The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-14
A CHICAGO REFORMER.

The arrogance and despotism of the saloons
crop out everywhere There is not city
from New York to San Francisco, from Du-
luth to New Orleans, where they do not aspire
to control matters and ride rough shod over
municipal authorities and the public. But
such diseases work their own cure. They be-
long to the class of evils which, when they
get about as bad as they can be, are pretty
sure to get better. The people will not sub
NIT to being permanently ruled by such in
f1uences, having party nominations and poll
cies controlled; elections carried or reversed,
and all the affairs and business of city
tyrannized over by single class interest, and
that the very worst of all class interests. In
Chicago the struggle between the people and
the saloou-keepers has assumed the shape of a
movement for $1,000 license. The move
ment has brought to the front man who is
reformer without knowing it. This man
is Alderman Edward F. Cullerton. He rep
resents a ward which contains large number
of manufactures and saloons, and is populated
mainly by workingmen and factory hands.
Mr. Cullerton (who by the way is Catholic
and a Democracy has seen enough of the
despotism of saloons in politics and of their
evil results on the community, and especially
on the working classes, to convince him that
they should be treated as public nuisance.
Accordingly he has introduced in the Board
of Aldermen an ordinance to raise the saloon
license fee to $1,000. In speaking to the
measure he said:
II support the measure without reference
to politics, for the reason that it would reduce
the number Of saloons. intend to go further
and introduce an ordinance prohibiting the
sale of liquor in grocery stores. | believe
politics should be divorced from the question.
When find every machine-shop and manu-
factory in the vicinity where I reside sur
rounded by saloons to such an extent that q
man can't eat meal or go home with his
weeks wages without entering them, | think
halt should be called. If the aldermen saw
what see every day they would vote for So, 900.
By stopping liquor selling in groceries little
children wouldn't be taking the stuff to their
homes or drinking it in alleys"
One does not hear many better temperance
speeches than this. 1t is the plain, blunt
talk of man who sees an evil and is not
afraid to strike it. He hits out from the
shoulder. In an interview he said the work
ingmen in his ward were feeced out of half
their earnings by the systematic decoys and
plundering schemes of the saloon keepers.
Asked if his constituents would approve his
course, he replied that he was not afraid to go
before them, and added:
"There is not more selfish class of people
in Chicago than the saloon. keepers There
are exceptions, of course. But as a rule they
are hoggsh and want the earth. They are
unreliable in politics. They are here to- day
and away tomorrow. They set up the whisky
jigger and the beer barrel as their gods Those
who do not worship those gods are excom-
municated and e-blanked. / think it is time
to protest against such tyranny"
That is what men are beginning to say
everywhere-it is time to protest against such
tyranny. If Alderman Cullerton is not care
full he will wake up some morning and find
himself famous.