The St. Louis Republic., 1905-12-18
sCBTERFUGE CLUBS.

The sntilid clubs operating in g. 'Lous n deA.
ance Of law ought to be put out oF basaness w'sn-
out more ado Law enforcement b IN issue IN q.
Louis and Missouri. and wide open" defiance Of
law cannot be tolerated. Already there has been
too long temporisation with the problem which the
Sunday cfrbs present. The problem now h i'm
mediate and vitalHit 10 . challenge 10 hw and de-
cency and citisenship: and II must be disposed Of
vieorously and promptly
Two modes Of attack are open TO the laws Of
acers. A Grand Jury investigation under the au-
thOrty Of the general drzmshop law b one Of them
Virtually the prOprietOrs Of many Of the wide
open" Sunday clubs are guilty u the misdemeanor
Of selling liquor without . license and although the
offense Ii hut . misiemeanor the statute expressly
makes II the duty Of Judges and grand juries to 20
into the matter Indictments may issue when war
ranted by the facts reported aud found.
At present there are perhaps 80 Of the orsanza-
ri.,ns which evade the Sunday closing law while
they cheat the State Of r6venues. Not twenty of
them could Withstand IN investigatino Of the au-
,Lori,y by which they purpost to exist - 'ciuba
The basis u existence If many Of them 10 nothing
more than . worthless paper-A certified copy Of
some old pro fosa decree issued in the remote past
{" other inc0sroratorr than those who are selling
liquor at the alleged clubs. Any man may for a
small fee procure . copy II decree registered In
the Recorder's ONCE. The fact that he Possesses
copy If q decree NO more entities him to conduct =
liquors selling establishment. any other kind Of
club for that matter. than the copy OF deed psO
cured in the same manner would entitie him to the
real estate described therein In the procurance
and disposal of these copies Of decrces somc graft
Ing has been DONE The worthless documents have
,een sold by Intermediates to &ullible would be
rroprietors for considerable sums Of money. The
nt Is that the proprietors In such literal
ly and technically violating the dramshop law.
Undoubtedly the arrest Of . few of them would
result In immediate and pronounced reforms whole
sale hesira. Few would dare offer - . defense the
Irstcnse OF authority which their fake charters A.
ford Rather than risk the test the probability il
that good many Of them would 60 out Of business
at the first sign of q squall.
The other method. and possibly the preferable
m-thoi-which the Grand Jury might upon consid-
Grafton recommend-nes In . proceeding In the ma
Of quo warant0 at the instance 0f the Attorney
General Indeed the Governor himself might prop
.rly order the Attorney General to proceed. The
actual proceedings might be commenced and con-
Quoted by the Circuit Attorney The inquiry would
so int" the authority by which the clubs purport
exist and ais" the question bona ndes in those
cases in which It was found that the clubs had
technically Incorporated. There ID scarcely single
II the liquor selling Institutions which could
withstand a genuine Investigation Of it's purpose
Their. scarrrly one which could demonstrate that
it did exist primarily for the purpose Of selling
liquor
The efficacy Of this procedure has been demon
stratrd. II is a broader remedy than the punitive
remedy. Roth remedies might properly he applied
the time. Neither would interfere with the
others operation.
y" go.sl reason appears why proceedings should
not 7. instituted against the wide open essab-
lis,,nens at On the other hand the strongest
considerations Of public decency and respect for law
demand prompt and vigorous action