The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-05
QUESTIONS FOR GERALD
REV. '. P. MORGAN ON SUNDAY VI LIQUOR SELLING.
Minister Follows up Arrnigsment of Mentwomery PeEice by Alderman
 ynekson With Pertinent and 51 Timely interrogation.


 rh. .evere arraignment of Police ch,ss cseraId and the efficiency of the Wort~onnery Police Department by Alderman !. K. Jackson and other Aldermen in the meeting of the City Council Monday evening. was live topic about Montgomery yesterday and was the beginning of searching in- yestiration into notorious violations of the city's laws to which the police have seemed to be blind.
 Asked yesterday for a statement re- iatfye to the charges made against his ofilcial conduct by Alderman Jackson. Chief Gerald replied that he had noth- ing to say.
 Thereafter will not even tell news paper reporters the time of day." he an- swered with a characteristic smile. l. Men who are familiar with city poll tics profess to believe that the declara- tions in the Council Chamber Monday evening were but the sounding of notes of the campaign next spring when the people will be called upon to approve or reject the present administration of city government.
 One man was outspoken yesterday in his condemnation of the police for their failure to enforce the Sunday laws. This man was Rev. J. P. Morgan, pastor of the Methodist Protestant Church. Mir. Morgan and members of his church conduct a mission Sunday school in vesuvius. He declared that barrooms in that section of the city are such open violators of the Sunday law that they have almost destroyed the useful ness of his Sunday school. Broke up sundsy School. There was a time" said Mir Nor gan when a number of boys between the ages of 12 ana IS years attended our Sunday school over there. Now, we haven't a single boy older khan years and some girls. I made an in- vestigation of this condition and found beyond a doubt that the older boys were being lured into these Sun day saloons where they are selling whis key and beer and naturally they stay away from Sunday school and from church."
 MT Morgan addressed the following communication to The Advertiser which he signed and requested that 1t be pub lished:
 Montgomery, Oct. {.
 Editor The Advertiser: The Jackson resolution. the speeches, and action thereon, as re- | corded in today's Advertiser, opens a subJect--a condition, if you please about which some of us have been giving serious thought. We are not asking any questions as to what has impelled the Alderman at Large to be- come sensible just now at the situation. What has been bothering some of us is the notorious disregard of the Sunday closing law. What has further pug Eled some of the uninitiated ones ia that. as MT. Jackson suggests why are some of the small fry arrested fined and held up as violators-the only violators of the law-whlle the big hsh" are let go. scot free7 'Is 1t graft?
 Not many Sundays since. Mfr. Rob erts of Vesuvius, and a negro in soma other part of the city, were thus tTeat- ed. Why? Mr. Roberts is not the only one in Vesuvius who thus violates the Sunday closing law. There is not q store or bar room, of seven or eight that I know of in thnt part of the city. but what does business on Sunday. Why is Roberts singled out1 And, why pu! citisen's clothes on policemen ip order to apprehend themf
 Why. boys 1s and i6 years old get stun at these places to say nothing of the negroes and white men who swarm about other places than that of Rob- erts. Why Is the law not enforced in all these instances7
 'tg 1t graftf
 Questions for Gerald.
 But why bedeck policemen fin citi- zen,s apparel, give them orders of strict surveillance, hie them away to the su- burbs of Greater Montgomery bounce upon some small minnows. white and black, and squeeze them until their gilis can't hop, while right here on Bibb and Commerce Streets the bait swipers are running full blast? Tn full blast they are running and the minions of the law in full uniform see what is going on and pay no attention to 1t.
 "why7 Is it graft?
 T called policeman's attention one Sunday to what was going on. He saw 1t as clearly as did. and saw it before directed his attention to 1t. He gave me to understand if arrests were made that nothing would come of 1t in the way of convictinK the viotators of the law.
 Why? Is 1t graftf
 And what does this little episode in the Council mean? Is it the begin ming of a genuine reform?
 sincerely.
 This communication was submitted by Mfr. Morgan, as he said. in a hope that the people of Montgomery would aEVuSS IuemseIVeS ana act. MT. MOr- gan is an of1cer of the Ministers Union and he intimated that something might be done by that organization although he said he did not-care to discuss that phase of the matter as he did not de- sire to anticipate the sentiment of the ministers.
 If will be remembered that Patrol men Thompson and Jones. new men on the force, were detailed for Sunday fl men to enforce the whiskey laws and that number of arrests were made bv them. It Is said that complaint was preferred against the conduct of these plain clothes men in arresting certain influential saloon keepers.
 At police headquarters 1t was an- nouneed yesterday that Thompson had resigned from the force and that J, F. Partln, had been appointed in his nlaca.