The Republican journal., 1886-09-23
The Saloon in Politics.
BY GEORGE FREDERIC PARSON:


What have the seven thousand saloons of
New York city done for her: They have fas-
tened upon her citizens the most shamcfullv
corrupt government ever endured by Il COM
munity indulging in the illusion that it was
free; hey have almost made it impossible for
an honest educated man to touch local politics,
much less take office; they have degraded the
ell; they have brutalized every institution they
have had to do with; they have perverted and
spoiled the Democratic system, making Il hiss
in% and rcproach of American citizenship
and the suffrage, establishing political sham
bleS, pandering to the worst vices of the worst
classes, dctiling everything decent and pure
with their riball soothing, and producing at in
terval>. as proof of their quality, tendencies.
and power, such abominablc scandals as that
of the Tweed Ring, or the more recent sale of
votes in the board of aldermen. But evil As
arc the results of the combination between the
saloon and the politicians it is not just to hold
the latter responsible for all the mischief they
cause. In truth they are the result of condi-
tons which could not produce anything better,
and it is unreasonable to blame the product
while refusing to interfere with the generating
agencies. The saloon is an arrangement for
the maintenance and propagation Of the worst
vice with which humanity i afflicted; vice
winch destroys every eleNating influence. Kills
shame, manhood, ambition. family affection,
honor, all that makes life worth living vice
which fosters brutality >elf-iudulgencc, and
| all the train OF ignoble and degrading passions
and mcnationS Now, the purpose and intent
of the saloon being what il is, the develop
ment> noted are simply what ought to have
been expected when 50 large share in the
government of the country was permitted to
he seized by this sinister agency. The Amcri-
can system OF government is theoretically
sound. The means of education are accessible
to all. But when our children have passed
through the public schools and enter into ac-
tive life, if they wish to take part in public
affairs they must descend to the saloon for in
| Strurtion in politics, and N 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
| >aloon-kcrpcr>. He must frequent these places
and flattcr the vanity of those who gather
| there Through them lie must obtain the
votes of the idle, the Vicious, the criminal,
| classes. lie must become familiar with all
| the ward ''>trkcr>" and loafcr~ He must
| be reprrS,rHted at the rauru>e> which are
| always held where drink a',ntnlS. He must
| dcfcr To the Views of men of the lowest
| Intelligence. lie must subscribe to platforms
| drawn up by drmagOgllc, and timc->rrNcr~. i
| ii any wonder that >rlf-rrspcctiug men often
| shrink from these orIcaI>, and prefer the
| obScUrlty Of private life to Il political career
demanding such sacrifice and such dcbl>c-
| ment: The foreigner who lands in this country
| obtains his first ideas Of its governmental
| system from the saloon. There he is intro
| durcd to the lowest intri@ur> of farional con
| tiict. There he is taught that the chief end
| q Is a nI.,l, nrIt.h