The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-03-22
:. man are. he soon BECOMES a slave

aDD6bILS, L
If the whole truth were known We
doubt not that this is the history OF
thousands of men who have been
mined by drink. They have been
brought under the power of the tempt
err through the leading of their social
instincts They have gone to the sar
looms in the first place, not because
thew would not have been glad OF some
thing better, not because OF the at
fractions of drink, but because there
seemed to be nothing else for them 10
do. 1t is not enough to say that men
should not visit the saloons under any
circumstances, that they should re-
main at home with their tam1nes II
thew have any, and if not, they snouio
on on the street or anywhere but IN
dram-shops. No doubt this Is the
right position to take in an aostrac'
view of the case. But we are not oAs-
cussing distractions now; we are con-
sidering facts; not what men ought 10
do in all cases, but what they are
actuallv doing. The fact is, as we be-
Heve. multitudes of men do frequent
the saloons and become subject TO
their temptations who might be saved
if other places were opened to them
| where they could find what the saloons
furnish of creature comforts and soclal
Measures without their accompanying
evils.
And now the practical question
or;see. What shall be done about ltP
What shall we do towards supplying
tho needs which have been thus out
linedp In England very satisfactory
answer has been given to this question
in the establishment of coffee houses,
nlaces that offer all the attractions Oh
the saloon, minus their evils Inc
English coffee-house system, In It's
present form, originated in Liverpool
about fourteen years ago. 1t has since
snread all over the United Kingdom
and now every city and nearly every
: large town has its coffee-houses LlV
erpool has over sixty of these estaO
} lishments. all under the management
of one company, Birmingham ma
1 twentv-three, Hull has sixteen and In
t total number throughout the Kingdom
. is not less than four hundred.
Q And an abundance of evidence Is q
r hand showing these coffee houses nav
t 1arpelv accomplished the main aim
:, their existence in effectlng great II
d duction in the volume of crime an
s Dauperism incident to the drink tratn'
n It is the universal testimony OF
n who are competent to speak upon TT
L. subject that they have had this enec
le It is also shown that the Engns
r houses have been successful not on
'e in a philanthropic, but in a buslne
Or sense. They were not established
al charitable institutions, and it has
T. been necessary to run them as sue
lp On the contrary, many of them ma
u paid as high as ten per cent on Z
IS capital invested, and some OF the
IL even more than that. The cases
n actual failure have been extreme
0A rare.
he Now what has been done in Engla
ng can be done here, not exactly in
nd same way, perhaps, but with the sal
lat idea in view. We need such instr
ge tions as the coffee house here. CIV
as more than they do in England,
JUS cause we have more drink shops
lar proportion to our population.
re- need at least hundred coffee hou
we right here in New York to offset
ted eight or nine thousand saloons. II
IAN should be sprinkled all through
or tenement house districts. sandwich
oKs in between the rum-shops where T
OF sible, set up on the corners OF stree
are arranged with screened windows
on necessary with machine music an
ese free lunch adjunct. supplying phi
lot tobacco and cigars at lower rates t.
ne the saloons furnishes them in sh
ood supplying any thing to beat the
OF looms on their own ground, draw
ana the line only on alcoholic bevera
his Here is an opportunity for some
no our men of wealth to do a noble "
Is for the Master. And if they I
'tul, other inducements than the appr'
eful If conscience that comes from doir
Ion. good deed in naughty world,
all such recall and by their own v
nts' claim the fulfillment of the pro-
ork, declared in the Scriptures, that
y OF which converteth the sinner from
lbl1c error of his way shall save a
the from death, and shall hide multi
VIII of sins. "-Christian at Work.
sher
elter TEMPERANCE ITEMS.