The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-04-05
DIR. Crosby's Appeal TO the Foreign Dram
Sellers of New York.


As far as I can calculate, of the
10000 liquor saloons in this city
(apart from true hotels) 5000 are kept
by foreign-born citizens. Hence my
appeal to such is not out of place.
Now I take it for granted that these
men desire the welfare Of our COM
mon city-if not, then they ought not
to live in it and enjoy its franchises.
Now, if they desire The. welfare Of our
city, can I not put it to them fairly
whether the liquor-saloon, as they
know it to be, is benefcent institu-
tion? Is it not the breeder of woes
unnumbered? Where is the liquor
seller who will venture to deny this
Furthermore, does the saloon do any
good to set off this awful evil? Bring
the witnesses, and let US hear what
good a saloon ever did. You know it
is absurd to ask such a question. 1t
is not instituted to do good. 1t is in
stituted to make money, and it does
that by debasing men and destroying
families. That is the whole story, and
you cannot deny it. You may say
what a saloon might be, as place
where men may rest and chat and
take innocent refreshment, but I am
not talking Of what saloons might be,
but Of what you and | know they are.
You may picture a pleasant saloon,
with moral company present, eating
an ice-cream or drinking a glass of
beer with their cheerful conversation
but we know perfectly we'll that you
find no such picture in the whole city
Of New York We know that in eve
ry liquor-saloon the blear-eyed drunk
ard, the lawless rowdy and the seedy
lounger are found as types Of the
habitues; that the conversation is
boisterous, profane and obscene; that
drink is not taken as refreshment,
but as an excitement, and that in
large quantities, that ''treat" follows
treat" in a company until all are
fuddled; that under the influence of
the liquor, men grow cross and ugly,
and then comes the giving Of the lie,
the blow, the row, the broken head,
the stab. This is the only picture that
New York saloons furnish. Look at
them who go in and out Of them!
Would you trust your money with
them? Would you employ them for
any important or careful business?
Now, Irishmen and Germans, let
me ask you if you think this is right?
Is this the way to benefit the city of
your adoption? Is it treating us
rightly who have been born here?
Suppose ten thousand Yankees should
go to Dublin or to Hamburg and
carry with them 10000 rattlesnakes,
and insist on keeping them there, and
when you demonstrated and begged
them to refrain from endangering
your children in this loose way, sup
pose they should say: "Oh, it's free
country. Well do as we like. Be-
sides, we have politicians to stand by
u.s." What would you think of such
Yankees? And what would you
think of their courtesy and politeness?
Do you say that my simile is not well
chosen, that the two cases are most
unlike? | reply that ten thousand
rattlesnakes would be far preferable
in New York to-day than 10000
liquor saloons. They would do less
harm a thousand-fold. Men would
hate them and shun them, but your
liquor saloons attract men to their
ruin. Is it right for you to come to
our shores to enjoy civil and religious
liberty and to make one with US in
our institutions, and then to foster
power that poisons and destroys the
l, i e. oe
the good sense of the Irish and Ger
man citizens must revolt against such,
A procedure.