Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-26
wANTED-coFFEE TAvERNs.


New York Tribune.
The saloon Is the poor mans club. The
PTohibitlonists, who think trey can abol.
sh IL altogether, overlook the fact that
the saloon is the centre of socirl pleas
ures for large class Of the popu alton.
The poor man escapes TO 1t from the
noises, odors and many discounts Of his
tenement-house home. He finds there
light, warmth and a general air of COM
tort, with newspapers TO read, compan-
Ions TO talk to and games to rlay 1hese
attractions bring the falcons much Of
their patronage, and have to account for
share OF tie sum total of drunkenness
and crime, though, to be sure, the sources
OF the larger part Of these lie much
deeper. II the saloon is closed, how are
the e social cravings to be satisfied
There is more practical question still
is there not some agency which eau be
set at work to meet these wants of the
poorer elasses, and which can thus com
pete with the saloon on Its own groundi
The coffee tavern, as 1t exists In the
larger Of the English cities, is such an
agency, and its prac!icsbllity has been
thoroughly demonstrated. Robert Ora
ham, the weli-known secretary of the
Church Temperance Society, gives rome
account OF these in It's organ, "Tomper
anee." They are divided into two
classes those which are conducted
purely as business enterprises, aud are
expected to pay full dividend on the
money invested, and those which have1Rn
avowed moral purpose in carrying on II
mission work in connection with the es-
tablishment With tine first class the rule
has been followed In all cases of max
ing the coffee taverns equally attractive
with the saloons, and quite as free from
any suggestion that they are charitable
institutions. They are conducted by
limited liability stock companies. The
first of these Was formed in LIVERPOOL
fourteen years ago with a share capital
OF 1900, 90. 1t now has sixty three
houses In different quarters of the city,
and Its dividends have never fallen below
10 per cent.
New York cannot possibly present a
greater need for an undertaking OF this
kind than Liverpool. The saloons were
the only resources, both Tor food ana
shelter, OF great floating sailor popula-
ton and vast number of unskilled la
Dor. RS working in the docks. The frat
house was opened for this class, and sue
ceeded because the food was cheap and
good, was promptly served, and the whole
enterprise was well managed. As the
houses have multiplied, they have been
made Landowner and more attractive.
Mr. Graham gives picture of one which
cost $50, 900. He presents also pl. ture
OF similar tavern in Birmingham, which
would he regarded as a handsome struc-
ture on any business thoroughfare In the
world. 1t is barely twelve years .ince
this company was formed, and It now
has in Birmingham twenty-three houses
and pal dividends OF from 1C to 10 pei
cent.
1t is hardly necessary 20 multiply ex
amples Ii the coffee tavern which II
conducted as a business enterprise suor
ceeds so admirably, tie coffee taverC
which provides, besides the coffee bar an-
rtadIng rooms, q lecture hall for religs
ious services and popular entertainment,
does not need 10 pay so well to be con
sldered successful. Persons who shoul(
undertake to found establishments OF til,
latter class would look more to tibet
eltvatiug influences than to the return
upon the money invested. Yet, un
dOubtedly, these also could be made self
supporting, and even remunerative
What better work could be done b
some Of our philanthropists than to ef
tablish dOzen or twenty coffee tavern
In the worst parts of the city? 1t is no
enough to attempt to restrict the mum
her oil saloons, as all right-minded citi
zens are anxious to do. We must sup
plemsnt this, as Mr.Graham tersely says
by supplying the place of the llquo
saloon by saloons without liquor"