The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-22
TRrALS OF 4 nnRnnnn

LIZA a 10 OG n bUhOUGH,
The little bantam borough of West
Haven, whose ambitious politicians
would make city of it, is having trou-
hles Of its own in the way Of watching
the Illegal sale Of liquor. The novel dis
covery has been made that the LIQUOR
dealers are dispensing wet goods to
thirsty strangers in very unphiloso-
phical manner, The stranger enters the
saloon and asks for drink, the one
suited to his thirst and the barkeep
hands It out without porting over the
pages OF the statutes. The prosecuting
officer objects to this unheard of con
duct ana hales the sinners into the
borough court.
It is at this stage in the proceeding
that one should sit up end take notice.
The judge Of the borough court is our
old friend Judge Bryant, who has dis
pensed justice there almost as long as
tho Oldest barkeep has spurious LIQUORS.
AT the close Of the trial of the offenders
he observed that the violation of the
laws had been carried on with whole
sale enterprise. 1.-THE offense," he says
officially, ''is here brought openly into
the public eye so that none can be so
careless as to say he does not know it
is going on. / could wish that the court
room this morning had been so packed
with indignant citizens that there
would be no room left But they are
not here and they manifest not even
the most languid interest" To a rep
resentative Of the press Judge Bryant
said later that If the citizens were on
~ heart and soul behind this move
ment to have the laws enforced Sun
day at the shore would rest with its
lid hard on. II suppose" he added. 1--WE
shall have few sermons-languidly in
dignant-as result of this attack up
on the saloons and the matter will die
doWn and the business will go on as
before
This is a most interesting and sug-
gestive statement of the social condi-
TONS as they exist in borough seek
ing the raiment Of city. 1t tells us
that there is no law-abiding instinct
there. The saloonkeepers violate the
law at will knowing that the lawful
excitement will pass and that a return
to the old lawless ways will be more
profitable than ever. Nor are the citi-
Gems any more law-abiding than the
dispensers Of the goods wet. They do
not care button whether the Sunday
laws are enforced or not. 1t Is likely
thatswhen they visit the shore resorts
on that day they want the privilege Of
. drop to drink with their dinners. The
one contented soul in the outfit APP
pears to bs the prosecuting officer who
as q result Of these raids pockets the
neat sum of $780, though according to
the offenders the understanding has
been that If they confined the sale Of
liquors and wines to dinner parties
there, should be no prosecution.
Is ,itiany wonder that a doubt should
arise in the minds Of thoughtful people
as to the preparedness of West Haven
residents Ter municipal dignity when
by the admission of their most digni-
fed legal officer they are essentially
Iawless and reckless? It is apparent
that their present officials have no
adequate Idea Of the cosmopolitan con.
ditions Of the great pleasure park which
has been built up there and which they
cali borough fit to be a city. If they
have no adequate idea of the borough
conditions what would they do when
the conditions were those created by a
city government? If West Haven has
trouble of this kind as a borough the
trouble 1t viii encounter as a city will
make it yearn for the simplicity of
town life again. Men. so inexperienced
in the ways of human nature as to
not appreciate the exact problem
shore resort creates which forbids the
peace and quiet of the Sunday school
room though it need not make for law
lessness and disorder, do not possess
the stuff out of which city builders
are made.