Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-01-30
The Saloon in Politics.

EDITOR MONITOR The following arti-
Gle, from the pen OF Gen C. b. Fisk, hits
the nail so squarely on the head, hope
you will find space for it in your paper.
G. w. MEG.
The American saloon sits supreme
in American politics. 1t governs its
caucus, convention, canvass and bal
lot box, and will continue its de-
structive, defiant reign until an arous-
ed American conscience shall bury ii
out of sight forever beneath an ava
lanche of indignant ballots. Two
hundred thousand dram shops con-
troll our politics, our voting popula-
ton 90 to and fro under the hallucin-
alton that either the democratic or
republican party with varying for
tunes of success or defeat is in pow
er. 1t is not so; neither of these
parties dare strike a blow at the sa-
loon hard enough to knock out of its
ranks the distillers, brewers, and
dram shop keepers. The democratic
party say boldly, "we won't" The
republican party say, ''we can't. "
Those who WELD the largest political
influence in the country are the "obe-
dent servants" of the liquor traffic.
In the gilded saloon of the cities, or
dingy bar-room of the cross-road tav-
ern, under the debasing, brutalizing
influence of drink, seventy-fve per
cent of our political primaries ana
caucuses are held. Our pure, bright,
well-educated boys, on coming to
their majority, and wishing to take a
part in the government of the coun-
try, discover that the entrance to
politics is through the door of the sa-
loon. Their first lesson in practical
politics is received where bad men
and corrupt politicians clink their
glasses and drink to the success of
their party. Nearly, or quite one
fourth of our whole population in the
the United States dwell in our cities
Fifteen millions of our people have
their homes where the saloon is most
strongly intrenched and yields its ma
ilgn power in municipal politics /;
where blatant demagogues manipu-
late lazy loafers, where the vicious
classes make the dram shop para
mount, and where the public con-
science sleeps and shores under the
soothing cry of Loyalty to Party. T"
The effect of the saloon on politics in
the United States is evil, and only
evil, and that continually. The IL
quor traffic, with its controlling in
fuence in politics, supplemented by
it's lavish expenditure of money in
paying for talent and purchasable
votes, by its brutality at the polls,
and gross frauds in the count of bal
lots have recently recorded its shame
full victories in four great states. Wis
dom and patriotism, temperance and
sobriety have been overwhelmed in
Michigan, Texas, Tennessee and Or
egon. The saloon journal, unblush-
ingly boast of their methods of tri-
umph, and publish their thanks to
political parties who have done their
shameful bidding. In the beautiful
city of Detroit the other day, the
public leader, whiskey periodical,
exhorted it's readers to gratefully re-
member the friends who had SO nobly
stood by the saloons in their recent
conflict with the t'preachers, the wo-
men and cold water fanatics" who
were in league against the dram
shops. On the eve of the late cleo
ton for mayor of that city, this pub
lie leader said: "'The liquor dealers
Will 90 wei 10 TencH4bcI lhcll
friends at the city election on Tues
day. Had it not been for the repub-
lican party last spring, Michigan
would now be wrestling with prohi-
bition." The champion advocate and
defender of the saloon in Texas, af-
ter the defeat of the constitutional
amedment said: ''God be thanked
for the steadfastness of the demo-
cratic party to personal liberty and
their consistent hatred of puritan no.
tons. They have saved us from the
dominion of the Woman's Christian