The sun., 1902-03-09
The CAUSE OF WOMAN.
NEW YORRS EXCISE QUESTION
FROu TWO FONTS or VIEW.
Tbe Feminine and the Masculine Viewpoints
what study OF the Question shows
The Six Nations and the ballot That
> Ia 10 he thrust Into Their Hands.

Eemtltne
what q study OF the Question Show
The Six Nations and the ballot ThaI
n, 10 he thrust Into Their Hands
In all these months Of debate In regard
70 the Excise law az it applies to Greater
New York, two facts have been strikingly
Illustrated; first. the necessity for two points
of view, the mans and the woman's. sec
ond, the necessity for two influences bach
Of the laws and the lawmakers. tho man.
and the woman's. From the beginning
Il has been almost wholly q mans discus
sion, and this Is because 1t Is 30 largely
q political question. and on all such the
woman's opinion is not wanted The voice
Of the President Of the largest organiza-
for so much as the still, small voice Of one
politician who knows how TO 'fx things
at Albany.
II would hardly be an overstatement
TO say that nine -tenths Of the protests
against open saloons on Sunday have been
made because they destroyed the sanctity
Of the day. The only direct legislative
action which has been proposed would
close them merely during the hours Of
church service Sunday morning. and per-
NIT them TO run wide open from to II p NJ. .
ignoring even the large number Of Pro-
testant churches which have afternoon
or evening services.
Although women are credited with mon
opolizing the greater portion OF religion
and with being by far the strictest de-
svotees OF the Church, we do not hesitate
TO assert that II they were to express them-
selves upon this question Of the open ga
loon on Sunday, nine-tenths OF them would
releeate the Church TO second place and
ave the first TO the home and family.
They would be much moro interested in
the domestic welfare Of their children
than in full or empty pews. The hours
named above are the very ones OF the
whole twenty-four whom they would rather
the saloons would not be open. In the
forenoon on Sunday the average woman
10 apt to be busy with household cares
and the husband can be spared-indeed,
his absence is a relief. Sometimes he
himself goes to church, and then she has
the comfort Of at least knowing where he
is Men, as a rule, do not get drunk before
noon. But from in the afternoon TO
II at night All. then. Of all hours, is the
time when the woman wants the saloons
closed hard and tight. Those are the
hours of leisure which the mother fears for
her growing boys, when she breads to see
them go out from the home because OF the
temptations which are so attractively pre-
pared for them. 1t is Sunday afternoon
when the busy housewife has her only
leisure TO enjoy the society of her husband,
or when the busy man has tine TO got ac-
quainted with his children, or when the
family can 60 together 10 the parks or
the various resorts or on excursions or TO
visit friends. The only blessed timei
And yet It Is proposed 10 open wide the
saloons and invite the husbands, fathers
and sons TO come in as soon as they have
finished their Sunday dinner and spend
the precious afternoon and evening along
with their last cent. II they are convivially
inclined it is perfectly useless to talk about
making the home rival the attractions
there set forth.
On every day the saloon is the enemy
OF the home. but on Sunday its bitterest
foe. Even the man who stands behind
the bar is kept away from his family. Only
the one who manufactures the liquor IS
able to take his ease and pleasure with
those of his own household on that day.
He alone has more money on Monday
morning because the saloons are open on
Sunday. But since by statute, by political
influence, by public sentiment, they have
six days absolutely for their own, may not
the no ne and family claim just one? These
are a few of the things that women would
say IL they we're asked to say anything
and such pleas would touch a responsive
chord in the public conscience that Is wholly
undsturbed by the protests against the
desecration OF the Sabbath. But this Is a
mans battle, and its results, like those Of
L.t fan hes aGt uvAr ax,l
children
II politics could be eliminated there
would be no contest All OF the reasons
urged for the open saloon on Sunday-the
poor mans dinner. the customs Of the
foreigner, 6c-are the merest sophistries
hand which holds a ballot. And large
element that otherwise would be glad to
see the Sunday saloon abolished are not
willing to have it done at the cost OF the
defeat Of their party, especially when such
defeat might mean a still stronger entrench-
ment of the evil There is but one remedy
for this condition Of affairs and that is 70
change the character OF the electorate.
Let the party which would like to enforce
the laws know that II will be sustained
by a great constituency; let the party
which would continue 10 disregard them
know that constituency is waiting TO
accomplish its overthrow the ques-
ton will be solved, and solved right. Let
those evade or deny IL who will. no fusion
Of parties. no spusmodic periods Of reform,
over will put an end to this perpetual con-
test against these demoralizing forces,
but the struggle will go on and on until
women are invested with political power.
A study Of the various phases Of this
excise question. which has occupied a
prominent place in the daily papers with
out cessation for six months, shows how
absolutely this solution Is ignored. II 10
doubtful II a reading Of all the speeches
which have been made by Bishops. priests,
minister's. Judges, Mayors. District At
toTroys, authors, editors and the rest,
would disclose one utterance In favor OF
giving women a voice in its settlement
When a careful canvass Of their constitu-
enc.es showed the upstate legislators
that they would be safe in refusing 70 amend
the present Sunday Closing law, then New
York began to demand local option-a
years. Mayor low approved this plan
Potter and DR.. kainsford and Felix Adler
and DR.. ParkhurSt ard Carl Schurz and DR.,
Abbott and a long list of titled gentlemen.
The American eagle wished IL was a pea
cock and could rpr' ad its tail when IL heard
the speeches about the rights of the people,
the ~acrcd privilege OF sclf-government,
and various paraphrases Of the Declara-
tlln Of lndCp-nd nee. Not living soul
OF them menti iuned women, and still YOU
could not believe il possible, after all this
Fourth Of July clC qucnc that these de-
Tenders Of Individual liberty really meant