, 1872-11-16

A third classification Of saloons are those
mostly patronized by the English-speaking pop
ulation, where all kinds Of liquors, but particu-
larly the higher priced and better quality Of
mixed drinks, are sold. These establishments
embrace among their customers all grades OF So
cety There may be met congressman, politi-
clans, lawyers, doctors, merchants, base ball
players, gamblers, and sporting people general
ly. Externally, these people have the same ap-
pearance Of respectability, and it requires per-
sona1 acquaintance to distinguish the men OF
one profession from the other. As matter
Of necessity, these places have to be Kept
decent. No disorder is tolerated; no lnto1-
icatea or drunken men are permitted 10
hang around the premises. Everything
is conducted with an interested purpose
to preserve the respectability Of the GUS
tom Of the houses. These saloons may be
searched in vain for drunken men. They ale
not the kind Of customers these establishments
desire, and, when one is found, he is either put
in charge Of friends to be taken home or other
wise removed.
fourth class of drinking establishments IN
| cludes variety Of institutions which might
| with great propriety, be declared pubic nul-
eances, and, as such, abated altogether.
These are the drinking houses where alcoholic
| drinks in their most poisonous forms are
dealt out; where each drink, whether it be called
whiskey. gin, OF brandy, is Vllanous COM
pound, destroying the reason, consuming the
body, and depraving the habits Of those who
drink it. These places are generally kept by men
too lazy to work, too fond of liquor themselves to
abstain from drinking what they know to be poi
son. who keep these establishments to merely
enable them to give food and shelter to thelN
families, and have an unlimited supply OF liquor
for themselves. The customers at these places
are generally hard-working men; men who, ac-
| customod in their oWn country to the use OF
| spirits. have their tastes prepared Tor
| the fiery stuff which are to be had
| in these saloons, and for whom beer
is altogether too tame. But these are not the
only customers. These places are the resorts OF
the rufians and the rowdies; the men who tight,
cut, and alay for pastime; who take PRIDE N
being notorious as roughs; who boast their aDll-
itv and their readiness to kill q policeman
These fellows are the habitual customers OF that
class of saloons where the quality OF the liquor
is rated in proportion to it's burning power The
prevailing sentiment in these establishments is
that an officer OF the law is an enemy OF their
kind, and that it is the duty Of every man, When
ever the opportunity occurs, to beat and, If nee
essary, to kill him. The murder OF ofhcer
O,Meara was in d saloon of this kind, patron
lied bv the class Of persons we have described,
and that saloon has probably become
memorable as the place where one
of the boys bravely killed peeler.' But there
is still another description OF saloon in this
city which has other revolving features. We
mean those saloons where, under the thin gulse OF
serving creams, oysters, and other refreshments,
men and women meet; where boys OF 16 to IL
encounter prostitutes Of all ages; and where
girls Of 13 and upward meet men Of all ages
where the boys are piled with drink until they
lose their senses; where girls that should be at
: school are practising the most indecent arts to
=. attract the attention Of men; and where men,
, women, boys, md girls are rendered
: at night swarm with female street-walkcrf
! and the males they have picked up Te
: these people are dealt out the meanest and tue
lowest qualities of alcoholic drinks, and the spec
r tacle is not uncommon of rooms full OF drunkel
> men, women, boys, and girls, all as obscene AZ
It they are drunk. It is unnecessary to picture
the deprayity to which these saloons lead; MOI
: the sretchedncss and crime which are the inevi-
table consequences. To the outer world, these
places are fruit shops; to the Initiated they art
r the harbors of thieves, pickpocketa, strumpets
= and their dupes and victims, the foolish mel
and boys who are tempted into them, and ar
l. there poisoned by drink, corrupted by indecency
+ and are carried off to other dens to be robbed
and plundered, if not beaten or murdered
l. All thesesaloon are licensed by the city. Fo
;, filty-two dollars year, each Of these establish
IL ments is permitted to do business. It is c1eh
's that one-balf Of them might be closed Withou
q personal or public injury. Under our law, th
70 Mayor must issue license to every person wh
asks it and complies with the conditions
Neither the character Of the applcan
nor tie character Of the saloon ere mat
p ters Of which the law takes cognizance
It is evident that there are evils thatmay be rem
- edied Of even greater magnitude than keepin
- open On Sunday. Ought there not be an effo1
. to close up these establishments which are th
80 schools of vice. the resorts Of crime, and whic
~ are moral pestilence every day in the week
- Would it not be q triumph Of order and virtue
~ the four or five hundred of these licensed sink
!" Of iniquity were closed summari1y and forever
The indiscriminate war upon saloons, being ur
N just, defeats itself while, if the hand Of retor
:. vera directed to tlose which are notorious]
kent for the worst Of purposes, it would be ofe
- tive.
or ==~=-=~=
ot THE POOR MANsARD.