The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-09-15
WHISKY in POLITICS.

WHISKY IN POLITICS.
1t Is Becoming the All-Important Ally
with the "Statesman" of the Day-The
Saloon a. q School for the Would He
Public Man.
What have the seven thousand sa-
looms Of New York City done for herP
They have fastened upon her citizens
the most shamefully corrupt govern
ment ever endured by community in
dulging in the illusion that it was free;
they have almost made it impossible
for an honest, educated man to touch
local politics, much less take office;
they have degraded the conduct Of pub
lie affairs to their own low level; they
have brutalized every institution they
have had to do with; they have per-
verted and spoiled the democratic
system, making Kissing and re-
proach Of American citizenship and
the suffrage, establishing political
shambles, pandering to the worst
vices of the worst classes. defiling ey-
cry thing decent and pure with their
ribald soothing, and producing at in
tervals. as proof Of their quality, ten
denotes and power, such abom-
Unable scandals as that of the Tweed
Ring, or the more recent sale of
votes in the Board of Aldermen. But
evil as are the results of the combina-
ton between the saloon and the politi-
clans, it is not just to hold the latter
responsible for all the mischief they
cause In truth, they are the result of
conditions which could not produce
any thing better, and it is unreason-
able to blame the product while re-
fusing to interfere with the generating
agencies. The saloon is an arrange
ment for the maintenance and propa-
cation of the worst wee with which
humanity is afflicted; vice which de-
stroys every eleyating influence, kills
shame, manhood, ambition, family af-
lection, honor, all that makes life
worth living; vice which fosters
brutality, self-indulgence, and all the
train of ignoble and degrading pas
sions and inclinat:ons. Now, the pur-
pose and intent of the saloon being
what it is, the developments noted
are simply what ought to have
been expected when so large a
share in the government OF the coun-
try was permitted to be seized by
this sinister agency. The American
system of government is theoretically
sound. The means of education are
accessible to all. But when our chill
dren have passed through the public
schools and enter into active life, il
they wish to take part in public affairs
they must descend to the saloon for in.
struction in politics, and in the same
institution the foreign immigrants must
graduate before they can exercise the
right Of citizenship. These are our
political schools. in fact, and they give
the tone to our politics, city, State and
National. The candidate for Office
finds it indispensable to make himself
solid with" the rum power. He must
buy the favor Of the saloon-keepers
He must frequent these places and fiat
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 become
familiar with all the ward "strikers"
and loafers. He must be repre-
scented at the caucuses which are
always held where drink abounds. He
must defer to the views of men of the
lowest intelligence. He must subscribe
to platforms drawn up by demagogues
and time-servcrs. Is it any wonder
that self-respecting men so often shrink
from these ordeals, and prefer the OBJ
security of private life to political ca.
reer demanding such sacrifice and such
debasementP The foreigner who lands
in this country obtains the first ideas
OF its governmental system from the
saloon. There he is introduced to the
lowest intrigues of factional conflicts.
There he is taught that the chief end
and aim of politics is to make as much
as possible for the workers" There
he is enlisted into one or the other
OF the great organizations which
have reduced party politics to
periodical battles for plumber, to
contests for the opportunity to
misgoyern. There he learns that honor
and principle are simply "molasses to
catch flies" as notorious politician
once expressed it. There he is made to
understand that he is not expected to
think for himself. but that he must
obey implicitly the party mandates,
reverence the saloon-keepers of his
ward, submit himself humbly to his
"boss," and on election day be thank.
full that he can sell his vote for couple
of dollars or debauch on bad whisky.
This is no fanciful picture. There is
not a considerable city in the United
States in which purchased votes are moi
east by the thousand at every import
snt election, and these votes are al
most invariably bought and paid for in
and through the saloon. George Fred
ertc Parsons, in Atlantic Monthlu.