The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-07-28
Local Option.

Well, what are you going to do about
it? Must the liquor traffic flourish and
spread in Hillsboro, as if no Dow
law existed? Are Hillsboro's drunk
ards to be encouraged, and are young
men to be sent to the devil by express,
without struggle for their preserva-
ton? Where are the devotees of the
temperance cause who used to hold
Murphy meetings in City Hall? Where
are all the aspiring organizations that
fluttered and .fizzled in our midst for
years? When there was no possibility
Of doing anything to bring about prohi-
bition, tkey were as active as base ball
short.stops, but now they all seem as
dead as the monarchs that snooze under
Egypt's pyramids.
We do not doubt that there is large
number of people, who want to see the
saloons closed up, now and forever.
To this class belongs the old topper,
who feels the gnawing of irresistible
appetite and bends in unwilling submis-
sion to the temptation that meets him
on every hand to this class belong the
father and mother who through eyes
dim with tears, watch the downword
course of an erring son; to this class
belongs the wife, whose life.partner has
become a brute from drink, whose
children suffer in want, and whose home
is the abode of a constant sadness that is
hidden from the world to this class
belong the excellent people of the COM
munity who witness the effect of intoxi.
cants on all classes, and who earnestly
pray for the Punishment of the liquid
damnation, that is doing more to rob
America of her government, her relig.
ion, and her free institutions, than all
the combinations of dynamite and
socialism or polygamy.
But the fact remains that one man out
Of every flee, aoho may be counted as against
the liquor traffic, will not erpress his antag.
onism openly for policy's sake. He is
afraid his business will he effected by it.
Oh, you shortsighted hypocrites You
are afraid that the saloonist's name will
be stricken from your books! But you
know the saloonist obtains his money
from the laborer, and therefore his pur-
chases from you represent what laborers
might purchase from you, if they did
not turn their money into his pocket.
Then the saloonist is an unnecessary
medium, and if he does turn the money
over to you, he takes heavy toll for
his grinding. There are poor laborers
who come to your counter and are re-
fused credit because they spend their
earnings for liquor, and who would
patronize you if there were no green
blinds to entice them off their way to
your store. Away with the idea that
local option would wreck the business
interests OF the town! ~
Men 60 reeling along our streets and
are locked up and fined for disorder3y
conduct. Charge it up to the saloon!
A clever young man begins tippling and
goes down and down, till some day the
community is startled by the report that
he hes severed an artery or been lun
over by the cars. Charge that to the
saloon! An expert workingman drinks
Q little on the sly and then becomes
bolder, and finally is confirmed sot
He is sent to the inebriate asylum anG
his family goes to the poor house
Charge that to the saloonl Two mer
become involved in Q drunken quarre
and one murders the other. Charg'
that to the saloon! 10 II not time for j
TO settle its long account Of ruin an(
suicide and misery and murder? M
Drive out the saloonsl We have hat
too much OF them already. The goo.
lpoeple are the ruling element and the,
can banish the lquor traffic il the!
/ want to. Council can have no reasoi
foi refusing to allow the question TO b.
tested, and II this Council refuses h
allow 1t, elect one that WiH. The mora
towards who etand behind their coun
ten and whimper In abject terror ol th'
saloon interest, need little baek.b0q'
instilled into them. and the bcst way Il
Istreugthen them is TO giye local optiol
such : boom that thcy will be ashssnet
of their eowsrdice. f,T.,'',. \ ,'..,.,
ais sf.t5 4slf .sfs,lif ..itfss < Il, n,