The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-01-18
TEMPERANCE.
LAW-BREAKERS.

irrespective OF age and condition.
seems to have demOralizing effect
upon all who engage in it. Their
moral natures become hardened and
scared, and there is soon bred a selfish
Indifference TO the rights of others.
and contempt for all laws and ordi-
nances which may interfere in anv
way with the devilish traffic thew car
ry on. Sunday-closing laws, for in
stance, are openly defed unless The
most strenuous efforts are put forth
by the officers of the law; and then re-
sort is had to all possible articles BY
which the interdicted sale shall 20 on
by stealth, access being given TO the
premises by alley ways and rear doors.
There is no other class of mon who so
continually and brazenly violate the
law. Other men chcerfully observe
the day OF rest, and keep the doors of
their places of business closed against
customers The keeper of the rum
LOle evidently believes his greed for
gain gives him the right to annul the
law, and continue his occupation with
out let or hindrance.
! The plea upon which this is done is
the same as that which saloonists use
to justify their violation OF the Prohib-
tory law in States where such legis-
lation is in force-that people want
rum, and that they will have it, and
that Il may as we'll sell it to them as
anybody" The argument is that the
buyers tempt the saloonists to violate
the law, and that the latter could not
transgress its provisions without the
opportunity of doing SO which is pro-
vided by the demand Of the drinker.
To the unthir 11ing-and we are some
times led to believe that, at least as
far as this rum question goes, the great
majority of our people are to thus be
classed--such an argument carries
some weight. But it is an entirely
superficial one. It omits from the cal
culation factor whose absence viii
ates the result. 1t does not take into
account that the man who insists upon
some one else violating the law in Or
der that he may obtain rum is the vic
tim of the fierce and unnatural appe-
tite for liquOr-that raging, burning
thirst, which makes that man the
veriest slave to its accused power.
To crafty that mad1ening thirst, he
will become a liar, thief, a law
breaker No law, human or divine, is
regarded as binding that stands in the
way of his qualification; no oath is re-
garded, no pledge is kept, if it pre-
vents his obtaining rum.
But the salOonist does not limit his
law-breaking to the qualification of
the rum thirst in those who have be-
come slaves to the habit. There must
be fresh victims found, to be initiated
into the delights Of that devils
draught, rum, upon whom the &C
cursed habit must be fixed, that they
may take the places OF the confirmed
piled, and all others denied, the reign
| of the rum power would end in a few
years, when the present race of drunk
ards would be in their graves. But
the rum power is aggressive. 1t is
constantly reaching out for new vic
tins. Every young man who enters a
saloon for the first time for a drink is
practically looked upon as one to edu'
cate into the drink habit-One who is
to be as speedily as possible made the
slave of this awful appetite, that his
wages may regularly form part of the
revenue of the rum power.
On every side men are tempted tc
drink. Upon the principal streets o.
our cities the brilliantly-lighted sa
looms open their doors in invitation tc
the thousands of young men beginning
their career to drop in and spend theil
evenings. They are more attractive
than the boarding-houses which are
the homes of so many. They afford
light and warmth and merry com
PAW. Is it any wonder that oul
Young men visit them? But there il
a punctilious etiquette OF the saloon
which DEGREES that he who is visitor
must also be a patron, or be consld
cred a dead beat" and perchance b
| ordered 1nUO Gu6 otIVCt- AAO SNOhs
fellows drink, not because they carr
for rum, but because it gives then
the right to spend their evening
there. The habit of drinking is be
GUN. the fierce thirst for rum is born
and the feet of these young men ar
turned upon the downward path.
What is true of the fine saloons OF
the leading streets, with their garisl
ornamentation, is equally true of tn
smaller rum-holes on the back streets
down to the lowest dives in the wors
quarter of the city. Wherever Their
Is a saloon there is a primary schoo
for drunkards. And the saloon Is D
NO means confined to our cities an
LARGER towns. All over this land
wherever a half-dozen clustered house
form the nucleus of future town. a
ontpost of the rum power Is TO
found. In the growing West the saloo
a. often the first "business house