Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-01-30

Vtufs 1ul sdiu W ttfN. levy NefN'"f
that is the man who shot me, and shot
him. did not intend to use my pistol, but
| had 10 do it." At the hospital, the sur
geons found two cuts made by the butt OF
McGowan's pistol on Delaney's face. The
bullet went through the upper right eyelid,
lploughed into the eyeball and lodged in the
right cheek.
On the same day we had in the daily
papers reports of other bloody scenes in
other parts of the city. A witness de-
scribes one scene in these words
Two men came into the saloon and in
sisted on having drinks, and Paul said 10
the bartender, with an offensive epithet,
II YOU don't give me drink I'll turn the
house upside down He then seized q
pewter pitcher. filed with water, and
threw IL at DOnnelly. The latter lodged,
aud Paul next raised a large kettle, which
contained boiling water, and also hurled
it at the barkeeper. At this juncture |
arose and told Paul that that was no way
20 carry on; whereupon he kicked me in
the pit Of the stomach, and was rendered
senscless. On regaining consciousness, l
saw Paul and DOnnelly lighting behind
the bar. They were in a clinch, and Paul
broke away, and, coming from behind the
bar, began fluging chairs at the barten-
I der. The latter had a pistol Ia his hand,
which he fired, shooting Paul and killing
him"
! Yet another, on the same day, was in
yet another saloon where the fighting was
general with whatever weapons came to
hand. Frank E. Kelley was struck on
the head with bottle by John Nevins,
and his skull was fractured. In return,
Neyins was stabbed in the back by Frank
Kelley's brother John, and laid low.
Having lost the knife in the struggle,
John Kelley seized an axe and dealt Nc
Partl4nd blow on the head that stretch
ed him scnseless. When the police ar
uyed on the scene, the tight was over, but
several arrests were made.
Scenes not unlike these occur nearly
every day in the year in the saloons Of
this city, If they were reported from the
deus OF vice in new settlements, on the
outskirts Of civilizations, we would won
der that anybody goes there to live, or
rather 20 run the risk Of being killed, in
the vicinity Of such savages. But they
form a part Of the daily life of the great
metropolis Of the continent. While intel
lgent Christian citizens are enjoying the
I luxllies that religion and wealth and ed
uca,iou furnish, they are able to reflect,
If they viii think Of it, that within pistol
sho; o.: their houses and churches, colleges
and schools, these scenes are almost con-
SANITY in progress. And the second re-
lection is, that all Of these tragedies are
performed under one inspira;iop-,hat Of
strong drink. Billy McGlery and Com
pluy are licensed by the city authorities
to keep and sell the material which is the
inspiring cause Of this violence and blood
shed. Thus the city, the constituted
government Of the people, which repre-
sents the average civilization of the great
community, is a party TO the state OF
thing, which we are now deploring. 1t
comes TO just this and nothing less.
There Is no nearer connection between
any effect and its cause, than there is
between the liquor-saloou and crimes Of
blood And as the Government main
taius these saloon, and takes money for
for the permission given Billy McGlory
and Company to furnish the fuel for
these fires, the Government: Is morally re-
spons.ble for the mischief that results.
1t IS hardly possible to imagine a SUBJ
ject more stale and flat than this; and |
can hear you saying, a" This is not the
entertainment to which | was invited
Just so out have often told You, must
write OF that which is for the moment the
mos, pressing on the mind. And, sit is
borne in upon me" that the most seri-
Gus, important, and momentous question
o. the day IS involved in the matter of
temperance or incompetence IN the use Of
intoxicating drinks. There is no party
issue so nearly vital to the welfare of this
country. The tariff, the currency, every
thing dwindles, when compared with the
gigantic proportions Of the increasing evil
that comes from this one pestilent source.
do not pretend to propose solution Of
the problem, "what TO do about it.
Where there is a public sentiment that
will sustain laws to put the traffic on the
same footing with vices and sources Of
vice, by all means let US make laws to
help in saving the people. And we may
labor and pray to bring the people up to
that high-water mark of virtue where
such laws viii be made and sustained
But push the subject aside as we may,
treat it as a vulgar, dull, and dreary