Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-02-16
work OF ihe usar Rooms.

This Is the curse tha, goeth forth over
the whole land"
This was the text Of sermon by Rev.
Henry L. johnson at Chatsworlh Church.
sunday evening. His theme was, What
our bar-roOms are doing" In his sermon
he said:
The prophet saw a scroll of Immense
size; it was written on both sides, ANA
seemed to be flying ovef the land. lio
inquired its meaning, and was told that it
typihed fearful curse. That scroll was
the modern bar-room license, on one side
of which is written curse on him who
sells, and on the other side s curse on him
who buys. But It's fearful malediction
stops not with these; il falls with eyen
greater power upon those who have had
no part in the terrible business, am!
crushes the innocent with more fury than
It does the guilty. IL spreads over tho
whole land. No home Is absolutely safe
from its blight, aud few hearts entirely
escape It's sting. The full record of what
our bar-rooms are doing is being wriitcn.
but will not he revealed until that day
when the books shall be opened ana the
secrets of all hearts made known. We
can now only glance at few specimens
of the work, and will condne our views
chiefly to our own city.
!. The bar-room is consuming the earn
ings of Industry and lepriying the Family
of It's lawful support. We have within
radius OF three miles from the City Hall
twcuty-Six hundred bar-rooms. Now.
the cost OF running one Of these places,
including rent, salary, lights, fuel, fur
niurc, liquors, taxes, fines, fees, suhSl-
dies, and profits, taking the average of
tke whole number, cannot be less than
twenty dollars per day; which, multiplied
by the number in the city, gives S52 600,
or, omitting Sunday sales, which are n"
small item, 1912, 900 q week; but IL IS not
for one week, but each week and every
week, until 1921 900 is thus wasted
each year.
:. The Lar-room is destroying the home.
Under the influence of the bar-room the
sacred vows of marriage arc forgotten,
the holy duties of y parent arc dcsriscd,
ilial gratitude Is changed into cruelty,
and even virtue is made merchandise To
furnish a revenue for that traffic whose
trademark is, ~ broken heart upon =
i,.,,,,hU,npn -
3. Tho bar-room Is setting traps for the
youth of our city. Under the guisc oi
generosity n free lunch Is spread; In the
name Of amusement, the fascination ot
the gaming table Is adroitly introduced;
while to complete the spell, the prcsenc"
of the temptrcss is added; tor this Is bcr
hour to bcwiller and lead captive him
that /, not wise.
!. The bar-room Is cNcrting most dis
astrous influence on the public health,
and accomplishing fearful destruction
of human life.
,. The bar-room Is oyrrloaling the tax
payer for the support Of lis post graduates
in the prison and almShousc.
G. The bar-room renders Il almost I'M
possible TO rescue those who have once
bcon enslayed by this curse. Surely the
bar-room il an evil. Most surely Il Is an
unnecessary evil. For Whatever plea may
bo urged in favor of mans liberty 10
drink what lac plcases, yet IL cannot be-
shown that IL is necessary or wise 10 lc-
galizc place that will lure him from his
home, and from under the eye of ihOs1
that love him, into surroundings where
every influence tends TO make him waste
his earnings, destroy his health, corrupt
his morals anil bring ruin on his family.
-Bdhimore american.