Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-03-02
Is 1t the Right Thing to Dop

House OF Representatives at Columbus
last week, is now before the Senate, and
lobbies are promptly organizing to op
pose its passage. Already Influential
parties have visited Columbus in this in
terest, while, as usual. the friends Of the
measure are backward in putting in an
appearance. The latter are apt to rely
upon the merits of the case and suppose
the matter will take care OF Itself.
Those who oppose the measure do sc
from money standpoint. They repre-
sent the class who make their largest
profits from Sunday traffic, while the
ether side are not influenced by pecuni'
airy considerations. Money can always
organize a powerful lobby, and it will
do it in this case, and the friends of law
and order will fall far short of thei1
duty if they do not meet the saloon in
terests on their own ground, where they
can beat them easily because they will
be backed by the moral sentiment of the
State, and this, when properly appealed
to, is always in majority.
An effort is being made to crack the
political whip and to frighten Republi-
cans from what the latter know to be in
| itself right, by threats that Republicans
viii desert the party if anything is done
to check the evils resulting from the
traffic in Intoxicating liquors. This is
as much as 10 say that the
Democratic party, as an organization
and Individually, are in favor of free
trade in intoxicating liquors and of un-
restrained traffic ON Sunday, regardless
of the evils resulting therefrom, and
that they stand ready to barter the in
terests of society for votes. If this is
true, are there not more Democrats who
would refuse to be dictated to by saloon
interests than there are Republicans
who would desert their paety if it
should refuse to be dictated to by those
interests? 1t is our impression there
are. But, however this may be, there is
no party that can not better afford to do
right than refuse to do right. The ques-
tion then to be considered is: Is the
proposition to prohibit the traffic in in
toxicating liquors on Sunday right? 1t
can not be neutral. 1t must be either
right or wrong. Which is it? Will any
body undertake to argue that law pro-
hibiting a business on Sunday that is
destructive of the best interests of soci
sty is wrong? Who is there that will
not admit that it would be well for the
people af Cincinnati, and of every city
in tie land, if there were not an open
salosn on Sundayp If there are any
such, the columns of the Gazette are
open to their arguments. They shall
have full and fair hearing.
To say that it would hurt the Repub-
lican party is no argument. Neither is
it an argument to claim that certain
parties would lose an opportunity to
make money by the enforcement of
such law. That was what the silver
smiths of Ephesus said when Paul
preached against idolatry. Their craft
was in danger. But the interests of So
ciety can not be measured by the dol
lars that flow into the tills of saloon
keepers ON Sunday. If the Sunday liq-
uor traffic is an evil, as it unquestiona-
bly, if, it is the duty of the State to sup
press it. And it certainly is claiming a
great deal to assume that this evil is en-
titled to privileges that are denied to
and manufacturers.
The Republican party can not be in
jursd by doing right, but it is in great
danger of suffering from cowardice
when the question of right and wrong is
presented as it is in this case. If it shall
come to be understood that the Sunday
liquor dealers are able to dictate the |
policy of the Republican party, in def
ance of the interests of society, its days
will speedily be numbered, and the can
didates, or prospective candidates, for
office, who now assume to crack the.
party whip over the heads of Senators
will find their days numbered, too.
On the naked question of suppressing
the Sunday traffic of intoxicating lia-
uors there is an overwhelming majority
of the people of Ohio, and of Hamilton |
county, also, on the affirmative side. |
This is a point that politicians should |
not forget. Neither should they forget |
that the sentiment of this question is |
making wonderful and encouraging pro- |
gress. The excssses that are practiced |
are opening the eyes of the people. The |
debauchery that flows from the Sunday |
saloons, that fills the streets and crowds |
the criminal courts, appeals to citizens |
to make an earnest and determined ef-
fort to call halt.9 That practice which |
is destroying the morals of the rising |
generation should certainly be stopped. |
Walk through the saloons on Sunday |
and say if it should not be stopped. |
Take census of the depraved boys and |
girls who crowd some some of those
places, and say if society can further de- |
lay the work of restraint.
The lobbyists who visit the State Sen
ate to defeat the pending measure care
nothing for society, nor do they repre-
sent those who care for society. They
the craft that is in danger,
and nothing moro. Money is the god
they worship. The children who are
proStltute0 through tnelr business tney
care nothing about. The business fills
their Golfers, and for the consequences
they care nothing. The cowardly politi-
clans, who run as if they were whipped
dogs at the crack of the whip, care moth
ing either. They want votes, and they
are foolish enough to think that only
the votes of those whose craft is in dam
ger need to be bought or bid for. The
people in favor Of morality, they think,
will drop in for the party ticket in any
event. But there is a change coming
over the public mind in this regard, and
the result will be felt by those who are
afraid to do right.
We are not discussing this question
from a party standpoint 1t is not a
political question 1t is a question of
morals, and this discussion brings our
citizens face to face with the fact that
Cincinnati must do in regard to this
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