Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-17

could either place the officials at
whom they were aiming. in very bad
light, through their failure to enforce
the law, or make them extremely un-
popular because they were enforcing
It, In this interesting scheme these
men appear to have the support Of
certain of the saloon owners and retail
liqiuor dealers of Albuquerque who
have objected to having their front
doors closed on Sunday.
This brilliant little game Of, back
hills politics appears to have had a
good deal to do with the sudden de-
mand for the rigid enforcement of the
Sunday law here, and whether it does
harm or good TO albuquerque, its de-
tails as they come along will prove
interesting and instructive.
In the mean time. the sheriff Of
Bernalillo county took the bit in his
teeth and closed the places to which
objection was made. He forced the
saloons to shut their back doors as
well as their front doors on Sunday
He did his duty. as he generally does,
just as thoroughly as he could do 1t,
and it seems likely that he viii go
on doing it in just the same way.
Rhe agitation grew and grew The
saloon men. being closed up on Sun
day, demanded that cigar stores, drug
stores and everything else be closed.
They would have closed the churches
had not the law exempted them, and
the saloons, saloon men, bartenders
and owners, are now enthusiastically
behind the movement to shut up the
street cars, close the newspapers, stop
public utilities and everything else.
Their position is that the law being
on the statute books, should be en-
forced TO the limit, the ultimate object
being TO secure its repeal at the next
legislature. This worthy object will
in all probability be accomplished,
since every one, without regard to
faith. inclination or manner of spend
ing the Sa abbath, seems to agree that
the present law Is a joke-and just
now a more or less serious one. But
in place of this law, it now seems
probable that another one win be
forthcoming which may or may not be
as satisfactory to the owners of sa-
looms as the present one.
The case of Oklahoma Is being
pointed out just now with some per-
sistence Last night at midnight
every saloon in Oklahoma closed its
doors-not for Sunday nor for
week, nor in any single town, but,
over the entire state. for good and all.
Oklahoma has no saloons today. The
into the west with some speed, having
conquered the solid south, and ii is
being intimated frequently now that
in place of New Mexico's present sun
day law there may come another
which will legislate not as labor law,
but as a liquor law. and which VIII
have the effect of closing saloons on
Sunday an dpossibly on all other days.
The disgruntled politicians who had
most to do with stirring up the pres
ent agitation for the extreme enforce
ment OF the Sunday law here, and the
saloon men who have had much to do
with sustaining the demand for that
same rigid enforcement appear to
have awakened a movement which
will not find its finish in the repeal OF
the present foolish specimen of eigh-
teenth century legislation.
In the meantime there is much in
terest in the complaint of Mr.. Wester-
field There has been no effort to
cause the Morning Journal embar-
rassment IN issuing todays paper, the
object being apparently. TO fine the
for past sins in causing
its employees to labor on the Sabbath.
Whether street cars will run or not
today remains a question, but it seems
extremely probable that they Will, ana
that in spite of the strenuous action of
Mr.. Westerfeld ct al, the Morning
Sunday and Monday papers
will continue to come out. The mat
ter is one in which the general public
has a very iively interest. and as it
none Of the details will be