New-York tribune., 1905-08-08
FEWER TOTS BUY LIQUOR.
improvement an Father Currys
District-Appeal to Parents.

There has been great improvement in this
neighborhood in the short space of two weeks"
said the Rev. James Curry, of st. Jamess Catholic
Church. He speaking of his efforts to enforce
the law forbidding the sale of intoxicants chill
dren under sixteen.
1.-TWO weeks ago" said the clergyman. you
could see the children fairly crisscrossing each
other they scurried through the streets with
their GROWERS at the hour. Now there is a
very great difference.
Il am not conducting any crusade or institutlng
any new reform. I simply reporting such VIOLA
tons OF a certain law I see in own parish
where have my home. Upon the statute BOOKS
Is measure which provides that no saloonkeeper
may sell alcoholic beverages to a child under or
apparently under the age of sixteen. This law is
violated openly. continuously. every hour of the
day, in every portion of New York and Brooklyn.
I already see marked decrease in the custom
since 1 began Il report violations. in only two
weeks time. If some resident in every district or
the city would simply make it his business to re
port violations when he saw them the same change
would be apparent in every district
Few stop to think. I afraid, of the injury
done the children by this constant frequenting of
saloons They learn to drink-a bad habit for
anybody especially bad for children. They hear
vile language. There is danger Of contamination
of their morals especially in the case of girls But
worst Of all, because the most universal of all
effects, they grow up thinking that a saloon is
perfectly proper place go; that no disgrace at
taches to going there for women and chlldreh
This is not q good idea for child to have. 1t
is not the old American idea The very fact OF the
family entrance closed in and private. and OF the
! screens inside shows that people ashamed to
be seen in saloons. and that women and children
are ashamed 10 be seen going boldly in the front
door. Ii it is perfectly honorable act to 90 into
| the saloon, why is everything perfectly open
ard pubhc? And why 90 not men and women SIT
together in saloons. in fuIl view of the public, as
they 40 in ice cream parIors? The very Tact mat
toners from the public view shows that there is a
sense OF shame in the public mind at beng seen IN
of shame in their young children, and accus-
{6 {6are tee No g9F oF 10 s & beef BY S0
"Curiously enough. the saloon people themselves
beer by the glass rather than by the pint because
send beer out by the measure by the children for
| the convenience Of the men. and that the men
would be offended and wcVld take their custom
elsewhere if they refused TO send the beer hy the
''Ihe noon hour. from u to l. is the worst in the
| whole city for sending children 10 saloons. Men
bridge send boys by scores for their beer at that
time have % seen thgm asked CaPt9n 10 H3dg fs
Cognizance of the matter. and he told me he would
I'm wi WiiHam-st between New Chambers and
Duane, saw girl whose head hardly topped the
whom improper advances were made by a barten-
uei IA iltce "eIe sIle " " as sem 70 y, oT 80 b
little little children as these from such Influences; It2e
with a saloonkeeper who had sold to boy Of If
thong 5 he gh Rq b a e wh1 @nsr But I there's
| legal excuse for the man who sells to a child
| who can hardly reach the counter.
IF the magistrates were all with US It would be
| very easy to regulate this matter. The law makes
the violation a misdemeanor, and leaves the pun
shment TO the discretion of the magistrate. There
in which the magistrates like to dispense
not justice but mercy; exercise q sort of royal
prerogative. Only this mercy is exercised for
the protection of the child but of the voIator of
! the law. Still we have had some convictions which
| have had very salutary effect A saloonkeeper
| fined $50 for selling liquor a child
! That little Gleason girl on Cherry-st. whose
case has been reported, has been taken away from
! her parents and sent to st. Donlfc's. She was
/ sent for beer and whiskey by her aunt, who gave
| her a drink in return. The child made drunk
by the whiskey. The child testified at the trial that
her mother had sent her to the saloon yet 1t
proved that the mother had sent her there
! continuously. So now the child is sent to in
! stitution.
In selling to children saloonkeepers only re-
| spond 10 demand on the part Of the parents.
| want to reach the parents through the children.
I want to lead them TO think, Well it is a mean
thing TO send a child into saloon and from that,
it's easy step 10 think that it's thing to
teach child to drink, to let him drink, or TO
! set him bad example in drinking. Liquor IS the
| curse of this country. See the millions and
millions Of money that go into it every year. Our
| salvation from 1t must be in the protection and
education OF the rising generation"