The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-04-12
Tho Saloon a Deadly Curse.

No one can doubt that we need the church,
the school and the factory, but in the light Of
our present civilization no one will set up a
claim for the saloon on its own merits. One
has said the saloon is the heaviest clog in the
progress of our country. Every evil that
curses our nation to-day flows to a great ex-
tent from the saloon. 1t is the prolific source
of most of our political corruption. 1t traf-
hcs in tears, groans, blood, vice, misery and
death. 1t drags in dishonored graves hun
dred thousand human being annually.
Is it any wonder that Gladstone declares
the saloon to be a greater evil than war,
pestilence and famine combined? Why, in
the presence of such desolation as this, war is
= white-winged angel of peace, pestilence q
healing fountain and famine a table Of plenty.
The saloon has been compared with tho
who touch it, but sends out its terrible p olson
even to those who endeavor to shun iU.
If we consider the saloon from moral
standpoint it is curse. 1t is the direct cause
Of thres-fourths of the Sabbath breaking,
profanity and gambling. 1t desolates a
million homes, and transports men beyond
the bounds Of reason into the seas of dissi-
patton and ruin. 1t makes 500 maniacs and
loon in which million men have lost their
self respect, their health their character,
their all. Men with defiled clothing, wrecked
hopes, starving children, empty purses, lost
manhood, the product and support of the
saloon. But yet this monster cries out for
State and National authority to ply its dread
full work, saying: "License mo to SOW the
seeds Of shame. License me to make widows
aud orphans License me to write disgrace
upon the fair forehead of helpless innocence.
License me to befog the mind to paralyze
the reason, damn the soul. License me to
tncite the red handed murderer to his terri
BILE deeds of deadly violence" But the sa-
loon gets all it asks for.
forty five millions of dollars are spent over
the till of the r'lmseller. More money than
we spend as nation for all civil service,
army, navy and Congress. s.-Pioneer.
Temperance News and Notes.
1t is said that 80, ,OCO people go to bed drunk
in Glasgow every Saturday night.
Bands of Mercy are being formed in con-
necton with the Loyal Temperance Legions
of Ohio.
A Kentucky w. G.. Il. U. woman recently
said she had six unanswerable arguments in
favor of prohbiton-her six sons.
In ono court of London twenty. seven out
Of twenty-eight cases of attempted suicide
within short time were traced directly to
drink and the twenty eighth was doubtful.
Dr. Daniel Dorchester is responsible for
the statement that n distillery firm within
three miles of the Massachusetts State
House has contract to furnish 5000 gallons
of rum daily to tho African trade for the
next seven years.
ITOieSsOr hOValeVSky, OF inc Cnalr Oh
Mental Disease at the University of Khar.
koiT, Russia, has published book in which
he strongly denounces the giving OF alcoholic
beverages to children and onlar les on tho
proprety OF not administering alcohol rs a
medicine without first ascertaining whether
the patient has an alcoholic diathesis.
The w. G. T. u. of Columbus, Miss, re-
Gently sent an earnest request to every
clergyman in the place to preach a sermon
on "The Evils of the Open Saloon" The
plea was considered in the ministers meeting
and the chairman made answer by note
saying that the ministers, after prayerful
consideration of the request. deemed it Gin
expedient to comply"
Mrs. Mary A. Lathrop. of Michigan, who
has been dubbed by her admirers 'the Daniel
Webster of the feminine world" has poor
opinion of saloon keepers. In lecture at
Pitttsburg she said: "Cannibalism is decent
compared with the saloon business | have
more respect for savage who will kill a
missionary, cook him and eat him. than for
a man who will allow the liquor business be-
cause it will lessen his municipal taxes"