The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-07-30
CLOSING A LIQUOR SALOON.


The Final Triumph of Patient, Persist
ent Presbyterian Clergyman.
No citizens are so tenacious of legal
rights as rumsellers are of their oppor-
tunities to ruin their fellow-men for their
own gain. Probably few of the good
people who join in demanding, through
the press, and in speeches at respecta-
BILE assemblies, that liquor shops should
be closed have any adequate knowl-
edge of what is required to enforce
their demand in New York There is
great deal of complaint that laws are
not enforced, and great deal is I'M
justly said Of the completely Of police
and officials with the law-breakers;
but making due allowance for inefli-
cheney and neglect, there is much to be
said of the difficulty of carrying out
good laws, even when both intention
and effort arc active and devoted to
their enforcement.
In illustration of this statement, let
me give leaf from personal expert
ence, which could doGt tless be
matched IN essentials by Rev. Dr.
Crosby and others. Some years ago,
while pastor of church in this city, /
received letter from the owner of a
house next to mine asking me to buy his
property, and adding that, if / did not
do so, the owner would turn it into a
''road-house." l declined to be forced
into such bargain, and wrote in my
answer "that if a 'road-house' was
opened next door to me would try the
Gospel on it, and, if that tailed, would
try the law.
The man proceeded to put his threat
in operation, and leased the house to a
ellow-countryman who had some ex-
perience in the business. Sheds were
erected, bar was set up and stock
of liquor brought in. A license was
duly applied for, and as soon as the
application was filed with the excise
board, the drunkards of the neighbor-
hood and their friends were invited to
come to a house-warming
Meanwhile, l had not been idle. The
police captain of the district had been
visited, and to his honor be it recorded
that Captain Speight said upon hear
ing the facts: You may count on me
every time. Every complaint you
make shall be carried as far as you are
willing to CO." A remonstrance had
also been entered against granting the
license, and the facts set forth for
the information of the excise commits
sioners.
made a friendly visit to the unwel-
come neighbor, and endeavored to dis
suade him from his effort. He said
81 must live, and have a family to sup
port. / told him that j would make
no opposition to a grocery or butcher
shop, or TO any business but that of
making men drunk; and wnen he said
that linen would have liquor, and he
might as well make the money as the
next man." / frankly told him that he
should conduct his business Uittim the
lar, and that | would have him ar
rested whenever he violated the law.
And l kept my word. The next
Sunday be broke the law, and Monday
morning he was arrested and taken TO
the court and fined ten dollars. He
laughed at the fine, but was more
careful the next Sunday. l got a
member Of the Excise Board to visit the
place personally, and showed him that
there was no need of the additional
dram-shop. He promised to report
the matter in the board, but it took a
good while to do it. The newspapers
treated the matter, when they noticed
it at all, as a good joke that clergy
man should try to shut up a rum-shop,
and some of them intimated that it
was none of his business to NEEDLE
with laws and politics and such mat
tiers.
Meanwhile, / watched, and after one
midnight orgy called upon police
man to arrest a pack of drunken brawl-
ers who were coming out OF the bar
room. He was a coward and allowed
them to get away, but he was sorry for
it when the commissioners heard the
testimony, and fined him ten days pay
for neglect of duty. He never forgot
the lesson, and was very careful for
years afterwards to see that | kept my
sidewalk cleared from snow and ice.
But the liquor dealer held on. a COM
plant against the house as disorder
w." only resulted in the visit of
drunken inspector to the parsonage @
which he afterwards reported to the
board as ''very well kept and in no
way disorderiy'' The Excise Board
was of very little help to me, except
that the license was not granted; it
was, however, held in abeyance, not
refused, and so the man went on SELL
ing his poison, and making persistent
efforts to extend his trade.
Wa sorry for his poor wife and two
little children. He evidently loved
them, and sometimes would play with
tie little ones. But oftener he was
cross and hard spoken, for it was
pretty evident that he drank with
his customers. Every time that
he broke the law, to my knowl
edge, l went tc the captain,
and true to his word he would
send and make the arrest. and | would
go with NY witnesses. sometimes in