The Red Cloud chief., 1886-09-17
RUM IN POLITICS.

II u Becoming the A~i-lmporfant Ally
with the >tat~snAn' Of the DAy-The
saloon ~ = school for the Would lie
Public Man.
What have In. seven thousand sa-
looms of New York City done for her?
They have fastened rpon her citizens
the mos, shamefully corrupt govern
mcnt ever endured BY a community in
duly;ny in the illusion that il was free;
they have almost made il impossible
for an honest. educated man To touch
local politics. much less take Office:
they have degraded the cOnducto Of pub
lie affair. to their own low level: they
have brutaliZ.d every institution they
have had 70 do with; they have per-
yertcd and spoiled the democratic
system. making - Kissing and a re-
proach Of American citizenship and
the suffrage. establishing political
shamblcs, pandcring Ia the worst
vices Of the worst classes. dctiling cv-
cry thing decent AMI pur,. with their
| ribald sconing. and producing at in
,%crvals. as preof Of their quality. g
denotes ami power. such abom-
! irabic scandals is that Of the I~ecd
Ring, or the more recent sale Of
votes in the Board of Aldermen. Blu.
| evil as are the results Of tn" cOmbina-
ton between the SaloOn AMI the poliii-
clans. it is not just to hold the latter
responsible for all the miSchi f they
cause. In truth. they are the result 81
condition, which could not produce
any ihinw better. and il il u~nrra,On-
abb. 10 blame the product while re-
fuSing 10 Interfere with the generating
agencies. The saloon j. III arrange
mcnt for the maintenance ana propa-
cation of the worst wee with which
humanity is afflicted; a vice which de-
strovs every %clcvating influence. kills
shame. manhood. ambition. family nj
lection. honor. all that makes lifc
| worth liviny: Il vice which fosters
,iDns and inclinations. Now. the pur
rO-e ana intent of the saloon brin.
what II is. the developments noted
are simply what ough, 10 have
cen expected when so large !,
share in III. government of the coun-
try Was permitted t. b.. seized by
this sinister agency. The American
system o! government i theoretically
sound. Tn" means 2f education are
accessible 10 all. Bui whoa our chill
drrn have passed through the public
schools and enter into active life. if
they wish to take part in public affairs
fhe. must descend L" the saloon for in
striction ia politics. and in the same
institution the foreign immigrants mus,
graduate before they can exercise the
right 1T citizenship. These are our
political schools. in fact. and they civ.
the Zone to our politics. city, State and
National The candidate for Office
finds j. indispensable. tn make himself
solid with" the rum power. H. mast
buy the favor Of the >Alo"n-kecperS
!ie must frequent these places aad Nat
ter the vanity of those who gather
there. Through them he must obtain
the votes of the idle. the vicious. the
criminal classes. He must bcrom.
familiar with all the ward strikers"
and loa'crs. He must b. repre-
-.nted At the caucu>cS which are
always held where drink abeundS. He
must defer To the views of men Of the
lowest Intelligence. Ike mus, subscribe
to platforms drawn up by dcmagogres
aA timc->rrycrs. Is it ans wonder
that sclf-r.specting men so often shrink
from these orl"als. and prefer the OBJ
security of private life tn \ political "a
reer demanding such sacrifice and such
dcbasem-ai? The foreigner who lands
in this country obtains the first IDEAS
of lis governmental system from the !
saloon Thar, Ia, .,
lowest intrl-r's Of fac,ional conflicts. /
There be is taugh, that the chief end :
and aim Of politics is Ia make rs much
~ possible for the workers" There
he is enlisted into one or the other
nj the great organizations which
have reduced party politics to
periodical battles for plumber. to
contests for the opportunity to
ni-govcrr. There he learns tina, honor
and principle are simply "mola.s.s To
'aich flies. a. a notorious politician
expressed il There he is made 10
that he is no, expected 1,
mink for himself. bu, that he must,
'b-y implicitly the party mandates.
the sa'oon-kcrp-S of his
' ard. submit himself humbly To his
: boss. and on election dav be thank
nj TIA; he can sell his vote for a couple
4 dollars or q d.bauch on bad whisky. ,
is no ~fanciful picture. There i,
Iot \ considerable city in the United
''ai"s in which purchased votes ar not,
as' BY the Thousand AT every import 4,
1T election. and .hese votes are al ,
invariably bought and paid for in 4,
nd through the saloon.-Gcor1e Fred
~ Parsons. in -itl1n:ic Monthly. c