Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-11-15
GRoG-sHoP REVENGE.
The Sums and Dives Unite Against.
Mayor Francis.

] lognizes that, the lines ure being draw
closer and closer every day betWeei
the respectable ana the eiiisreputable
and their temporary triumph is the re
suit of a desperation which scrupled n
nothing, frantic cotffage born Of tbt
fear that their regulation as an infiuen
tiaI quantity would follow Democratic
success.
The tough element in St. Louis is il
funds to-day. and Republican grog
Ishop tills gingle with giee as the prizes
jaf American manhood crosses the
lcounters and swel.s the profits of a bus
liness deplorable at its best, and dis
lgracefLl as i is carried. onin this city.
If the so-calIed Silk-Stocking wing ol
the Republican party is proud. of its re,
cent associations, and does not tremble
at the political debts that it has incur
red in the past few weeks, then Demo-
/ Gratis, while they may pity individuals,
4 will carefully classify united actions
under proper head. When a gentle
| man and a Hoodlum consort together
the advantage is always on the side OF
the clown.
| In the contest Just ended the inf1u-
ence of Inc lowest dives in st. Louis
has been ccurted, doggeries that are a
black mark on the city's fame and
name have heen turned into Republi-
| can headquarters; the Radical cam
paign has been conducted by. central
committee composed largely of social
parasites, nonproducers who fatten on
the meagre earnings of the working
man for whom they have shed croco-
| die tears and expressed concern; near
Iiy every caucus held by them, every
official meeting and their final con-
ventiun assembled either in "a dranl-
shop, pure and simple, or a room con.
venientlV near q barrel of beer on tap.
Ignorant negroes aud low, whites were
besotted with cheap whiskey openly,
gentlemen lGod save the markl) cIink-
| ing glasses with people they affect
| throug hout the year t., despise. for the
sake of few paltry votes; money wa 8
spent IS freely as the waters of ariv6r
run, and every dime taken from legiti-
mate channels to corrupt voters Will 90
to make up d. circulating medium for
haser purposes, If it is possible to con-
eeive of baser thing than the reckless
dehauchery by purchase of the ballot
box. which ought to be the chief bull
" ark of the State aud nstion's liberty.
|, There Is reason for all this. The
past two or three Years have not been
prolific of dividends for the lower order
of whiskey and beer shops. It may be
an ancient quotation to say that the
dispensers of high-priced gin and"freen
salt-soaked lunches have seen the
Handwriting on the wall, but it is.true.
There is school house eon every hilltop
and in every. valley in Missouri. and
tile people have long thought of cloth
ing, hy high license, the calling of sa-
loon keepers with some show of res pee
ia bility.
The first step in this direction was
the passage by Democratic Leglsla-
ture of the Downing law, which was
signed by Democratic Governor and
Mayor. This is thorn in. the flesh of
this class which Democracy seeks eith-
er to elevate or extirpate. These peo-
Pile fought it inch by inch from urt to
court, and it was finally forced upon
them by the decree of bench whose
record for firmness that keeps pace
with the law is as spotless as its De-
mocracy is unquestioned.
Without political convictions, guided
only by sordid avarice in every walk of
life, this element, suoordinated to the
dc crees of Democratic Legislature in
the interest of society by the judg nent
of Democratic courts, was baffled only
for day. Then with the courage of a
trodden worm it resolved upon revenge,
and it has used self-constituted social
law-givers as it's tool, its very imbecile
Ca atspaw, In its nefarious work. Fav-
ors were perhaps reciprocal to soshe ex-
tent. bot tho bargain was none the less
infamous for this fact.
The saloon men knitted Francis. No
axiom on the first page Of an element
ary arithmetic is palmer than this to
one who intelligently reviews st. Louis
politics since the campaign of 1884.
Before the heyday of their glory in
this city began to wane as the result of
Democratic laws that insisted on law
full pursuits being also at least approx
imatelv respectable pursuits, saloon
men W ho locked even their back doors
on election day to vote against Francis
Mt the polls were loud-mouthed Demo-
Gratis (?) without knowing themeaning
of the word, as they are now lusty-
lunged Republicans without under
derstanding the first principle that di-
viles the two parties.
The edramshOp-keeper who deals in
politics as side issue is after money;
this fact has been clearly demonstrated,
and the fact that they were solid al
most against the party that passed
high-license law and the Sunday law
and that they slipped knife into the
Mayor who, though candidate for a
higher office, was not afraid to enforcei
the law. proves this beyond the shadow
of doubt.
But il is only the victory of an hour.
There is not really respectable man
in office or an aspirant for Office to-day
" no does not desire the saloon inf uence
eliminated from elections. HoggishI
for money, and nearly every one the
lessee or owner Of a fpul-smelIing'. half
suited for club meetings, they make /
wealth requisite in every aspirant tor /
office. The better class of RspuhlicansI
who prcfited by their support will meet /
them with cold stare until another
dicker is convenient; their following |
having spent its hire before December,
will be kicked into the streets where it +
belongs. and for two years at least the /
legitimate t?) profit on whiskey will be
their only source ofrevenue.
Can any citiz-n remember visiting q /
Republican rally or club meeting dur-I
ing the campaign that was not held in /
the rear room of q grOg. shop. or on q |
stake.wagon in front of one? Wh0can
call TO mind Radical ward boss in
this city who is not q salnon-kecper, the |
patron or the puppet OF one2 Where