The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-19
MAYOR WANTS AN AMENDMENT He ASSailS Club Feature
 in Sunday Law. A CLASS DISTINCTION Contends That Spurious
 Clubs May Be Formed. To Give Clubs Authority to Sell Liquor
 Does not Legalize an Illegal
A CLASS DISTINCTION

Mayor W. M. Teague in a message to the Council at its regular bi-weekly meetins protested against the exception Of clubs Tn the Sunday closing law.
 He declared that it will be but snort time before there are numerous such clubs organized under charters for the sole and only purpose of selling whiskey on Suhoas' He declared that the exception was III direct contrast to every teaching or ,Iue Democracy and declared that if the clubs sold whiskey on Sunday they were just as much vioiators of the law as the lowest dive in Montgomery.
 His message was as follows:
 "office of the Mayor. Montgomery, Ala,
 December 14th, 1905. "To the Honorable City Council of Mont
 gomery.
 Gentlemen:-
 At the last regular meeting of your honorable body you adopted an ordinance entitled An Ordinance to Prohibit the Sell ing. Giving Away or otherwise disposing of spirituous yinous or malt liquors from ll o'clock on Saturday night until i2 o'clock the following Sunday night. which reseNeu my official approval on the llth instant Tn affixing my signature to this measure I did so because I believe its provisions VIII unauestionably be of inestimable benefit to- ward assisting the police department Tn sup pressing the wilful. fragrant and persisteh | violations of the Sunday Closing Laws, os inc regular saloons and whiskey dealers These continued violations in the past witn- l out doubt necessitated more stringent iesis- | lation to effectually cope with the situa'ioh and T shall use every endeavor within my power as Mayor to secure an honest ana CUT | scientfous administration of this law | While most heartily concurring in th' l stinulations of the ordinance as adopted and without presuming to assume supelio' | knowledge of the subject as .asaihst ti' views of a majority e your honorable nooy | vet gentlemen of the City Council, suoHi l in axcludinR the cluDS or lHt | city and allowing them complete immunity from the conditions of this law, IS II not ai | indisputable fact that we are not aohei m | strictly to the established form or Ia" "hici
 makes no distinction and proviues ho emption form the same liability 10 "inci l others are subjected? The fact that clut | limiting the sale of whiskey on sunday 70 l.' | own members would not, In my Judgment | legaIize Illegal act | finder o.Sr Democratic form of government | nona sboutd be too high or exalted to obey | Inc laws of the land, nor should we recos- | nize privileged classes. The environment | of citizenship should furnish no just ground l for discrimination. , | stripped of all sentiment. in It's las l analysis Is 1t a vioiation Of the la" io | saloons. clubs or other places to sell or al low whiskey to be sold on Sunday IT th' 1 laws Is being violated, 1t should be stopped | regardless of whom may be affected. l If clubs can sell whiskey on sunday "ith- 1 o,,t sufpersnr the penalties imposed for sucf | yio,ation. how long. if I may be permitted l to inquire, before we will have ciuns' o | so-called clubs almost indiscriminatey l every section of the city, where intoxicating beverages may be dispensed promiscuousi! with the same legal protection as that al | lowed the chartered clubs of the city now ii | existence. | Entertaining these views, I respectful, l r.commend that the Sunday Closing Ordt
 nance. adopted December 4th. be amended l he he executed.
 | Respectfully, | W. M. TEAGUE Mayor l On motion the matter was referred to thu Committee on Judiciary.