The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-03-16
Temperance Reading.
The Temperance Awakening

OnO VI JlC AlOSb lOpC1u1 Signs OF the
times is the rouse attention OF the peo-
pie to the dangers and duties of the
hour, in view of the gigantic evil of in
temperance. The revival is not in our
own country only. but is feltin England
and Scotland, and there is cloud at
least the size of man. hand over the
continent of Europe.
The hold the subject takes of the pub,
lie mind of this country would surprise
us, did we not perceive the magnitude
and ella ms of the subjectso clearly as to
tie filed with wonder rather that any
aresindiferent. rather than that any are
awakening out OF sleep. And it is not the
least of the remarkable features of the
case that so many of the Western States
are making mighty efforts to arrest the
evil In those vast agricultural regions
the power of reform is in the hands of
different class of men from that which
dominates State where the vot n ma
jorities are in cities and large towns
But city or country, farms or factories,
foreign or native born, whatever the
nature and character of the people or
their employment, they must diminish
the desolating infuen e of the use. OF in
toxicating drinks, or the drinks will be
the ruin of the country.
What is the reason that the very men
ton of the subject is distasteful. not to
say disgusting, t. large number of
good people. We have not a doubt that
hundreds who saw the words at the
head OF this article t ,rned away to
something else; and that other hun
dreds have quit it before they have read
thus far. Why this contempt for b.
iect which, next to the revival of relig-
ion in the soul, is the most urgent
moral question in the world? We have
to admit that the manner in which it
has been discussed by the friends of
temperance has alienated many-that
the parties into which the camp is di-
Vlded spent strength in warning against
each other that should have been en-
employed on the enemy of both. But
it is so with religion itself to the shame
OF the Church. And all this time the
evil has been growing, MT it now as
sumeS such vast proportions as 10 APP
pail the heart, and almost destroy
hope of success in making a stand
against it. asa al Is
no State or town is the evil great
er than here in New York City. We
have a Board of Comm Ssioners who
are authorized, on certain condit ons.
to grant licenses to individuals to sell
liquors. These men take The ground
that they are appointed to u 'eiaS', t
to restrain the sac Thereto e, the
more persons they license the more
faithfully they d S barge their trust!
This absurd but fatal conss- uction they
put upon the law, and in prooS OF their
fidelity they point to m re than 5000
licenses now granted by them in this
CITY! To this .mber we may add at
least a thousand uni censed liquor sa-
looms. But take the legalized places
only, 5000, and that g yes one saloon
to every 1873 PERSONS in TIE city. OF
this. number many must be minors to
whom they are not allowed to sell,
and women and men who never buy,
and when these are deducted it will
be found that we have one liquor saloon
for every fifty or seventy-five of the
drinking population If these saloons
or hotels or shops take in twenty dol
lars day, on an average, they get fifty.
four millions of the peoples money ev-
cry year! Such figures appear Incredible,
but one can verify them by a simple
use of multiplication and division. And
this money comes mostly out of the
wages of the poor They work earn,
and drink. poor man gets more OF
what he wants out of a gallon of beer
or a quart of whisky than he does out
of a peck of potatoes. He drinks to
make him feel b tier, and then to help
Il iY1af To fHhn or Nf fh,r
poor is their poverty. They destroy
themselves. And vast proportion OF
these lifty-four millions goes to deaden
the sensibilities of the suffering. and 10
deepen the misery into which they arc
sunk
Lett be granted that things are worse
in such CITY as this than in anv other
city, and tenfold worse than i'll the coun-
Try, East or West. it is st II emphatical-
ly true that it is high time for every
city, town, village and community 10
ha thorou b Temperance revival,
The press and the pulpit Dug 10 be
heard, and with no doubtful sound of
trumpet. With all the facts now be-
fore the publ C mind. with the testi-
mony of courts an commissions that
three fourths of taxes and crimes are
the immediate results OF the ii nor
saloons, there is no possible ground for
doubtthat the laws of every tate ought
to restrain and dimin sh. and as far as
possible destroy, this evil, which is u
civil, political and cial as we'll as
moral evl The law now en-
courages it in most of the States.
But if the Law licenses. it may
hedge the license with such condi-
tons as to render the license a hin
drance. 1t may render it hard to be
obtained 1t may prohibit he license
altogether. The constitutionality of
such a law has been a undantly sus-
tainel. The only question is the ex-
pediency of such laws. And ii the evil
TO be assuaged is civ and social, the
exped;ency is to be determined by the
public sentiment of the State. Unless
mat will uphold and enforce the law,
there is no good in havn it. But the
enlightened mind of the people must be
educated to the advantage of such leg
islation as will help the poor to lives of
sobriety, as will save the fam lies of the.
poor from the cruel su9erings now
brought on them by DIR nken husbands
and fathers, and will convert the mil
ions now worse than wasted into streams
of wealth to enrich and bless the people.
This will follow a Temperance re-
yival. for which les the people labor and
pray. ~ Y Observer. -.,
.s.-s 81 t4 -.- ------p- s-o--