The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-03
Let us Close the Saloons.

It would be well # every individual
in the community, male or female, white
or black, young or old, could be held by
the button-hole for a few moments of
solemn reflection upon the proposition,
"Come let US close the saloons" No
one could give to himself valid rea-
son for withholding his cooperation.
The saloon clerk who occasionally steals
from behind the screen and lounges
in the sun at his front door with his
apron on, betrays by his downcast look
that at heart he is ashamed of his busi-
ness. He must know that it is a very
unmanly, not to say, low-down calling,
which requires him to hide away from
the public gaze and to dance attendance
upon whiskybloats, or fix up tempting
drinks to draw young men to ruin.
Come out from behind that screen,
young man, throw away that apron and
engage in some decent business that will
permit you to hold up your head and
look your fellow-man honestly in the
face.
OWNERS OF SALOONS, think a mo-
ment. Why do you engage in such
of the community? All. man, a large
per centage of the fights and murders
have their origin in your house. Do
you elevate your fellow-man? Look at
that bloated wretch, with fiery face and
fetid breath He has given up the idea
of respectability and is content to be
4 street Ioafer; he has stopped working
and practices daily at your bar he has
tall
and all day long he fuddles his brain
with your beer Look at him as he
haunts your saloon Just as a fly is drawn
to fostering sore. 1t is your work.
Do not say, ''Well, if | did not sell it
he would get it somewhere else" Let
him get it somewhere else. Let some
body else engage in the dreadful work
of making brutes Of his fellow man.
Let somebody else dress his wife and
feed his children upon blood money.
If he can reconcile it to his ideas of
Justice, of decency, of humanity, let
him do it. You will not have to give
account for him, but for yourself. If
he will, let him keep open, but shut up
your shop.
Signers Of WHISKY Petitions you have
it in your power to close the saloons.
You are responsible for every saloon in
the land. But for you, the strong arm
of the law would close them up, and
visit upon their keepers the penalty of
its violation. Stop now, and think be-
fore you put your name to a paper
which legalizes crime, which opens up
Pandora's box whence issues all the ills
that flesh is heir to. 1t takes your
name to make up the majority possi
bly,, without your name, the majority
could not be obtained. Then, the re-
sponsibility rests upon you. 1t man
should learn to be a drunkard at that
bar, you have done it. Should he MUIR
der his child, the blood viii be required
at your hands His wife as she is
dragged down from plenty and happ'-
ness and innocence, to want and woe
and degradation, can charge it all to
YOU. Rather, then, let your hand be
palsied at your side before it should
give the sanction of your name to an
institution which is evil and only evil,
and that continually.
Customers Of the Sato0a!-You can
very effectually close them up. They
were opened for no other purpose than
to get your money; just withdraw your
patronage and they will dry up.
Social drinkers, you can stop, for as
vet, no imperious thirst dominates you,
then, if not from fear the habit may
grow upon you ,at least from a sympathy
for your unfortunate neighbor, spend
not your money at the saloon.
Moderate drinkers! the grade is down
ward, the speed is quickening, put on
the brakes, reverse the engine, withdraw
the fuel that the death-dealing fires may
be extinguished. Ye confirmed drunk
ards, is it of any use to appeal to you ?
is there manliness enough left within
Won to face the enemy? Possibly, your
eye may fall upon this earnest appeal in
sober moment: then think that you
are spending your hard earned money
to enrich aloon-keeper, who will kick
you out. when your money is gone. His
riches are your poverty, his success Is
your failure, his life is your death. he
is your worst enemy, all the more dan
gerous, all the more deadly, because his
| poison is concealed beneath the spark
ling color, the genial glow of the wine.
Break with him; clasp your purse and
run; forcing him, for want of patronage
| to abandon his iniqituous traffic and
engage in some honest. helpful calling.
Ye ladies, We gentlemen, We phiiaRthro-
pists, We Christians, band together to
close the saloons. Ask yourselves hon
estly, sincerely. the question, how far
am | responsible for this stupendous
| evils how much of the sins of the bar
keeper am | responsible for2 the bar
keeper, the poor, deluded vampire of
the community, who is sucking out its
best blood to fatten himself, who is cor
rupting society. and running our sons by
the tempting display of his aceursed
wares. See, if the honest answer OF
conscience will not be that you are re
sponsible for the evil, if yon ever said
or did anything that actually helped il
on; or again, that you are responsible
for the evil, when upon any occasion
,, you might have lifted voice against it
or planted yourself in opposition to it
YOU ignobly declined to speak the wore
, or perform the act.
Let every good member of societ,
hasten TO remsve the responsibility.
from his door. Let the universal fat g
forth with irresistible emphasis, 'th'
Saloon must 90"