The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-04
JEROMECORNERS THE PARSONS
HELP MY EXCISE BILL OR INSIST
on TIE LAW BEING KEPT,

Make McAdoo DO His Duty-Plain
Talks on Rum Outbreak by Parkhurst
District Attorney William Travers Jerome
went out after the evangelical ministers
of New York yesterday afternoon to enlist
their aid in his campaign against present
conditions in the liquor traffic in this city.
What he said TO the ministers sounded
very much like Mr.. Jerome and very little
like an address to gathering of ministers
and representative prohibitionists
Here Is a proposal. said Mr.. Jerome.
'and l don't intend to have you gentlemen
duck it, l will go with you TO Commits
sioner McAdoo and ask him to enforce the
so-caied Raines law as it stands upon the
books II he refuses TO enforce 1t or fails 10
enforce it, | will 80 with you to the Mayor
and ask him TO remove Mr.. McAdoo; IL the
Mayor refuses 10 act on our proof that Mr..
McAdoo has failed in his plain duty. will
then go with you to the Governor Of this
State, Mr.. Higgins, and ask him to remove
the Mayor and Mr.. McAdoo.
e. II they want to enforce the law they can,
They don't You are right up against it
with me now. / ask you to aid me in the
amendment or enforcement Of this law.
II you refuse to aid me in seeking an amend
ment Of the law IA it stands, then you must
aid me in going as a citizen to the proper
authorities and asking that the law IA it
stands DO vigorously enforced. am salts
fed that such enforcement will bring amend
ment with it.
L don't ask you to 20 out and collect
evidence. l merely ask you TO stand by
the resolutions your societies have passed,
by the sermons you have preached and 10y
your talk in your ministers associations.
by going with me and throwing your full
influence in this community on the side of
the law as it stands on the statute books.
III you duck this proposition | say
again, your actions will commend neither
your intelligence nor your integrity. SO.
gentlemen. 1t is mp to you. You may not
agree with me on the ACCESSIBILITY OF amend
ing the law, but you will show very easily
whether there is any virtue in the supersti-
tion that the resolutions Of an outfit of
ministers have any real effect on a police
force that ia taking the stuff for ignoring
tho Law. with the tolerance of the officials
directly responsible for the conduct Of that
police force
Joseph Talcott offered n resolution
which was passed without a dissenting
vote, though some Of the conferrees did
not vote for it. authorizing the chairman
to appoint q COMMITTEES OF twenty repre-
sentatiyes Of the various religious and
temperance bodies represented to act with
the District Attorney in making representa-
lions to Mr McAdoo, Mr.. Mcclellan and
Mr. Higgins.
The passing VI the resolutions was pre-
coded by a debate Of some length, in which
more or less prominent Prohibitionists and
we'll once candidate for Governor on the
Prohibition ticket. announced that he
wouldn't vote for the resolution. He said
he waa sure that the committee would only
get itself laughed at for It's pains and would
not accomplish anything practical by it's
efforts
COME AND BIZ LAUGHED Al SAYS JEROME.
sCome on with me said Mr.. Jerome,
and be laughed at ] didn't say We
wouldn't be laughed at ] know what
you'll do. even II you pass this resolution.
You'll get out Of here and talk this thing
over and then youl weaken. You'll say
to yourselves This man jerome has pu
us UP against it Now we've got to get
out aud mike q front because he has put
il up 80 tis; tut va won't go any further
than We have TO go. We can't accomplish
anything toward the enforcement of this
law That's the way YOU will prove your
ire sincerity in the cause Of temperance
and reform. laughter
Let me tell YOU gentlemen that I am
sufficiently acquainted with the little game
OF politics a. IL Is played IN this day and
Generation to know that # You will 60 into
this fight with mo in earnest you will got
action and plenty Of y. The law can bc en-
forced even though the price OF it, en-
forcement il the political ruin 81 the PARTY
in power AZ the time Rut I know this,
that If tho Methodist and Baptist churches.
strong as ] know them 10 be in the western
part of the State. hold up their fingers
and mean busiuess-the Republican Gov
ernor OF the State will dance Laughter
PUTS IT Up TO THESE BBETHRES.
The meeting was the result Of a letter sent
Nv Mr.. Jerome to the National Temperance
Society asking 1t to bring together number
of representative men from the evangelical
churches and tho temperance societies 70
talk with him about the present condition
Of the liuuor traffic in this city. Represen-
tatives Of the National Temperance So
ciety. the Prohibition party, the New York
Methodist Preachers Meeting the Society
for the Prevention OF Crime the Good
Templars the Sons Of Templars, the Baptist
Ministers Association, the Women's Christ
an Temperance Union and the Religious
Society of Friends we're there.
The conference was held in the rooms OF
TIE National Temperance Society. at 3 East
Fourteenth street. w. Stewart Dodge pre-
sided. He read Mr. Jerome's letter asking
for chance to talk 20 the ministers and
then asked Mr.. Jerome 20 20 ahead
The District Attorney began by explain
ing 10 the conference that IL was no Part
of his duty TO enforce the law. His dut;
began and ended as a public official with
the prosecution Of offenders brought to
him by the police He said that his so-called
county de ccfivesr were merely subpoena
servers and Lad no police powers. he
had spent a great amount OF time in his
capacity "a a citizen however, and in the
last year had spen; 81 900 olt Of his private
pocket TO do what be thought was necessary
detective work out side Of tae actual require
ments Of his Office.
ITS RIGHTEOUS TO CLOSE THE SALOONS.
MIR Jerome said that he came into the
conference not as District Attorney but
rs a private citizen who had the very great
advantage Of easy uCces5 70 the Grand
Jury. bat nothing more, He dealt at
length with the theory that obedience