The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-24
MAYOR LOWS REPLY
To REV. DR.. PARKHURST
Excise Laws Will Be Enforced as
ThoroughlyasPo -Parkhurst
Quoted Against Parkhurst.

torney whom We can eliminate, and We
got, together and discussed it.
And Con- thought and Roosevelt
thought snd I thought that there was
a positive duty snJoinsd upon US 10 en-
force this law and that the reason that
IL could not be enforced was because
th sauthorities upon whom the rsspon-
slbility dsyoved did not proceed ruth
lessly 20 enforce II, and We proceeded 10
40 so.
The saloons were paying s. a month
for the privilege of opening on sunday,
aud we commenced our crusade. / sent a
widow 10 the penitentiary for three
months because she sold glass OF beer
I on sunday. 1 am satisfied. by careful
investigation. that the only result Of our
joint effort was that during Roosevelt =
administration ~the liquor dealers paid
for selling on Sundays $40 a month in
stead OF S..
WILL NOT OBEY
MIR. Jerome went further. and stated
with his usual clesrness why this Ia y
cannot be enforced In this sense I'm the
city of New York. lie said The Law
which prohibits the sale OF liquor on
sunday in the city OF New York cannot
he enforced for the reason that there are
st least 25000 people here VINO not only
do not yield willing obedience 10 it. but
yield 20 no obedience, and incite others
To Violste it,
These being ne facts or the case. and
they Will not be disputed by those who
are we'll Informed. what. ] should like TO
ask. Is the advantage OF marching once
more over the melancholy road that has
brought DR. Parkhurst, Mr.. Jerome and
myself and many others 20 this conyic-
tion, in order TO make assurance trebly
sure?
Purely political considerations you
properly say, should be disregsrded. But
this ia what happens in the city OF New
York. I'm addition TO the partial disregard
Of other laws, OF which Or. Parkhurst
has spoken, when an attempt was made
by the police power 90 close nj access 10
saloons on sunday, no matter how clan
destne IL may be For two or three
weeks. while the pressure lasts. every yes
sci that will hold liquor is flied on Sat
urday. with the results that many lods-
ings become saloons on the sunday fol-
lowing.
"Ry the end or few weeks arrange
ments are completed BY which liquor can
he had i'm the room behind the saloon, or
in the room above, or IN the room 10
one side. and the. Illegal Sunday trade
from that time on goes on as smoothly
as before the pressure began.
I'm other words. the police pressure
sIse ,e a n1ssng ,,nsbia svsh does pot resnit
i'm the enforcement Of the law, but only
in driving the breach Of the law one step
further pack
FIRES OF BLACKMAfI.
I'm the meanwhile this pressure causes
the fires or blsckmail 10 burn as win a
forced draft: and the last state OF the
city. under such q policy. IL worse than
the FIRST. IL is difficult enough at best
10 break up blackmail. An administra tion
or the Excise law that only doubles the
inducements 20 blackmail, but which can
not stop Illegal sales, may well be called
ut must be added that such police pres
sure as il even nominaly successful in
preventing all access 90 saloons on sun
daN never has been and never can be
maintained for more than few weeks at
time
"The city cannot be left for a long pc
riod an omen field for the preparation OF
other crimes and neither can an admins
ing all it's weight or one law, Whist laws
| shall be obeYed and what laws may he
broken With impunity.'
\ TO sum ur: The attitude of this ad-
minstration toward the Excise law can
| he clearly defined II will continue TO
| enforce the Excise law as one OF the
! general BODY Of laws which ~ Us called
| ilpou 20 enforce. IN the best manner prac-
! ticable With the means at its disposal.
| II will take immediate Cognizance OF any
| complaint of breach Of the law that Is
called to its attention; hut II will not con-
/ centrate the entire police force on This
1 one law and let all other laws so by the
| board IL will also do everything " can,
while II Is in power 10 break up the brio-
/ cry and corruption or which ths EXCISE
| law has been for 50 long the trultful par
ent
''If anything further is called for In re-
sponsp to your letter. IL could not be bet
| ter said Than -in-Ihese words .attrlhutssd
long as W. pre ,/nd to bs DOING more than
We can do. we Shall not succeed In doing
| so much as we might do