Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-15
THE MOVEMENT COMMENDED.
The Action of the Liquor Dealers in
Closing the Bars on sunday Endorsed
bv Temperance People.

Editor NJ rRing NeloS:: The recent ac-
ton of the liquor dealers of this city in
deciding to keep their places of business
closed on Sundays should have the I'M
qualified Endorsement Of all good citizens.
1t has been found one of the most difficult
of police duties to prevent the selling of
liquors on Sundays, and the writer has
experienced some of the keenest of the
many regrets felt in regard to drunken
ness over the fact that so many liquor
dealers ignored the highest and hottest
obligations of society in their greed
for gain. They seemed to vie with each
other in furnishing a road for speediest
destruction OF their customers-render-
ing the debauching of youth easy, and
making it most difficult to rear them in
habits of sobriety and morality. They
seemed to regard their business as one
wherein they were privileged to disrupt
and trample upon the most sacred ties OF
family, home, country or religion. This
rendered it necessary for all religious
classes to be arrayed against them, since
their opposition to righteous and whole
some restraints left no other alternative.
AS a lifelong temperance man, it
is my conviction that temperance
people generally have felt them
selves forced to oppose the liquor traffic
themselves as from almost any other rea-
son. The traffic has turned a day of rest
and sanctity into one of CRIME and de-
bauchery. 1t is from Saturday night till
Monday morning that hard-earned wages
are most frequently squandered in bar
rooms. leaving homes desOlate and fami-
lies poverty stricken, filling police courts
on Monday mornings, and burdening the
humane and charitable for the remainder
cc fl, y bnA aTf rch.O 4
be anxious to be free from these burdens
is only natural, and yet liquor dealers
have met their just appeals with
mockery and defiance, until. in sheer
desperation. laws have been applied for to
stop the DefaTiOus business entire. 1t is
this which has given the prohibition
movement such a wonderful impetus
much for the liquor dealers of Savannah
that they have in a manner fOrestalled
public sentiment here and decided to keep
their places closed on Sundays. For the
sake of all that tends to advance the tenn
poral and spiritual welfare of our people
it is hoped they will be supported in this
movement by every right-thinking
citizen. Loving, t2is beautiful
city as do, and desiring
the welfare and prosperity of its people,
1 can think of nothing that viii tend so
materially to bring 1t about as this sum
day closing movement. Wages that have
heretofore been sQuandered Will now be
spent for food and clothing; homes that
have been neglected will be cared for and
improved, while the general observance
of Sunday will increase the moral tone
and healthfulness Of all classes of our
people. Six months of impartial trial of
this will convince the most skeptical of
its benefits, and now that public senti-
ment is so strongly fortified by this action
of the dealers, let US commend those who
abide by it and prosecute without mercy
those who may violate it.