Today , smoking banning are commonplace . Most statesban or at least restrict smoke in restaurants and bars , and many business even ask smokers to leave the neighborhood of the building entirely for smoke breaks . But this is 2016 .
Back in 1908 , smokers pretty much had free rein . piffling Tim Sullivan , “ Bowery moralist and political chieftain , ” want tochangethat — but only for fair sex .
At the meeting that was held to approve or abnegate the movement , Sullivanremindedeveryone that he certainly was n’t trying to control women . “ I want you to remember that I am not trying to put this ordinance through for the saki of dictating what woman should do and what they should not do . Everybody make out that that is bad business . ” The point , he say , was that “ proper ” lady were positively offended when other females get off up , and should not be subject to such low socio-economic class demeanor . “ Uptown there are restaurants all fixed up in gilding and spyglass that drop dead under the name of sizable , and these eating house are going to allow some women to outrage other women by puffing cigarettes right out in the dining room . I think this is not for the best interests of the women of this city . ”
A man identify John Henry Smith seemed to have the most logical system of anyone at the merging ; he shake his fist at Sullivan andsuggestedthat their time would be better spent looking into improving the life of the poor than with “ preposterous things ” such as preventing women from fume .
Despite pushback from Smith and Dr. John Pease , who said the law should also apply to men , the Sullivan Ordinance was approved . Curiously , the way the ordinance was phrase did n’t really make it illegal for women to smoke in public , but made it unlawful for the possessor of bars and restaurants toallowwomen to smoke there .
withal , at least one woman was stop during this natural law ’s shorttwo - week life . Katie Mulcahey was taken to night courtyard after a police officer spotted her strike a match against a wall to light her cigaret . “ I ’ve get just as much right hand to fume as you have , ” shetoldthe judge . “ I have never heard of this new jurisprudence and I do n’t require to hear about it . No man shall dictate to me . ” He gaol her for break to pay the $ 5 amercement .
