The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-02-20
THREE YEARS WITHOUT A SALOON

For the fourth consecutive year the
University City of Cambridge, Mass,
mas voted to have no saloons. There il
no other CAGE of the kind on record in
This country, and probably none in the
world, In which city of nearly 10 900
inhabitants have driven out the saloon;
and by keeping it out for three years by
annual vote of Its own citizens, has for
the fourth time again voted to keep it
out. Other cities have been under pro-
hioiton under State laws; but no other
as large as this, by It's own vote, for that
length of time.
How was it donel
By united effort. II is not always
easy to secure the united effort even of
men who agree; for if they are earnest
they are apt TO magnify the point of
petty disagreement, Instead of magnify
ing their points of agreement Bul
Cambridge has succeeded IN driving out
the saloon by the united effort of men
who disagreed. The clergymen of Cam
orldge are strong. positive men and diff
fer upon theological questions; but they
nave wrought and prayed together as
me man for the banIshment of the sa-
'oons. Unitarians, Baptists, Methodsts
Unlversallsts, Episcopalians and Cath
JlIcs. regardless of race or color, have
stood shoulder to shoulder. The lead
IDg Catholic clergyman is one of the
most intense men in that city, founder of
H parochial school years before any con
lroversy arose about them, but he spok-
with the Protestant elergymen upon the
anne platform upon this question, going
20 the hall Of the Young mems Christian
Association three years in succession to
Jin with the Protestants in a jubilee
over their joint victory; and leading
Protestants have spoken to his people in
heir halls for no license.
Cambridge politicians are positive, in
dependent and aggressive; but Demo
Gratis, Republicans, prohibItIonists and
abor reformers have jDined their forces
coming out of a red hot fight against
Zach other in November TO turn their
batteries upon the grog shop, as a COM
mon enemy, in December.
When the people first voted out the
saloon. in December, 1886, their decision
was looked upon as popular freak; but
he results were such that after a years
Experiment the people determined to
give IL another years trial in response to
he appeal for fair play. The results
hat year warranted repetition of the
rial, and for third time the people
allowed the friends of no license to
show what could be done.
The last year has been the best of the
three. Some of the liquor dealers KEEP
IN with their business for the first year
IN the sly, expecting the people to re-
verse their verdict. When they voted
40 license the second time, most of these
went out of business; but when 1t waH
repeated in 1888, the few remaining "a
looms which had been holding out lit
lie surreptilious business, waiting for
The reaction, became discouraged and
eft the town. There has not been an
open saloon in the town fer more than
two years; and for the past year there
has not been one where any but an old
roper could get drink, and only by r.
sorting to the most humIliating expedi
ents.
The testimony to the good effect oil
banishing the saloon has been over
whelmDg. Men who do not claim tC
be prohibItionists, high license men and
low license men, tell the same story a;
do the prohibitionists-that there Is lesI
intemperance. less pauperi+m, less row.
iYi4m. less crime. that children are bet
ter clothed and fed: that savings banl
deposits from the poor have greatly in
creased; and there is less drinking among
the ,.omen of the poorer classes In then
homes and fewer family disturbance
and broils. There is no counter testi
moDy. The friends of license admit tina
his is true, and their only argument hal
been that there ought to be high lcens'
80 as to get the fees of the liquor dealers
But to this people of Cambridge hav,
once more eaid no, emphatically. They
believe that there are things more valu
able than money, and public interests
more imUortant than the decrease o
taxation fifty cents on the dollar, Th'
majority has been reduced by cOmpica
lions apart from the liquor question
but the victory is, under the circum
stances, even greater than last year
And all this came from uniting the peo
pie who dI+agree. N Y Independent