The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-31
JEROME RUBS IN SUNDAY RUM
WE'RE HOUND TO HAVE JT-HIS
IDEA rs TO NAVE LESS or TT.

500 a Year From Each OF 200 saloons
In One Precinct That Keep open sun.
days Is sI1.OOO That Wouldn't Go TO
Somebody but for Preteuoe OF Closing
District Attorney jerome spoke TO n
large audience OF men last night in the
Mount Morris Baptist Church, Fifth ave-
nue. and 126th street, on the Raines
law and the amendment he framed allowing
the sale Of liquor on Sunday after church
hours, The citing was under the direc-
ton Of the Mount Morris Mems League,
and William A. Marble presided.
Mr.. Jerome said he wanted to impress
upon the audience at tho outset that he
did not ellie We it was holy thing TO re II
rum on Sunday, or In Uniformity with the
commandment 10 keep holy the sabbath
But there are other commandments
Just as important that have not been en-
acted into the criminal statutes. he con-
tinued lis not the commandment Thou
shalt not commit adultery just as bind
ing2 Ia the selling OF liquor on Sunday
any worse1 Yet who here Ia willing to
move to make adultery a criminal offence
in the State of New York; Christian peo-
pie do not oppose the making OF such
law because they believe in the evils men
toned. but merely because they believe 1t
Ia a form Of moral ofTense that the Penal
Code Is not fit to cope with. The same
thing ia true of the sale OF liquor on Sunday.
II is an evil that the criminal law is not
III TO cope with
No sensible man, he went on would say
that the Raines law could not be enforced,
but it was impossible 90 enforce in Demo-
cratic community any law which large
minority Of the citizens opposed. provided
the enforcement was left TO local officials.
Then he had some fun with the temperance
societies whose zeal he said, often got TO
the point Of passing resolutions and then
petered out. He told OF his experience
with a gathering of these people, most OF
whom were Methodist and Baptist minis
tiers. When he told them thae the Commits
sioner Of Polics could enforce the Sunday
closing law II he wanted to the listeners got
excited and started to pass q resolution call
ing on Mr.. MoAdoo TO close the saloons on
Sunday forthwith; ON the Mayor TO remove
him IL he didn't and on the Governor to re-
move the Mayor II the Mayor failed
There was one shrewd prohibi tionist
present who had been in Standard Oil,
continued Mr.. Jerome. He said: I oppose
the resolution because Mr.. Jerome Ia laugh
ing at you But they had their resolu-
ton, and am laughing still, for they have
not done thing since. Thus WAS this
aggregation Of Methodist and Baptist
ministers Gained down under the soften
ing influence OF Standard OH, and nothing
is now heard Of their desire to fight for the
enforcement Of the Raines Law,
IF you put it up to the Mayor he win
say that the Police Department ia doing all
It can to enforce the law. If you put 1t up
to the Police Commissioner, he will say;
Shall put nv plainclothea men TO work
stamping out this vice while they are after
the hold-up men whom they never catchT'
In speaking of graft under the Excise law.
the District Attorney said that 90 per cent.
of the saloons in Now York were, open on
Sunday. anyway. This was largely due TO
the fact that the tax ia so high and the bond
is so heavy. Tho snloonkeepers want to
keep OPEN he said, -and they are willing
to pay small sum. say IS a month, for the
privilege. Take the Nineteenth precinct.
FOR instance.
The fact is that you can't enforce the law
by resolutions Of holy bodies unless you
back up those resolutions by fight The
Governor could enforce 1t, but he won't.
The Mayor could enforce it as easily as l
can turn over manu. b'lb ttt hOIl v lllb
Commissioner of Police could enforce it.
but he won't. II You put It up TO the Gov
ernor he will say, oh. no. ii ia the duty OF
the Mayor. but will he remove the Mayor
II he does not do his duty in the matterf
Not on your life. Even so good a man as
Mayor Low talked about a liberal enforce
ment when he was in office.
There are 200 saloons in that district.
Two hundred saloons at IS month each Ia
sl2 900 a year paid to-who knows Per-
haps to police captains wife In New Jer-
sey. II il perfectly safe. There ia no
danger for either party to the transaction.
There is no kick from the saloon keeper.
He ia willing to pay, and he thinks 1t Ia all
ri rht to do so The captain takes the
money. and he thinks 1t IS all right 10
do So.
He said that the purpose OF the amend
ment which he had introduced In the Legis-
lat,Ire was not 10 keep the saloons open on
Sunday but TO keep them closed a part OF
the day.
y have no use for Christian unless he
Ia n militant Christian he said. Here
Ia a chance il YOU want TO fight
Representatives Of fourteen temperance
and law and order societies met at East |
street Yesterday and decided |
TO make fight at Albany against the Je- |
rome amendment. T-cnty-three persons !
responded TO 600 invitations. d. w. +. |
Ht,bbell. head OF tho Sabbath Society, |
accused the District Attorney OF playing !
politics. He knows said the speaker,
/ that there is no more chance OF this bill |
passing or Of being even reported favor !
ably than there is OF Vesuvius turning into |
an iceberg