The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-08-01
Portland, Me-, July 8, 1884.

1 I
|
Taxpayers and citizens generally ought
| to give careful attention to the financia
| aspects of the temperance question
too many take an erroneous view of this
| phase of the subject, assuming that the
dram-shop only takes the money of those
| who patronize it. Wehave carefully studied
this question and as result of our mvestiga
tions we have reached the conclusion that
temperance men, christians and good citizens
generally, pay largely toward the support
of dram-shops. Dram-drinkers, as rule,
do not have money enough to spare to pay
their honest debts, but, as whiskey is cash
article, the whskey bills are paid and to a
corresponding degree other bills are unpaid.
For example, a man earns $1,000 week
and spends So. 00a week forliquor; the money
spent for liquor is all needed to pay house
rent, grocery bills, dry goods bills and other
family necessities. The thoughtful reader
will see that the money paid forliquor ought
to be distributed among the landlords and
business man referred to above. All the
money that drinking men owe to landlords
and business men has, as a rule, gone
into the till of the dram-seller 1t may not
be pleasant subject of reflection as land
lords and business man pass dram-shops to
think that while they do not drink liquor
they nevertheless pay for the liquor that other
men drink. Dram-sellers would go into
bankruptcy at once if they were compelled
to live on the money that their patrons
could spare after paying their honest debts.
They know very well that the money they
receive for liquor ought to be used for other
purposes. If they do not receive stolen
goods they receive money that they know
belongs to other people. The dram-shop is
a parasite it lives ON other business activ-
tiles. And the dram-seller is parasite;
he dimes at the tables of landlords, business
men, professional men, christians and tenn
perance people. .I.e M au
The money that, for value received
belongs tonon-drinking men and rum-hating
people stops at the dram-shop, where it does
not of right belong. VIII thoughtful men
ask how much of their money is spent in
dram-shops by drinking men who are in their
debt? We venture to say that one-half of
the money received by dram-sellers really
belongs to those who never frequent drink
ing places. 1t will be noticed that dram
sellers are far more anxious to secure the
privilege of selling liquor in temperance
neighborhoods than in places where license
may be easily obtained The reason is that
dram-sellers know their best customers to
be those who have accumulated money by
sObriety and industry. Like the devil, who,
unwilling to remain in the hell that he had
made, sought to enter paradise that he
might destroy an innocent and sinless pair,
the dram seller is unwilling to give up his
satanic work while sober man remains in
the community. Like low, sneaking muir
derers, dram-sellers are trying to enter AS
bury Park, Ocean Grove, Haddonfield,
Pemberton, Millville and other places where
sobriety reigns, in order that they may fatten
Oh slaughtered innocence and virtue If
the dram-shop continues, letit be supported
by the money of those who want this nui-
sance, and not by the money of those who
want the curse removed. - Temperance Ga
zette. ii aii-G 81