New-York tribune., 1905-01-05
JEROME STANDS PAT.
ASKS SUNDAY OPENING.
DR.. Lyman abbott for WIDESPREAD
Local Option.

hhi4e the City Club and the Anti-Saloon League
are preparing to send Albany bills calculated 10
90 away with the evils Of the Raines law hotels
Dlstr1et Attorney Jerome is going to have intro
uuoeo again his bill providing for a Sunday OPEN
ing or saloons. Not because he doesn't want the
present laws enforced, says but because he feels
mat they practically never will be enforced does
the District Attorney cling TO his plan for legal
i@eu sunday opening. which he declares would
largely 90 away with the evils accompanying the
present system. The present laws are all right
says Mr.. Jerome. If they can be enforced but the
pest meaning persons won't enforce them SO the
only practical thing 10 do is to repeal them
30. in spite Of his declaration that there are
reans too much excise legislation now. Mr. Jerome
VIII send his Sunday opening bill TO Albany, where
1t viii be in direct conflict with the efforts OF the
Ant-Saloon League The latter, while it will wage
war against the Raines law hotel, will also make
strong efforts TO subdue the saloon in general
With the resolutions for local option which the
Ant-Saloon League passed the District Attorney is
not in sympathy. Said he yesterday:
You can't have local option here Local option.
aPpned 10 less than the entire city. is pipe. They
wO YOU make the un9 n The m co1nI the wat M
semoy district, the ward? If it were anything less
OF the street and dry district the other. Local
oPnon won't go unless for the whole city, and that's
only the referendum.
What's the use OF any more excise legislation?
There's more the statute books now than we get
enforced theed be mighty ba1 the & fT65bs laws
supposed 70 have closed Sunday, but everybody
Wink wink at it. It's a crime for the patrolman to
police captsi6 for tb o ye when indicted
leheea him TO reprimand. to be read from the
SaPtain & ain &Foody read his rePrimand from desk COW
s ms ana there was a grin on the face Of every
patrolrnan that heard It.
Protests against the Raines law hotels VIII take
the form Of legislative measures this year. The
CITY Club. which year ago voted to investigate
O1t elure excise question, has under preparation
a OIL which viii compel the alleged hotel before
II can obtain license. TO submit to examina-
uon by representatives of the Buildings, Health
ana Flre departments In this way it is planned
10 prevent the licensing Of imitation hotels, and by
subjecting the Raines law places to the require
nents of these departments 10 drive out of busi-
ness some so per cent of the saIoonhotels. Further
plans for excise reform under contemplation by
the City Club. but nothing definite has been ar
ranged.
The headquarters committee Of the Antt-saloon
League held a meeting at the Chelsea yesterday 10
name the committee of FIVE which shall present its
bills at Albany. but the names not to be made
public until they consent TO serve. A committee of
fifteen was also named, TO be expanded into a COM
mittee Of fifty. Among those at the meeting yes
terday were the Rev. DR.. Howard H Russell, Dr.
L K. Funk who acted chairman: DR.. Louis AL
beTt Banks. DR.. Robert BagnelI the Rev. J. H
Ieale, the Rev John Lewis Clark the secretary;
Willis f. Lougee. and Thomas H Reed the at
torney for the league. At the meeting were read
many expressions Of sympathy with the work Of
the league, among them the following from the
Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott:
I would allow the people of the cities and the
districts TO vote on both the question whether
whether they should be allowed 10 sell on Sundays
within certain prescribed hours.
would provide for only three kinds Of licenses;
grocers' license, for the sale of liquor not to be
drunk the premises: saloon license for the sale
or liquor 10 be drunk on the premises. and drug
glst license. for liquor 10 be sold only the pre-
scription OF a recognized physician This would
abolish the Raines law hotel altogether.
Letters We're also received from, +ba pay Nri,o+
j. Savage, the Rev. Cleiand B. McAfee. G. WilIoy
Hickok. of Buffalo, and Josiah Strong of New
York
the representatives of the various denominations
70 whom he spoke urging that they appoint com
mittee 10 demand from the Police Commissioner
an enforcement Of the laws. He does not feel too
sure that he will hear that the committee
which he Offered 10 accomp pany has heen appointed
In the mean time he adds his views TO the general
discussion:
I do not believe that. as an abstract proposition
law hotel is unenfoTceable but practically do be
heye that IL is unenforceable What mean is this
based on universal suffrage such a law cannot per-
manenty be enforced by authorities locally elected
appointed.
authority that II is capable OF conceiVing, and
no rational human being makes any such conten-
ton On the other hand. in the light OF experience
and everyday knowledge Of human nature IL is per-
fectly clear that locally elected appointed au-
thorities viii never in this community permanently
enforce such law, because the enforcement of
such law in this community N, locally elected or
appointed authorities viii invariably result in
defeat Of the political party 10 which they belong