The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-02-06
THE DRAM SHOP.

The Pernlcious Influence OF the Sale, = In |
Our Nation.
Prominent among the CONSTITUTIONS of |
modern society" is the dram shop, a |
Iegalized monster which touches He'll |
Gate with one wing and Golden Gate
with the other, whose talons are deep |
in the vitals of the Republic, and |
whose beak is busy sucking the life
blood of the people. A National insti-
tuition, as National as the Mississippi
that cuts our broad domain in twain, as
National as the National debt which
all must help to pay. But why call it
modern? Have not men always drank?
We think so. But that does not say
that dram shops, brewerieS and distll-
leries have always existed. Time was
when no distilled liquors were known.
Scholars declare that this art is only as
old as the eleventh century of our era;
and that distilled liquors were not used
as beverage until late in the thir-
teenth century. And the traffic in in
toxicants began much later.
Previous to this each family brewed
its own beer as it baked It's own bread.
The taverns and public houses were
the first to sell liquors in connection
with their regular business. After
wards came the modern dram shop.
Now it needs to be said and repeated
that what prohibition is after is the
traffic. 1t is often said: You can not
Iegislate men sober" Who expects to,
pray? Certainly no one who has given
thought to the subject. If the sa-
l. sin
gle night that would not end the Tenn
perance agitation-only one phase of it,
that represented by the saloon. The
work of education and moral suasion
would have to go on Just the same. But
there would be some chance for the
moral side then, because the awful
temptations of the saloon would be out
of the way. This answers the question
so often asked by the hypocrite and the
fool: ''Wny do you not pursue Murphy 8
plan? What is the matter with reform
ing the drunllard?' The method is ut
terly inadequate, in the face of the sa-
loon. A thousand times as fast as you
can win drunkards from their cups will
the liquor traffic recruit the awful ar
my | saw lady nearly fall into coal
hole in the sidewalk recently. Suppose
she or some one else should fall in and
be seriously injured? And suppose we
should lift her out and start for the hos
ptal with her? Before we could reach
the corner some one else might fall III
the same hole. Obviously our first duty
is to stop up the hole SO that no more
shall fall in. And so the objective
point of the Temperance army to-day Is
the saloon.
Hardly any one, I think, would care t.
dispute this proposition, namely, ever.
thing necessary for food or drink, TO
man or animal, is produced naturally
Tried by this test alcohol fares badly
Examine man or vegetable or mlnera
and where do you find one drop OF al
cohol in them in the natural state. Co
does not make alcohol. Whence come
it then? BY a process OF rottlne
and / use the word process
advisedly For there is nat
ural fermentation, but it doe
not produce alcohol. Mechanics
pressure is necessary, sufficient to brea
the starch cells and then, when stare
and juice mingle, you have alcohol.
would seem as Lnoupn oou Aou 0PoHAS
alphabetically upon this question.
The economics of the question al
perfectly appalling. Examine the ma
ter as to the Nation, State and city wit
the aid of the best statistics obtainah'
and We believe no man can long be
doubt as to the effect of this traffic.
can, not have escaped the attention
thinking men that the saloon is mel
ace to our free institutions. The trait
is dominant everywhere in Nationa
State and municipal affairs. OF the tW
great parties one openly favors Il
saloon and the other studiously lgnor'
tho issue. Our cities are misruled in u
many instances and the dominatir
cause of the misrule is The influence
the saloon. | am no alarmiSt, but
seems to me all good men should see u
portentous cloud that is moving up u
sky apace. If it was impossible I
the Nation long to endure half shan
and half fear" is it not equally impoS'
bic for it to endure half drunk and ma
sober? The ''irrepressible conflict
at our doors. Let us strive like me
Americans. to meet it.-Rev. ii.
French, in Minneapolis Tribune.