WHY NOT ON MONDAY ALSO?
By Editor
THE St. Louis Republic, commenting on the effect in that city of the first Sunday with the saloons closed, says: Recreation and amusement were not curtailed. There was no inconvenience or discomfort on account of closed shops. The arrests for drunkenness and for disorderly conduct were less than on the preceding Sunday. There were no arrests for assaults with intent to kill. Order was decidedly better, and there was virtually no serious crime. The record of the one "closed Sunday" is encouraging. Without referring to the practical value of the law as it is, or to the question of amendment, it can be said that enforcement of the law for one Sunday operated for the betterment of morals and order. St. Louis managed as well with the law enforced as it did when the law was not enforced. From a standpoint of behaviour it managed better. The one day's enforcement produced a state of affairs better in all respects. Then why not close the saloons on Monday also? Or is it too much to expect that the people should be kept from "serious crime" more than one day in seven? Or are "assaults with intent to kill" any less heinous or criminal when committed on other days than Sunday? If the saloons are the cause of such crimes on Sunday—and no doubt they are—then why are they not equally guilty on other days? We suggest that the St. Louis people extend their saloon closing just one day farther into the week,7just for experiment. Surely they ought to be able to stand it two days in the week without an "assault with intent to kill," or other "serious crime." And they don't need saloons in order to get something strong to drink. We might suggest a closing altogether, but that would meet too strong an opposition from the police department; for at least three-fourths of them would soon be conspicuously unnecessary, and lose their jobs. So we have proposed that they add only one day at a time, and work gradually. But they will not do it, for the reason that there is only one Sunday in the week. The enthusiasm for better days is so apt to stop when Sunday is past. "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."