The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-05-02

tndC tnen you open the palaces OF 1nebrlatlOn
down on the avenues. 1t is not the rookeries
of alcoholism that do the worst work they are
only the last stopping places on the road to
death. Where did that bloated ulcerous,
wheeling wretch that staggers out of rum
hole get his habits started? At glittering
restaurant or bar-room of first-class hotel,
where it was fashionable to go. All! my
friends, it seems to me the disposition is to
stop these small establishments, which are
only the rash on the skin of the body polite,
and then to gather all the poison and the pus
and the matteration into few great car
buncles which mean death say, give us
the rash rather than the carbuncles.
Here you will have
A SPLENDID LIQUOR ESTABLISHMENT.
Masterpieces of painting on the wall Cut
glass on silver platter Upholstery like a
Turkish harem. Uniformed servants to open
the door, uniformed servants to take your
hat and cane. Adjoining room with luxuriant
divan on which you can recline when taken
mysteriously i'll after too much champagne
cognac, or old Otard All the phantasmagoria
and bewitchment of art thrown around this
Herod of massacre, this Moloch of consumed
worshippers, this Juggernaut of crushed mil
lions
Do you not see that this high-license move
ment strikes at the heart of the best homes in
America? that it proposes the latest lambs
for its sacrifice? that it is at war with the
most beautiful domestic circles in America /?
Tell it to all the philanthropists who are try
ing to make the world better, and let journal
lists tell it by pen and type that this day in
the presence of my Maker and my Judge I
stamp on this high-license movement as the
monopoly of abomination. It proposes to
pave with honor, to pillar with splendor, and
guard with monopolistic advantage a bust
ness, which has made the ground hollow
under England, Ireland, Scotland, and Amer
lea with the catacombs of slaughtered drink
ards
am opposed to this high license because
it is
ANTI-AMERIcAN,
it is anti-common- sense, it is anti-demon-
strated facts, and it is anti-christian. Our
revolutionary fathers wrote first with pen and
then with sword, first in black ink and then
in red ink, that all men are equal before the
law. Impartiality written on the declaration
of independence, on the constitution of the
United States and over the door of our state
and national capitols. Now, how then dare you
propose for $500 or 81, 900 to let one man
sell saoeeteaaed dynamite, while you deny to
his fellow the right. because he cannot raise
raise anything? Are the small dealers in
this festive liquid to have no rights? I plead
for equal rights, the first American doctrine.
plead for the rights of these men who are
doing small, prudent, economical business
in selling extract of logwood, strychnine, and
blue vitriol. What right have you to say to
these wealthy men standing beside their great
confagration of temptation, $50 ahead"
while you deny the poor fellows in the traffic
the right so much as to strike lucifer match?
Now, this high-license movement is the
proverty qualification in the most offensive
shape. Why do you not carry it out in other
things? Why do you not stop all these
bakers until the bakers can pay a $1,000
license? Why do you not shut up all the
butchers shops until the butchers can pay
81, 900 or $500? Why do you not stop these
thread and-needle stores and the small dry
goods establishments except that man pay
$500 or 1000? sob" you say, ''that is
different" How is it different? "Well,"
you say, the sale of bread and meat and
whiskey does damage" All, my brother,
you have surrendered the whole subject. If
rumselling is right, let all have the right,
and if it is wrong, $500 or 81 900 are only a
bride to government to give to few men a
privilege which it denies to the great masses
of the people. Why do you not carry out
this idea of licensing only those who can pay
large license? give them all the privilege.
"Oh," say some people, "you cannot ex-
ecute prohibitory law, and therefore you
had better take high license as a compromise. :"
And there are people who say,
"HALF LOAF
of bread is better than no bread at all"
WE'LL that depends entirely upon whether the
half loaf is poisoned or not. You say half
pound of butter is better than no butter.
That depends upon whether it is oleomarga-
rine or not! Here is bridge over roaring
stream A freshet in the nighttime sweeps
away half the railroad bridge. The first half
of the bridge stands solidly. 1t is half-past
eleven o'clock at night, and the express train
is coming. The Waterman stands there with
a lantern. He sees the bridge sound at that
end and he waves the lantern. All is we'll, ="
and at forty miles the hour the midnight ex-
press train sweeps on, and having passed the
first half of the bridge-crash, crash, crash
Two hundred souls gone into eternity. Bet
ter have had no bridge at all; then the watch
man would have swung his lantern of warn
ing Is half bridge better than no bridge
So they propose to compromise this matter.
They say prohibitory law cannot be ex-
ecuted, and, therefore, we had better not
have any such law on the statute book. Will
you tell me, my friends, which one of our
laws is fully executed. We have law
against Sabbath breaking Millions of peo-
pie break that law every Sunday. We have
laws against blasphemy. Sometimes the air
is lurid with imprecation. We have laws
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