Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-17
~~} GRAND RAPIDS, WIS, THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER H.
4 Sign Of Shame.

!
about them, self-accusing conscience
whose compunctions quite often lead
them to exhibit that emotion Not in
words however-very few Of
them will acknowledge that they are
doing wrong, and one who once con
fessed to the Parson his sense of the
iniquity of the trafc, and confirmed
his words by giving up the sale Of
liquor, has recently returned to the
vile business. Yet this man, and every
other rum-seIler, who shows his sense
of the shame Of the business by con-
cealing it from public view as much as
possible. Not daring to permit the
gaze of respectable passers-by knowing
that his is disreputable and ruinous
trade, he darkens has front 5oiHdo,es,
at least to such height as to exclude
the glance of the passer. More than
this, he sets screen before his door,
so that when it opens even but a little,
no one can see what is going on within.
The door screen and the darkened win
dows Is not this voluntary confess
sion Of shame and disgrace? Do not
these things brand that pursuit indeli-
bly, as a wrong and harmful pursuit?
Is it not a sign that their self-reproach-
ing conscience could not bear the idea
that upright men and women should
behold the scene within? Why does
not the dry-goods merchant cover up
his great shOw-windOws or darken the
lower part of them? Instead of this,
these windows are filed with samples
of their business, and the doors stand
wide open, with no screen to prevent
seeing the customers. We reason
from this that they are not ashamed
of their business, nor unwilling to have
it seen. The shoemaker plies his hon
est hammer and hammer in full view
of those who pass his shop, with no at
tempt at concealment the printer, the
jeweler, the blacksmith, the butcher
and every other tradesman Of an inno-
cent and useful calling, is glad to let
in the light of day, and does not shrink
from the public gaze upon bis vocation.
Not so with the rum seller He is do
ing wrong, and he knows it. He con-
fesscs by his darkened windows if not
by his word of mouth. He shrinks
from letting the public see his patrons
while they patronize his bar. He is
rather afraid that somebody passing
will see the drunken quarrels, and un-
seemly actions, the disgraceful drunk
enness, the lowering and brutalizing
process that goes on within his doors
every day. He fears lest some decent
people should be Mortified al these
sights, and he should lose custom and
gain merited opposition thereby. He
doesn't desire the presence of christian
wives and mothers, and he is even
fearful that they shalt see from without,
his influence upon their sons and hence
he obscures the windows and the doors
to prevent this calamity. In plain
words, he is ashamed to let his busi-
ness be known by people who do not
patronize it. How can it be otherwise
The darkened windows and doors are
peculiar to the rum seller. Groccrs,
Milliners, Mechanics none of them
fear the honest daylight nor the honest
gaze. The rua-selter does And those
Of his customers who have any shame
left, are very glad that they are out of
sight from the street. They go into
one door and buy dry goods or grocer
les over the counter, and are perfectly
indifferent whether anyone sees them
doing it or not. They step into the
next door and buy liquor over another
counter, and would be exceedingly
nervous if they thought some persons
saw them do it. Why this difference?
Why can they not buy glass of liquor
with just as much Indifference to the
public gaze, as if they bought pound
Of sugar? Please answer that CUES
ton, reader.
On further reflection, the Parson
will take back part of what he has
said. The darkened door and win
dows are perhaps not SO much a sign
Of being ashamed of their business, as
of sharp worldly wisdom. These
things are public advertisement that
they are aeiiiing to be in such bust
ness. There is significant meaning in
them. They say to the passer, ''Come
in here and have jolly time drink
yourself drunk do anything you please
so long as you pay for it, and no one
shall see you, This is uot a respect
able place, and we don't want respect
able people to look in Is not that
its true language? Is it not the true
meaning?
If this is not correct we would like
to be set right. IF any other meaning
can be put to it, let us know II this
is not what it means, why does every
rum-seller, without exception, thus
hide his business? Gentlemen rum
sellers, you who put the bottle to
your neighbors lips, > if yours decent
business let Us look upon it. 1t you
are no more ashamed TO sell liquor
than to sell calico, do as the calico
sellers do~-throw wide open the win
dows and doors, that we may see your
wares and customers, and be convinced.
Who is the first to do it?--Parson
Lathrop IN Nec London Times.