Evening star., 1911-06-02
REVIEWS THE CHARGE.
Dr.. Radcliffe on ''Wide- Open"
Sunday in Washington.
DECLARES CRITICISM TRUE
Supports Report to Presbyterian
General Assembly.
ANSWER OF LOCAL OFFICIALS
Mr.. Rudolph Says Specific Charges
Will Be Welcomed - Saloons
Closed Sundays, Says Sylvester.
DECLARES CRITICISM TRUE
ANSWER OF LOCAL OFFICIALS


Before q large audience of Presby-
churches Of the city. Rev. DR.. Wallace
Radcliffe, pastor Of the New York Ave
nue. Church. made an address In that edi-
fee last evening. IN which he told at
length OF the work Of the recent Presby-
terian General Assembly at Atlantic City.
paying especial attention to the heresy
charges presented for its consideration,
supporting the report OF tho Sunday OBJ
servance committee regarding Washing
ton and. finally. upholding the idea ad-
vanced at q recent meeting OF the Pres
byterian Alliance by Mr.. Justice Harlan
Of tho Supreme Court Of the United
States that tho Sunday entertainments
Of the rich here are a menace to the city.
Referring to DR.. Grant. whom the as
sembly voted to exclude from member
ship after the judiciary committee OF the
body had reported on tho heresy charges.
DR.. Radcliffe averred the teachings of the
clergyman as brought out in the evidence
were not what the Presbyterian Church
taught and that DR.. Grants place was
not In a Presbyterian pulpit He went
into detail as to the doctrines which DR..
Grant had preached. and declared that
the committee having the investigation in
charge had done it's work well.
Declares Criticism True.
DR.. Radcliffe then made q plea for a
quieter Sunday in Washington. declaring
that the criticism made by the Sunday
observance committee Of the general as
sembly and subsequently adopted by the
assembly was true in every respect. He
directed special attention to the fact that
hotels throughout the city sell liquor on
the Sabbath to their guests. This fact.
the pastor pointed out. is deplorable. He
averred a man who goes walking down
town Sunday is constantly face to face
with the temptation to take drink of
liquor.
Washington is the example the people
Of the nation are modelling after IN their
pointed out, and they should be given all
that is bright and best as their model
for the construction Of the undeveloped.
The fact that in many instances con-
tractors continue work on buildings Sun
day was one Of the things which the
pointed to with the finger OF
scorn. recalling for moment what the
would be when the vis-
itor to the nations capital goes home and
reports that the beautiful city by the
Potomac allows such dissertation OF the
Sabbath.
Sunday Dinners Of Society People.
The Sunday dinners Of the rich So
ciety folk of the city were brought
into the nmehght by DR.. Radcliffe, and
the idea condemned. Their teas on
Sunday afternoons were also discussed,
and the practice declared to be de-
moralizing to good citizenship. They
are a menace to the city" DR.. Radcliffe
asserted.
Lastly, the effort OF tho various
boards Of the Presbyterian Church In
their work for missions and other
activities Of the denomination for
which they collected $4,000 900 were
that money spent in spreading the
teachings Of Christ throughout the
world and in helping the poor and dis
tressed is money indeed well spent.
Specific Charges Wanted.
"The Commissioners have asked time
and time again for the cooperation Of
those who point out that Washington
is run wide open on Sunday The
Commissioners will welcome the day
when some one who criticises the way
the excise law is handled here shall
step forward with specific instances in
stead OF generalities. We have an ex-
else law which we believe is rigfdly
enforced. and 1t Is almost wearying to
tion's capital Is q wide-open town-and
be unable to find q single bit Of proof"
This Is what Commissioner Rudolph
said to Star reporter at the District
building today, after good bit Of coax
ing for some expression Of opinion on the
excise situation In general and on Rev.
Wallace Radcliffe's utteranoes at tho New
York. Avenue Presbyterian Church last
night in particular. The pastor Of the
New York Avenue congregation is quoted
a orYY thot % h~A
ties say about Washington. there Is con-
slant temptation to drink staring men in
the face every Sunday Commissioner Ru-
dolph has been interviewed on this Sun
day liquor business so many times that it
is scarcely safe for newspaper man to
venture near him with the usual run Of
queries on the subject. It IL also safe to
say, as sort Of stereotyped proposition,
that the Commissioners. all OF them. and
each OF them. can be quoted as declaring
that II any man or woman can furnish
some proof Of violations Of the rather
close excise law In the District Of Co
lumbia, the information Will be received
with reclamation and will be pushed
The police department knows the excise
law in regard to Sunday liquor quite
well. according to Maj. Sylvester. Before
the most recent wave OF criticism stRrt-
ed the police were instructed to see to
1t that every barroom window curtain IL
drawn aside on Sundays SO that the pass
er by and the patrolmen OF tho force
could have a clear look into the place
to see that the law is not being violated.
AS recently as last week every police
captain was asked to report whether or
not this was being done. and the answer
came back. that 1t was being done.
Sunday Drinking In Hotels.
AS to tho hotel proposition ana the
Sunday sale of drinks. according to Maj
Sylvester. the excise law clearly outlines
what IL to be done. In . decision In
the Lehman case Of 1902, q report on
the situation was made by James Pugh.
then assistant corporation counsel That
still lives for the instruction Of the po-
lice today, and q portion Of It reads:
III q man is q bona dde registered
guest he can get liquor at his meals: or,
IL he desires. he can have 1t served In
his rooms. Tho law does not allow q
man to go TO hotel and order q few
crackers and some cheese or q sandwich
for the purpose OF getting a drink, or
writing his name in q book for the pur-
pose Of having liquor served in his room:
but he must be q bona fde guest. It
must be done In good faith"
Saloons Closed, Says Sylvester.
Speaking Of the "wide-opeu'' Sundays
with which was1fuRton II said to be