New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-08
FAVOR NEW EXCISE ACT
TIEWS OF GRAND JURORS.
Most Of Them Think Open Saloons
on Sunday Would Be Beneficial.

grand jury to whom the Rev. Or. John P. Peters,
chairman Of the Committee of Fourteen for the
suppression of Raines Law Hotels. addressed a cir
cular. favor almost without exception the bill pre-
pared by the committee. clause of which per
mits barroons TO be oPen from to II p m on
Sunday This letter quoted the statistics of the
excise cases which reached the courts. SO per cent
OF which were dismissed either. by the grand or
petit juries The letter asked the opinion of the
members Of the grand jury these proposed excise
amendments Providing increased department agents
TO enforce the law; putting penalty place
for persistent violations; raising the requirement
for hotels to twenty-five rooms and permitting
sales in barrooms Sunday between I and II p. m.
upon payment of special tax of $500
Among the first of the letters received in reply
was one from Arthur Curtiss James. dealer in
metals He said:
II is extremely difficult. as you ray, to
dictments under the present excise law and I have
followed with great interest the recommendations
of the Committee of Fourteen in regard TO amend
ing the present Law, and approve OF them without
qualification
Goodhue Livingston. the architect, said:
think the provisions of the bill which your com
mittee purposes to introduce tn the Legislature
will do a great deal to correct the present condi-
uons, and would advocate such changes.
Rowland Davis. of the banking firm of Blake
Bros & Co. said he in favor of the Sunday
opening In his letter he said further:
I not surprised at the number of disrlissals
Of alleged violations of the excise law, many
of them are simply technical violations which do
not appeal either TO the grand juror or the petit
juror. and, you know, the evidence In these
cases is usually confined TO two officers VINO make
My suggestions would be. in any change OF the
Ffrst-To make the law as clear possible and
is meant and what is the violation.
Second-To make the violation of Law depend as
largely possible on the place being nuisance
and the complaint and the evidence coming from
somebody on this ground will always appeal to the
Third am very much in favor of Sunday open
ing after O'Clock.
I.ucien c. Warner. Of the Warner Chemical Com
pany, said that whenever two detectives get drink
on Sunday in an orderly place the grand jury re-
fused to indict He believed that the increased
hotel accommodation demanded by the bill would
more than Offset the effect of the Sunday opening
He said:
of public morals in having law on the statuee %
books which cannot be enforced. The experience or
an indictment cannot be found against saloon for
selling liquor in quiet manner on SUNDAY after
loon or some Crime committed the indictment prob
saloon and ask for uuor on sunday AFTERNOON and
it is served them in quiet manner, Eranq 5uILts
viii not indict. l do not personally agree with THIS
sentiment but It is fact. and must accept II:
l am very certain that the gain by raising me
requirements for hotels 10 twenty-five rooms "0u4 our
much more than compensate for any harm MAJ 1
might come from having the saloons open unug
eliminate the Raines Law hotel, which is one OF tne
greatest menaces we have TO public mora's'
Thomas d. De Witt. of Peter De Witt & Co. coal
wood dealers, edlo Iudl ITO bV4iCNON '''0
combat the present evils Was 10 have al! sa-oois
open 10 view from the street He added;
am now living In the city for more than =, rtt ny
years and n9GT mas h Dfet there s is no Evidence that
you can get TO convict the saloonkeeper
c. F. Chamberlain. secretary and treasurer OF
the Kuickerbocler Chocolate Company. also adVo-
Gated the unscreened barroom, such as IS seen IN
Boston as a partial remedy OF his experience as
a grand Juror In excise cases he said:
My experience grand juror leads me TO be
iieves that the excise cases before them are the
result Of the offender refusing to for the priv
I would suggest that a law which imposed rea-
bly, c6 n 6 mGSns S s sae R the fro Of the
house and in unscreened rooms. with the penalty
e @ Of sBS 9e no f poc to be the %
ants would result in shutting up the saloons IN the
1t would take away from the police the power OF
selling the privilege OF breaking the law N my
officers the grating there viii be.
The Society for the Prevention Of Crime issued
circular yesterday disapproving the Sunday saloon
operinz II approved OF these features Of the
Brough bill: Reduction OF the number OF saloons
in the ratio OF one saloon thousand people
penaIizing the premises for violations of law in
creaslng the requirements or hotels; separation OF
saloon tenements above and the exposure OF
the business to public view.
The circular says:
We are convinced that in the city Of New York
there is an overwhelming sentiment against the
egazing of the saloon business on Sundays. We
believe that majority Of people in such
movement the German or Continental Sunday,
open saloon selling its strong liquors to men with
their weeks wages in their pockets and bringing
in rampant disorder and crime on the rest day
But IL is very seriously proposed to cure the great
evil of police graft by having the legislature open
the saloons by law N q part Of SUNDAY without
knowing making the attempt 70 ascertain
the sentiment Of the majority of the people rms
method of curing graft. If it were practicable
would be worth the costa great cost not onIy
in sacrifice principle. but also In the sodden dis
order of Sunday nights that would enaue.
We hope for the enactment of the bli Withoot
heartily
BOYS FIND BODY OF g. A. LINCOLN.