The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-07-15


ritical male and female lurers to the
public halls and public rostrums, de- ]
irous only of self exhibition and the
of the masses with their
own mental and moral priceless pos
sessions. The oft chosen theme of
.hese aspirants for Ciceronian honors,
IS Temperance, and it is truly wonder
full how intemperately these extrem-
lists treat the subject of traffic in liq-
uors, and how utterly they ignore in
in all other respects.
On Sunday afternoon, not long
since, two boys could have been seen
walking on the northerly sid of Main
street, opposite the Court House, in
Ravenna. smoking cigars They were
of tender years, less than ten, and
from their general appearance, were
sons of well to do and highly moral
parents. Let us stop the boys mo-
ment and enquire where to find the
father and mother of each, and we
will learn that they are satisfying
their inordinate appetites for notoriety
at temperance meeting at the Town
Hall. In after years 1t will be found
necessary to hold public meetings to
devise means to reform these same
be VS.. grown to manhood, and to pre-
vent them from obtaining intoxicat-
ing liquors. If fathers and mothers
devote more thought and attention to
the family home, stay more at home
and aid in making it more pleasant
and attractive for the children, keep
them more at home, and we will have
less drunken men and street walking
women.
AS a result of the unwise agitation of
the temperance question at this time
in our midst, we find the public mind
disturbed, business depressed, and the
needless expense of a special election
entailed upon us. Our only duty now
is to decide how to vote, and having
decided, vote as we think right. After
a careful consideration of this matter
we have decided to vote against closing
the saloons, for many reasons.
Will closing the saloons of Raveuna
Village, under the Dow law, diminish
the sale of liquors? We think not.
Let us suppose for the argument that
the saloons of the village were closed
under the law. What would be the
effect. Persons desiring liquors must
apply to physician, say they are sick
perhaps when they are not, pay fifty
cents for a prescription, and go to a
drug store and get all the whisky they
want, provided they can pay for it.
The pretended sick man will then dis.
tribute the whisky among his associ.
ates, whether they be boys or men III
the habit of getting intoxicated. The
result would be men would be infiu.
enced to lie to obtain prescriptions,
drunk enness would be more common
and unrestrained, and our now com.
paratively quiet Sunday would be con.
verted into day of riotous intoxica
ton and profanity. Druggists and
physicians would reap rich rewards
without being required to pay any tax
to meet the extraordinary expense
caused by their sale of liquors.
Another objection to u prohibitory
ordinance is that it cannot be made
general. Surely, our Christian friends
would have us do unto others as we
would have others do unto us. If sa.
looms are an evil for us to bear, we
should not impose the evil upon 9th
ers in order to escape it ourselves. NJ
power is given under the Dow law t.
close saloon paying the tax, excep
in municipal corporations. Suppos,
the desired ordinance should pass and
the saloon keepers of our town should
rent or purchase building lots just be
lyond the Corporation limits, cree
buildings thereon and there engage il
the traffic. No law or ordinance cal
prevent 1t. Already applications hav'
been made for building lots adjoining
Ravenna Village, provided the pro
posed ordinance passes. Do the resi-
dents of our town residing near tn,
boundary lines of the corporation wisf
to have the saloons removed from tn,
business center, where they are under
police supervision. to their midst? Il
it right to say to the people of shalers
willie. Charlestown, ROotstown Frank.
lin, or to the citizens of Ravenna liv
ing outside the corporation, you must
take our saloons because they are such
a gigantic evil that we cannot endure
them?
Is it more temperate to sell a man q
pint, quart or gallon of whisky
than to sell him drink? Cannot the
keeper of a saloon be good, conscien
tious man as well as a druggist? Can
not all keepers of saloons keep drugs
as well? Is it not fact that our sa-
looms have for years past sold purer
liquors, generally than our drug stores?
Is it a greater evil to convert a saloon
into drug store than to convert drug
store into q saloon? A few days since
the writer had occasion to purchase a
quart of alcohol, to be used in bathing
a sick person. He applied at the coun.
ter of one of our drug stores for the
article, and was informed that it would
cost so cents, but that no sale could bt
made until he obtained the prescrip-
tion of physician. This would make
an additional outlay of fifty cents
which the state of his finances woult
not permit. He next applied at the
an excellent article, lawfully, for fifty
cents. No, / will not vote to make
the necessaries of life more difficult t.
obtain.
The liquor interest of this country
is great commercial interest. Ii
affords a mark ct for millions of bushels