The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-14
JEROME WARNS LEGISLATURE
CITIES NAY YET COMBINE TO
rule THE STATE THEIR WAY.
uncnforccablc Excise Law Gives Them
Cause TO Combine. and They've Got
the Votes Ills BtIi Would Help
DO Away With Police Hlackmail.

DO away WIN Polcc bIachmtii
District Attorney jerome sent yesterday
TO the Senate COMMITTEES on Taxation and
Retrenchment and to the Assembly Com
mittee on Excise copies Of a printed brief
setting forth his reasons why his bill to
legalize the opening Of saloons in New
York on Sunday between the hours of
l and IL p. NJ. should become a law.
He SAYS that the law would have public
sentiment behind il and would be enforced
and hat il would help do away with the
Raines law hotel. the debauching Of the
police and the blsckmail system. Finally.
he tells the Legislature. subordination Of
the vital interests Of great cities to the
supposed exigencies Of State politics is
likely to result in a political union Of New
York, Buffalo and Rochester to protect
their interests. He asks that the bill he
put TO a vote SO as to get the Legislators
on record. Here are some extracts from
his brief:
Under Democratic forms OF Government
q law Is not permanently enforceable 10y
elected local authorities where a lar &c number
OF persons In the locality do not consider
the act forbidden as immoral in itself and are
unwilling to yield willing obedience to the
law. lMoonshining. SMUGGLING and Maine
In the city OF New York there are n large
number. Of people who do not consider II
immoral TO enter a saloon and take a drink
Of intoxicating liquor on Sunday.
OF i3,00N saloons in the city. one-hnlf are
engq ged in selling liquor on sunday in defiance
Of the law which with an average OF twenty
customers means $4,000 voters who will not
yield obedience to This law. Now IL IL he
considered that these persons are nearly
ali voters and that usually in this city a much
smaller number than l5+ ,0n) votes will de-
termine an election II becomes perfectly
,l..- Nha VnHtas Ia shA TAltstaal fate 81 ans
administration which prevents these persons
from, doing what they wish to do and what they
do not look upon rs immoral
tells. Probably to satisfy the needs OF
the people for bona-idc hotel accommo,
be enough This leaves i,2Oo hotels brought
into existence simply to enubie liquor to be
sold on sunday and not az all for genuine
hotel purposes. The practical result OF this is
as follows The ~licensee has at least ten rooms
on his hands and there II no demand for
them or the expense will destroy him. lie
rents them 10 men and women resorting there
TO for Illicit purposes. These s~o-called hotel.
have become centres OF vice and crime. and
are to-day one OF the most serious problems
to be dealt with in this community. Many
a man who finds II necessary to sell on sunday
10 keep his custom is driven into u business
that no never contemplated nor. desired.
The enelt upon the community through
the debauChIng OF the police by the present
law fayoring blackmail is very serious. Mem
tally. morally and ply sically the average
policeman when appointed Is superior TO the
average man. MAKE hin part of a system
which sells protection even to lipuor dealers
alone. and you at once inculcate a disrespect
for law and is Observance and make him
feel that what sho I'D be an honorable calling
Is far from that.
Train over 1901 such men with the powers
they have to such q theory and then scatter
them geographically over the city In pro-
portion TO population, and the effect YOU
viii have in, lowering the general moral tone
An unenforceable law always develops
blackmail Any one familiar with conditions
here knows that for years the power vested
in the police by public opinion of neelettlng
the enforcement of liquor laws has enabled
them not only TO collect very large sums from
TO control their political activity, When for
sinister reasons they do make arrests they
have a perfect defence against complaint
they say. what is true. that they are doing only
There has not been and under our insti-
tutions cannot permanently be any check
Attorneys are elected locally. and their po-
litical life Is sure 10 be short when they try
The effect Of the present law il TO do irrep-
arabic damage 70 the community BY tend
ing, TO degrade those n the LIQUOR business
and their respect for all Law. The effect OF
the proposed change would be In an opposite
No one who has not been present at many |
trials OF persons charged with excise viola
tions would believe that perjury Is com.
III NfAl III lllNb~ wi ~ Nv ~ - w
well to educate a race Of perJurers Tenn
perance can better De promoted by, educa-
tion and amusement and religion than by
criminal statutes !
For more than nifty years the populations
Of the cities Of this State have Cown AZ the
expense of the rural districts. and yet the
cities have not grown proportionately In
their power and influence in the leSiSlature
There is an issue, the advent OF which in
State politics has been long delayed
is not a narrow one. IL l. broad enough
for "A State campaign n liquor problem
OF this issue The issue is. Shall the. vital
interests of the people OF tbs. great cities OF
this State he Ion ger subordinHted 10 the
supposed eNigencies Of state politics.
Rochester. Buffalo and New YORK, con.
tanning more than half the population OF
Legislature sufficient TO control both branches. |
ARE about ripe for Il political union to pro-
tcct their interests and to enforce 'nc en- |
nctment Of laws consonnnt to the needs OF
their citizens |
let the Legislature further neglect their
adjourn without Displaying even an hNell-
gent and fait-uinded interest IN their wants |
and you viii have done all in your power |
TO drive them together politically
Aud. What i more, you viii fore" INTO poll
TIC and keep In politics the whole liquor
question. aud experience Throughout the
| nttod States has shown that, in doing TINS. |
von viii do very much to debauch public
servants and bring into politics corrNptlhg
".,'HehlS which VIII put the whole poltlcal
III" OF the state on 4 lower plane
To get an absolute majority in both
houses MIR. jerome would need another
city IN his combine. !
No Retter Hon,es pan.r pabIlshed |