The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-15
An interesting Experiment.

TT L Is ANNOUNCED that COM
mittee of the city club OF New
M York is considering the feasible
ity of establishing in that city Il
scheme of saloons modelled after the
famous Central Public Trust assoca-
tion OF London, which aims to place
the drinking OF intoXcants in moder-
alton on wholly respectable basis.
The general plan of the London organ
ization. which has the endorsement Of
many. of the leading citizens of Great
Britain, is to conduct saloons with res
taurants attached, in which only the
best of liquors are kept for sale and
the utmost endeavor is made TO pre-
vent violation of the law or indecorum.
The managers and assistants of these
British public houses are paid II COM
mission and salary and are made re-
sponsble for the proper conduct of the
places They are not permitted to sell
to any person who is habitual drunk
ard.
OF course in a matter of this kind
there can be no pleasing of all. To
many the very name of a saloon is ac-
cursed; and these will oppose whatever
tends to continue the name or the busl
ness. Yet it is notable that public
opinion in this country, or at least in
certain parts of it, seems to be veering
away from the intense Prohibitionist
views once in quite general vogue and
in the direction of what might be called
liberalism. This is certainly true OF
New York city. Not many years ago
Howard Crosby was almost martyrized
for venturing to advocate the opening
of the saloon door on Sunday in pref
erence to hypocrisy and ackdoor SELL
ing with blackmail attachments. To-
day large section of the religious
people of the metropolis, headed by
some of the most eminent ministers in
the American pulpit, are not Whisper
ing for more liberal excise legislation
but openly demanding it and Defend
ing it OH grounds of public morality.
Whether this is a temporary oscil-
lation Of the pendulum or q permanent
movement likely to sweep over the
country and materially change the re-
life of our people is a matter not yet
to be determined Our own judgment
is that while there is something spas
modic in it and that while it is greatly
accelerated at this time by temporary
local conditions in New York city, 1t
has some elements of permanency. In
our large cities at least the knowledge
;c i,,y-
question is a condition, not a theory,
and that to handle it, proper account
must be taken of the fact. so strongly
presented by Rev. DR.. Rainsford, that
the saloon at present fills q place in
the social life of the poor which will
what laws are passed, until something
better is substituted.
We know there are those who consci-
entiously believe that a clean. we'll
managed saloon, which does not vio-
late the ldw, and which sells only the
best of liquors to patrons of known
sobriety,. is a worse menace to society
than the most disreputable hole-in-the-
wall. These persons will not sympa-
thiZe with the City club committee in
their wish to elevate the standard OF
the saloons of Gotham. On the other
hand there are many who take the
view that if the saloon in some form
is inevitable, it is to lie public interest
to have it conducted as respectfully as
possible. Be this as it may, the expert
ment proposed in New York would
certainly be interesting.