The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-02
WOMAN SUFFRAGISTS
ADMIRE MR.. JEROME'S BRIEF.

II does not seem possible that any WON
an who is In favor OF temperance
measures. at least 10 the extent OF clos
Ing the saloons on Sunday, can read Dis
trict Attorney Jerome's brief" SUBJ
| mitted 10 the legislative committee in AL
bany and not reslove to devote the rest
of her life If necessary. 10 making women
equal In power to the persons who in
directly dictated that document
Mr. Jerome deserves the thanks OF all
suffragists for proclaiming boldly truth
which other politicians keep in the back
ground. Among the arguments which he
submits in support OF his bill to legalize
the Sunday saloons is the following:
"Of 1900 saloons in the city one-half
are engaged in selling liquor on Sunday in
defiance OF the law which with an aver
age of 20 customers means $4,000 voters
who will not yield obedience 10 this law.
Now If il be considered that these per-
sons are nearly all voters and that usually
In this city much smaller number than
l5i.OO0 voters will determine an election.
IL becomes perfectly plain what must be
the political fate OF any administrat ton
which prevents these persons from doing
what they wish 10 do and what they do
not look upon as immoral
In Mr.Jerome's famous Rochester speech
last December he placed the number of
Sunday saloon patrons at 10000 instead
OF GOO, but that was before the new
administration took hold OF things. 1.-The
effect upon the community through the
debauching of the police by the present
law favoring blackmail is very serious"
he says. Some people might think that
the "debauching' of $4,000 men in all
day Sunday saloons would also have a
serious effect upon the community, but
that is another story. 1t does seem,
though, as IL Mr.. Jerome would be afraid
10 go out after dark because of the way
he insults the police force. There Is not
I'm all history such q wholesale arraign-
ment of an entire body of men for COM
mitting penitentiary offence. However
that Is their fight and If they can bear
such attacks in silence il certainly does
show that somebody's morals have been
hopelessly "debauched."
Perjury is committed I'm almost every
case tried for violation of the excise law"
the district attorney declares, but he
does not make 1t clear whether il IS the
policemen who are perjurers as well as
or the unfortunate saloon
keepers who have been degraded by this
law until IL has caused them to lose their
self-respect and their respect for all
law" But 1.-The effect of the proposed
change would be In an opposite direction"
he says. In other words, II you would re-
store the saloon-keepers self respect and
his respect for the law. change IL so that
he can sell liquor all day Sunday without
having 10 bribe the police force and COM
NIT perjury In addition. Even a reform |
can offer no hope OF bet
ter conditions, he insists, and this is why: |
There has not been and under our In |
stitutions cannot permanently be any |
check upon them, because mayors and |
district attorneys are elected locally, and |
their political life is sure to be short |
when they try to compel enforcement OF |
such a law"
Then what was that big campaign for |
last fall? Why didn't Mr.. Jerome explain |
all these things to those excellent ladies |
who were making almost superhuman eff |
forts for his election last October? For |
what purpose were they raising Sc. 900 |
and getting up meetings and distributing
4 million pages OF choice literature tell
Ing how wicked New York was under the !