The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-20
"ThC Coffee Houses OF wheeIIng-.
What Shall We Do with Them!N

| SVhVN AAVuHEH
What Shall We Do With Them!"
The large auditorium of Fourth Street
NJ. j. Church was filled last evening to
It's utmost capacity to bear the subject,
"the coffee houses OF Wheeling-what
shall we do with them =" discussed by the
+pastor, Rev. DR.. Wcstwood. Long before
the hour for services to begin, every pew,
the aisles, vestibule, and stairway landings
were occupied, and hundreds had to be
turned away for want Of room. After
the usual opening exercises, DR., W. m.
nounCed rs his text the last clause OF the
9th verse Of the 18th chapter Of Deutero.
nomy: 80 shalt thou put the evil away
from the midst Of thee"
After appropriate Introductory remarks,
DR.. W. proceeded 10 discuss the question
rs follows:
The consideration Of the Coffee House
question has reached the point at which
the pertinent inquiry comesup, what shall
be done with them? Ifthey be ofany usC, or
II they be at all necessary, they should be
continued; II not, or II it can DO shown
that they exert u balGIul influence upon
the community, they should be abolished,
or such measures should be adopted rs
will tend TO circumscribe their influence,
or to protect those who may be in danger
from them.
The most frequent reasons given for
the free and unrestricted license Of saloons
are in themselves weak and frivolous. ]
cEumCrate them:
|. A man has right to follow any bus.
mess that he may choose TO pursue. TIC
this 1t may be answered; Not so. Lot.
terIcs, the slave trade, and some other
branches of business are not allowed. Ii
Censes to follow these are not granted, be-
cause they are against the common veal
2. A man needs some place Of entertain
ment, where he may repair for recreation
and rest. Answer: The many thousands
OF young men and women who are lying
around idle and dissipated rise in judy
ment upon the paternal neglect they ex.
perienCed in former years, while thcir
fathers were seeking recreation. The
home is the place for rest, and the family
is the society that man needs. That mar
who seeks occasion to absent himselriron
his home is not oil so fine an organization
as TO need relief from bodily or menta
fatigue. Fresh air, flowers, music, clGva
ting conversation, reading, paintings
poCtry--all of which may be had In sOmt
measure by all men--wil rest and refresh
: Little, II any, Of these will be found in sa
0 looms, whose atmosphere is sitting, whose
: flowers die, whose music isalways coarse
" whose conversation is low, whose .cadinG
= is common, whose paintings are vulgaI
: and whose poetry is rbald.
IS And then, women need recreation u
10 much rs men, our daughters and wives a!
'' much as our sons and ourselves. And ye
'' who would think OF taking the females o
his family into these places: Admitting
the need tor recreation, rs | do, CLAIM
that the saloon is not the place.
>. We have been accustomed TO OuI
beverage all through our lives, In on
fatherland, and on the sunny slopes Of ou
vine clad hills, we drank our beer ant
slipped our wine, no one daring to mOles
us. We claim the same right here. Why
then, did you leave the home OF you
birth: Is it modest TO come here will
foreign customs? AS well might Hot
Il tentOt claim his right in midsummer t
II appear upon our streets in scanty garb
i or an Engishman refuse 10 abide by Re
X publican rules, because he was aCCustOm
cd to monarchy. This is America, the
most enlightened, the most highly cult
S waited country on the globe And ther
c real manlinCSs would suggest the surren
I der OF practices which are Of doubtful
value, 10 say the least, for the common
: good, on the only correct principle thai
our only rights are arcrdgc, not abstract
4, The license system is source o
revenue, Then, why not license gaming
:. houses, lottery offices, houses Of anything
:. and everything that will yield revenue
ltN source Of revenue and that be thu
" question, the sooner We open the way TO
n iarO banks and all else the better YOl
= answCr-but they do evil We'll, is not in
temperance greater evil: No one vii
d deny this. And ! affirm that ncithc
N does the individual nor does the State
derive any profit from the license laws
- have shown that saloons are the avenue
n to poverty. Then take the aggregate
I. Say that we have 50 saloons, averaging
!, $40 per day-$SOO per day, and the
S2jO,OOO every year spent by tn
citizens Of Wheeling in this direction |
r. il be the duty OF Il city TO protect its in
habitants, surely some protection agains
I such waste is needed, And then COnsidc
d the pecuniary loss to the city and StAt'
/. as such. But the moral aspect Of the cas-
- is to be considered.
" Now what can we do?
II We have the remedy nOur own hands
! Read city ordinances, p. -. This law
shows that man has not the rigM II i
:, only an act Of grace on the part Of tn
- council that grants the license,
c Two remedies lie before US
|. To elect such men To the Council IL
will refuse licenses.
r Why noty Has the community askct
. Tor their license Wheeling 10 day i
opposed to the whole business There ART
,, hundreds Of Christian and moral men, ant
IL nearly all the women, md the mass o
n minors who yet are old enough to con-
/. prChCnd the CusC, would oppose it,
- Have seventy or eighty men Nil thu
. right Is my city to he managed in TIT
i interest OF class: Why Nrc lotteries
n gambling and the like, prohibited? Has
r not the faro bank man Ns much claim Il.
the saloon keeper? 1t Is known that til,
evils Of intcmperancc arc greater thar
Il those from any other cause, and so tn
1 Legislature has put It in the power Of thC
V Council 10 refuse license And yet, mcl
% will persist in the claim that we do then
:, an injury, This IS not, cannot be So
c =. The sc~ond plan is to labor until W,
Il secure such lHw rs that in Ohio O.
J." Illinois.
s ! am inclined to favor this strongly.
Il How can We accomplish the purpose
II /. liy clcCring such men ms will carr,
=, out oar plans. cur present Council hN
} licensed coffee houses have no COniro
F. vcrsy with the gentlemen composing tim