Evening journal., 1913-04-12
PEOPLES COLUMN

IL; in the meantime, they are harp
ing on their old string, telling the
working people how wicked they are,
not knowing how far they themselves
are drifting away from that real
Christianity as the great Nazarene
taught it almost nineteen hundred
years ago.
! should like to ask any decent
minded person blessed with that so
rare gift common sense: is II really
such a great sin what these judges
did by granting this additional bust
ness hour to the Wilmington saloon.
keepers? Us this not the closing hour
of the saloons iR almost any So
called civilized community? Is there
really such a blow struck at the ma
terial and moral progress of our city
or Is the censure of our men OF all
walks Of life so badly incurred by
that action of these Judges? I leave
that 10 the readers Of these lines
20 straighten out, but, as a counter
part to this. let me quote from n criti-
cism Of the Excise Statutes of the
state Of New York submitted TO the
Legislature Of that State at Albany
on March 81 last, by the Wagner
Committee 1T is found in
the obligation Of a police officer to
treat as crime that which neither he
nor the majority Of his fellow citi-
zens consider 10 be criminal, and to
enforce laws which are not in sub
stantial accord with his or their be-
liefs or habits Of life In the desire
Of extremists to enforce ideal con-
ditions relating to the sale Of liquor
they have been too ready to write
general rules Of conduct into the
criminal code Laws to be respected
must be enforced. and to be enforced
they must represent the body of pub
he opinion II is impossible to en-
force laws relating TO personal con
duct against the wishes OF q large
part Of the citizens I'm regard to
Sunday liquor selling. tho committee
says "rho law of tho State Of New
York forbids Sunday selling of liquor
i'm saloons A large proportion OF the
population OF all our cities. especially
tho foreign born Wilmington has Of
these. according TO the last census
nearly IA 000) who have been ac-
customed all their lives TO partake o.
heor and light wines with their meals
scv0n days i'm the week. sec no wrong
az least. no crime, in the sale of
liquor ON Sunday IT.. lis difficult for
thom and for those who arc accus-
toned to the European Sunday and
for those TO whom Saturday is tho
day Of rest to understand what Is
wrong. or what rs criminal I'm the
sale of liquor ON tho first dav OF the
week n is difficult 10 understand.
indeed. why II Us criminal to sell
liquor 10 a guest Of a restaurant, when
70 is not criminal TO sell liquor to the
guest Of hotel. or why The man who
dimes az homo should not he able 10
purchase his glass Of beer as we'll as
the man who dimes al a hotel, or the
men Who drinks what he pleases a.
! his club A law which makes that
crime. which has been part of the
| daily life Of large percentage OF
| our citizens cannot but fall into i'll
rcputc.'
This is The opinion OF few mon
! out OF millions who came TO this
country. the so-called land OF the free
which was, and Is heng built up by
these same s0-callod foreigners. and
J Il Is strange to relate that all these
liberty loving Foreigners" shall lit
Vie ON Nitie, nN deprived OF iNlF. tnelF
SO personal liberty. by some antiQuat-
cd laws. imported from England Of
Cromwoll's time Tf only n few mil
lions of these foreigners" who are
the sinews OF this "nation IN the
making had vote and could there
by express thoir opinions at the ball
/ lot box about this question, these
| hvpocritical laws would soon he
wined off the statute books and re-
placed by such that would answer
our time. but. as liberty is getting
moro and more n STRANGER here
suppose that We have to submit to
the ruling Of tho few over the many
for some time yet
GUSTAV H. ELMER.
Wilmington. Del. April II. 1913