morning as is done now? While we might
keep the saloons closed for few Sundays ana,
perhaps. for a whole administration that would
he about all; and If this is done. no man or woman
in this will ever live long enough to see an
other adminstra ton under which the law is en-
forced. unless the liquor law now on our statute
books be repealed
And all this talk about the dry Sunday is mere
poppycock. There is such thing as dry sun
day in this city. Last Sunday not a dry sun
day. There 216s Raines law hotels in this city.
There drinks be served all day provided they
be accompanied by the two inch square sand
wich that John Raines provided for. What do you
think Of such hypocrisy? Why can we not be men
in this matter, in other matters?"