The sun., 1903-12-09
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
District Local Option for New York AdvO.
GATED by q Noted ProhibitiOnist.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SrS-Sir; Gen.
Thomas l.. James some time ago told me that
when he was a member OF Garield's Cabinet
a friend said to him one day in Washington:
General, ] have had curious experience
with your double. The other day happened
in a restaurant near by. and thought l saw
you at one of the tables went 10 you and
said, How are you. General? The man. with
out looking up. replied. I am not Gen James. ;
The next day in the same restaurant l saw
you at a table. and going over to you slapped
you on the shoulder. saying. General took
an old galoot for you here yesterday The
man. without raising his eyes said. i am the
same old galoot
Mr.. Jerome and his friends and some other
reformers. in their new plans to take the saloon
out OF politics. will discover that they have
placed their hands on the same old galoot Of
temperance sentiment. mistaking il for what
il is not. Two years ago Mr.. Jerome told me
that my plan Of local option by election dis
tricts was utterly impracticable." He went to
Albany last winter with his practicable plan" OF
direct legislation for Sunday selling. He could
not muster a corporal's guard out of even the
upstate Democrats to support his bill. One
OF the most prominent members Of the upper
House said to me- Doctor, you need not come
up here any more 10 oppose this bill. A bill
OF this kind can never pass an Albany Iegis-
lature." Why again undertake a need ed re-
form along line that is foredoomed to defeat.
and thereby delay the essential reform of
getting the saloon out Of politics so that a wise
civic reform may have a better chance TO be-
come permanent Among the first considera-
tions of prudent General is practicability.
Once more IL seems, the same old measures
are to be urged:
l. Direct legislation for Sunday selling
. Local option for New York city as a whole,
or as boroughs
As certain as the sun shines, these two
measures will be opposed by every temper
ance organization Of the State. every rel gious
organization, Protestant and Catholic, nine
tenths of the clergy. and by nearly the whole
motherh hood of the state. Against this sem
tment it is utterly impracticable" to get the
Legislature TO act. 1t is sheer waste OF pre-
cious time to try II,
There is open course that has at least a
chance OF success: Appeal TO the Legislature
io submit next spring to vote of the people
in cach election distric, III in Greater New York
Saloon Themselves or no.
sunday selling after O'Clock. p. M-Yes
or no
have voted local option by townships. and a
township has about the same number OF voters
as has an. an election no district IN Greater New
TO extend all over theState principle of local
option that has been already recognized and
Township vi @ local option often makes S a saloon ]
| legal on one side of road and illegal on the
| other: so does the liquor zone provision in
| Minneapolis and st Paul and other cities
| The people are able TO stand this "absurdity."
A bill 10 submit the Sunday question alone
will be fought TO it's death as sure as II ia pre-
| sented This may be the fate Of the double
| headed bill above suggested. but this bill will
| have in il something the liquor men like. andit
will also have in i! something the temperance
| men like II Ia along the line of least resist
OF pulpits What! Submit the Ten Com
| mandments to local option?" Yes. God sub
! mits them to the vote of every indi vdual:
choose We this day"
| Local option by horoughs is not local option
| which means decision by the jury of the
| viclnage. The Borough OF Manhattan Is as
| large as 500 townships. and az large as any one
| Of half the States in the Union. 1t is no more
| reasonable for Fifth avenue to have the priv
| ilege of determining the saloon question for
Five Points than II is for Erie County to settle
! for suffolk county,
| II must be remembered that Prohibition in
| one form or another is in force in two-thirds
| Of the townships of the State. and that against
| sunday selling the voters. Republican and
| Democratic. are practically n unit. A dyed
in-the- wool Prohbitionist cannot be, fright
| ened out OF his conscience by fear OF conse-
| uuences to his party or to any other interest.
He follows Carlyle's Injunction literally: Go
| o perdit ion IL YOU must. but with lie in your
mouth.-hy the Eternal Maker. No" But
jerome is proof against ,pesslmism.. .pessim
| ism, the exhalations Of diving ambt tions-no
| trace of that smell about our District At
| torney. So. We shall doubt less see him again
| this winter butting his head against the stone
| wall up AZ Albany, !. X. FUNK.
NEW SoRE, Dec Z.