New-York tribune., 1902-02-03
SALOON OR SABBATH ?
AN OLDTIME INCIDENT WITH A PRES
ENT DAY APPLICATION.

The Rev. Dr. John Bancroft Devins pastor OF
the Broome Street Tabernacle, in his sermon IasI
evening read the incident from the history oA
Jerusalem in which the attitude or Neheniah
toward Sabbath observance is recorded A1ter re-
building the city walls. which the enemy declared
could not be restored, and which one OF the do-
versaries asserted would fall down II a Io& ran
across it. Nehemiah the preacher salu' gave HIS
attention to enforcing the Sabbath laws. he con-
tended first the mobiles, and then he TOOK steps
to prevent the selling the Sabbath of wine and
other products and then set servants at the gates
TO prevent outsiders from entering the city with
their wares on that day, and when the sellers
lodged about the wall he threatened 10 lay hands
on them. From that time forth came they no
more on the Sabbath" runs the record.
The speaker then mentioned several classes Of
people who in his opinion, desire open groSGerles
on Sunday. d The brewers. doubtless to man
Their output would be materially lessened we're
there no Sunday selling. (D Some owners OF prop
erty occupied by so-called hotels" and by the
cheaper grade of saloons. Were the Raines law
strictly enforced many of these places would be
closed making the property less productive. 90
Some saloonkeepers and bartenders. who Ike more
on Sunday than any other daY o. the week.
~ The majority OF the drinking class who are pop
ulariy termed "soakers." 90 A small number OF
reputable people who drink wine in their own
homes. wine or beer whiskey In their clubs,
and who wish to be perfectly fair with those who
have no wine cellar, and therefore advocate the
poor mans club" % Not a few earnest lovers of
their city who feel that Tammanv will be restored
to power next year unless the demand for Sunday
beer is granted.
Opposed to the open Sunday the speaker named
a Almighty God, Who has never repealed HIS
command Remember the Sabbath day, 10 keep
It holy" removed His woe" 10 the man "who
puts the bottle to his neighbours lips; G) the
ligious bodies, almost, if quite without excep-
ton The Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884 de-
clared: While We hope that Sunday laws this
point SELLING beer or other liquors Sunday will
not be relaxed, but even more rigidly enforced.
implore all Catholics for the love Of God and of
country never to take part in such Sunday traffic
nor to patronize countenance IT." 90 Pastors,
GIusiyely among the poor, almost 10 an individual,
Ihe Rev. W. I. Elsing, of De Witt Church. says:
so far as my experience goes, the vast majority
OF the worktngmen's wives are first, last and al
ways against Sunday saloons"
Howard Crosby caused the enforcement of the
almost single handed shut up and kept shut 1.739
groggeries Mayor Hewitt enforced the Sunday
enforced them. In 1895 Bishop Potter signed letter
TO Mr Roosevelt thanking him for enforcing with
equal impartiality all laws This you have done
and are doing and for this. first Of all, thank
you. You have said. This law, matter
what IT Is or how 1t was made, must and shall be
what the essential difference between civiRatton
and barnarism. Fifty religious and philanthropIc
workers joined the Bishop in that declaration The
charge that Mr.. Roosevelt used all Of his police
force IN enforcing single law was denied, and the
statement from the Presidents book published in
The Tribune last week. read. In this review of
MS experiences IN the Police Board he says: For
two or three months we had regular fight, and on
Sundays had to employ half the force enforce the
iiquor law; Ihe charge that crime was increased
because the police force enforcing a single
law was met with these words from Mr. Roose-
FeIts authorized statement: "A commentary upon
its accuracy furnished toward the end Of our
administration for in February, 1897 the Judge who
TO congratulate them upon the fact that there was
at that time less crime in New-York relatively TO
the population than before; this held tr1o
for our two years service"