New-York tribune., 1905-01-04
SUNDAY LAWS FAILURE.
Tzco Hundred Thousand Drink
Without Sandwiches.

District Attorney Jerome created a sensation
It a meeting Of representatives OF various organ
lzations OF the Methodist Episcopal Church at
the rooms Of the National Temperance Society,"
IN Fourteenth-st, yesterday afternoon by oner-
ing 20 accompany committee 10 demand from
Police Commissioner MeAdoo the enforcement OF
the law against selling liquor on Sundays His
taunts led 20 the passage Of a resolution for the
appointment OF such committee.
II the committee is appointed and goes with
Mr. Jerome the plan VIII be first TO make de-
nand on Mr.. McAdoo. later TO call on Mayor
Mcclellan and ask him TO remove the Police
Commissioner for failure TO enforce the law, and
later 10 call on Governor Higgins TO remove
both the Mayor and Police Commissioner MT
Jerome declared that there would be refusal by
al three officials TO act.
You people get together and talk" Mr.
Jerome said in the course of his address at
the meeting. and that's all you do. But I'm
willing TO 90 more. viii go with you and ask
the Police Commissioner to enforce the law.
VIII go with you ard ask the Mayor TO remove
the Commissioner IL he negiects TO do So Will
go with you and ask the Governor TO remove
both. You viii then see what is behind all this
At the close OF Mr. Jerome's speech a motion
was made for the appointment Of COMMITTEES
10 take up Mr Jerome's proposition 1t caused
a deal OF discussion, during which several OF
torney and expressed their views- William T.
Wardwell, the well known Prohibiaonist cardi-
date, representing. he said, nobody but him
self declared that he would decline TO support
such action by the meeting, as he believed the
committee would be laughed at
You're right" replied the District Attorney.
you will be laughted at and III tell you why.
It's because you viii not be sincere In what
you DO. You will leave here. and after think
ing the matter over viii decide that something
must be done, and then. in order to appease
your conscience viii make haf-hearted ef-
fort nope you will disappoint me. 1 hope
that you will have as much backbone as your
resolution would indicate I viii stand with
you I VIII go with you for the evils which
exist you have not oVerestimated and you
cannot ovsrestimate; and II you Will stick
together, and get the Baptist and the Metho-
dist communities IN the western part Of the
State TO help you. you will find that the Re-
publican Governor will take some action. Then
the law may be enforced, for he will see IN the
movement what viii affect his political life"
The chairman finally empowered to ap-
point committee OF twenty-one within the next
week to confer with the District Attorney and
consider the question OF bringing the enforce
ment of existing laws TO the attention of the
officials.
In the early part of the address at the meet
ing Mr. Jerome said:
I do not believe that in a community like this a
law forbidding the sale OF liquor on Sunday can be
enforced. Ninety per cent OF the saloons OF New
York doing business Sunday. There are
Two hundred thousand people in this city who fire.
Quent saloons Sunday. who do not want to go
through the hollow mockery Of ordering sandwich
which they DO want You 60 to Coney ISL
and and in hour two thousand violations of
the law, a piece Of bread the size OF piece OF
paper and unedible, doing service meal.
There never more honest efforts TO enforce
the laws than were made By the Strong and Low
administrat tons but they thrown of office,
ment than 10 any other cause Not one-hundredth
part-nO, not one -1Ve-hundredth part--of per
cent Of the violations OF the Liquor Tax law every
Sunday ever brought TO book, not to justice,
mind you, for the percentage in that case Is even
smaller This shows that the law is practically not
euforceable-in the bounds OF the definition which
have made. A community of democratic insttu-
lions. with locally elected appointed officials.
cannot DO otherwise than TO wink at the law s
violation Enforcement would mean the political
destruction OF those officials.
appointment Of officials by the Governor who will
be affected by local considerations. But If you
think that such law will ever come through the
wish OF the morally inclined you viii make great
mistake. No, it win be sop to the strong
Baptist and Methodist communities in the western
part OF the State.