The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-10
Selling LIQUOR to Minors.

r. =.
Selling liquor to Minors.
Chicago d "citizens' league'' has
orkanized for the suppression of
le of liquor to minors. 1t is a
Icy regularly Incorporated under
'FaWs of the State, and comprises
:'19ngst it's members some of the
s kFeWnsmen of Chicago, including
~ men as. Hon. G. III. Mccormick,
M EmeryA. Storrs. Prof. Swing,
tey. Drs. Gibson, Ryder, Mitch
~ ad McLaren. The object of the
lsAkxe is to secure the enforcement
Z tB statutes of Illinois and the
cefdinances OF Chicago declaring
p'fe where minors are permitted to
sa'i 'e or to drink liquor to e dis
e ho6ses, and their aproprietors
, Y eh.sle to the penalties attachr
jsSgs 5.tIe Keepers Of such houses. In
cases were it is thought necessary the
league also purposes to secure addi-
tional legislation for the purpose of
"the saving of our youths from hab-
its of dissipation and vice" In the
annual repsrt of the executive COM
mittee of the league it is stated that
the disastrous riots of 1877 in Chicago
proved that a wonderful power for
evil was welded by a large and
growing class of idle and vicious
young men. Nearly every disorder.
ly procession was headed and con-
trolled by persons under the age of
tWet ty-one, and in some cases scarce
ly an adult could be found in the
lines. When the criminal reports of
the city were examined 1t was shown
that a large percentage of crime was
committed by minors, and that the
criminal acts OF these were largely
due to intemperance. 1t was further
found that in nearly all bar rooms in
the city the prohibitions in regard to
the sale of liquor TO minors were
openly disregarded. The propriety
of such laws was not questioned, but
their provisions were absolutely ne
elected, and as this report says, sit
was estimated that during the latter
part of the year 1877 there were in
the city of Chicago at least 10000
boys and girls under the age of
twenty-one years who were habitual
frequenters and patrons of the more
than 5000 saloons in this city," The
docks of the criminal courts were
found to be crowded with minors, and
sbetweeu one;fonrthaanSs one-third o.
all yfrests were of persons under the
age Of twenty one. The keeper OF
the city Bridewell reported that "our
criminals and vagrants are princi-
pally of ages from l6 to 80 years. and
it is safe to say that nearly all OF
those between the ages of IA and q
years have been frequenters of drink
Ing saloons and low resorts" The
facts thus forcibly urged upon the
community led to the formation of
the league, which was organized in
the latter part of 1877, and proceeded
vigorously to work, with the best re-
suits. The arrests of minors fell of
from 6,S18 in 1877 to 5,400 in 1878, a
decrease of AIS. The commitments
to the Bridewell decreased 535 in two
years. Some $50 or 400 saloons. keep
ers have been prosecuted, and 20C
saloons have been closed or driven
away. Licenses were revoked offend
ing places visited and warned, and
the ordinances and statutes made
plainer and more applicable to the
needs of the situation. The police
and city authorities have cordially
CO. operated with the league, and the
officers of the association claim t6
have already saved to the citizens o.
Chicago from $4,000 to $780, an
nually in the mere matter~of the cos
of the punishment of criminals. The
moral work done by the association
is incalculably greater and more val
uanle than the mere pecuniary
savings effected: nor does it stop a
Chicago, for its influence IS being
spread all over the State.
The seat-stealing game seems to b'
growing even bolder than before, au