The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-23
A Revolutionary Measure.

At Albany. IL ls q measure winch III l's
main feature has been advocated for
several years past by the temperance
neople OF the State and has even re-
ceived favor from radical Prohibitionists.
That feature Is the extension to cities
Of the local option which the Raines
law allows to towns, though in cities the
local option is to be expressed separately
by residence districts.
This bill passed the Assembly on
Wednesday and on Thursday was re-
ported fayorably by the Senate commit
tee TO which IL had been committed, but
with an amendment defining the resi-
dence district which its advocates fear
will imperil its passage by this Legisla-
ture In the short time which remains
before the adjournment Of the session,
fixed for May 5.
The definition Of residence district
in the Senate amendment is amy clearly
described, contiguous, compact section
or territory in a city or Incorporated
village, bounded by street, corporation
or other well recognized lines or bounda-
ries. and containing not fewer than 800
qualified electors, nor moro than 5000.
It seems1 to be loose, however, In not
defining any distinctly political bounda-
ries, but In establishing artificial dis
= triots of It's own which might be reduced
indefinitely, 30 that instead OF the 800
or 5000 electors required the number
Of these might be made tenth as many
or even fewer.
OF course, II this amendment Is adopted
by the Senate 1t will necessitate the send
ing Of the bill back to the Assembly,
whore on Wednesday 1t was passed by
only one vote moro than the requisite
number, and where the day before an
attempt TO push through its passage
had failed.
II, however, the BIN IN It's original or
amended form should 60 through the
Legislature, It's enactment as law by the
signature OF the Governor may be as
sumed, for Governor HIddns specihc-
ally recommended 10 the Legislature
tho consideration Of the question OF ex-
tending the right Of local option, now
limited 70 the towns Of the State, to
"cities and the divisions thereof
It would be law revolutionary IN its
effects, for It would close up large part
Of the liquor saloons in the cities. II
would be the signal for q great temper
ance agitation, In which would be Joined
powerful religious interests, both Cath
olio and Protestant. From many dis
tinctively residence districts the saloons
would probably be excluded, even by
the votes Of citizens who are not I'M
favorable 10 the sale Of liquor generally,
but who want no saloons In their imme-
diate neighborhood.
The enactment Of this bill, moreover,
would practically defeat the attempts
90 long made by District Attorney JE-
ROME, with the favor and assistance Of
Bishop POTTER and many other citizens
Of q reformatory turn Of mind, to obtain
the passage Of a bill TO allow the sale Of
liquor ON Sunday afternoon. The tenn
peranoe people assume that under the
proposed local option the sale Of liquor
on any day would be restricted to a rela-
lively small part Of the town, and un-
doubtedly they have much reason for
the assumption, because Of the prob
abilities We have suggested.
II Is within the range Of possibility
that religious and other influences might
Ghut up the saloons even In densely In
hAbited districts where they are now
most numerous, on the ground that they
produce or aggravate the evils Of pow
orty. For example, on the East Side
Of the Manhattan borough TO the north
and the south Of Fourteenth street, with
an aggregate population in 1900 Of more
than a million, or an average Of more
than $50 persons to the acre, there were
In 1908 as many as 2,s45 liquor licenses.
In this part Of the town the increase Of
the population since 1900 Il estimated
10 have been toward 100000.
II Is here that the Jews Of New York
are mainly gathered, and the rest Of its
population Is almost wholly under the
influence Of the Roman Catholic Church,
the Baltimore Council Of which, about
twenty years ago, delivered an utterance
unfavorable to the business Of saloon
keeping. The attitude Of the Jews
toward liquor selling IL only conjectural.
They are distinguished as a temperate
people with respect 10 all alcoholic stlmu-
lants, but for that very reason, perhaps,
they might be opposed to excluding
from their neighborhood the saloons
which they do use and not abuse. Even
on the crowded East Side, however, the
result Of the proposed option would
be problemAtical in many districts.
In the so-called Fifth avenue district
Of Manhattan there were in 1900 only
about ~, 900 people, and their number
has not increased considerably since
that time. II IL reasonable to assume
that many Of the districts here would
90 dry simply becauseof theobjection
of residents 10 having liquor saloons in
their neighborhood, no matter how much
they may drink themselves. This region
ipcludes the so-called 'Tenderloin,'
the exclusion Of liquor saloons from
which would involve a social and COM
u1efrial revolution that would ba "a