Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-11-09
Plain Talk From A Woman.

To the Editor of the SUNDAY TRIBUNE:
Will you give me small space in your
paper to bring before the eyes of it's read
ers facts they ought to know; facts, that
as a native of Pawtucket, / am ashamed to
own the city officials are we'll aware of.
The drowning accident of last Wednesday
has 80 impressed me (for live in that
vicinity that although l am only . wo-
man / cannot fold my arms and look on
in silence at these rumsellers trapping our
young men, robbing them of money and
friends, then turning them out to wander
on the road to perdition until they reach
the gates Of eternity. When the dripping
and lifeless form of the poor man was laid
on the shore 1 thought how could these
heartless men stand over their victim
with hands in pocket and guilty face
ever go back to their dens and reach
across the bar, with al bartender's forced
smile, another glassIof strong drink, full
ly conscious that they alone were to blame
for that mans watery grave.
Last April read three applications for
liquor licenses, one of which was granted.
hiotS PiSuuihS icbtST W tue bOhTu Vi
License Commissioners asking them in
the name Of a respectable taxpayer not to
grant any more licenses to applicants
from that vicinity. I appealed to their
consciences. But l have since learned
that those men don't carry that about
them. There is no money in it. said the
old and respected citizens Of that vicinity
did not want any more Of them and il
those people must and would sell rum let
them go to the central part Of the city and
not monopolize every barn and basement
in this locality for barroom. The con-
sequence was that the only man on the
board (God bless him) that had courage
enough to rebel was shamefully expelled
from public Office on charges that were
not more or less than base falsehood.
doubt il His Honor condescended to read
the letter, though / am quite sure he was
informed of its contents.
And these are the men who hold Office
and swear by their God they will protect
the rights of their people and to do their
duty while in power. The making or tax
ing this pledge is very simple, but the
obligation Of keeping it is not quite 80
simple. The old residents OF Division
street pay a pretty high tax toward the
support OF these men for the very small
amount Of attention they receive In re-
turn. The respectable taxpayers do not
want their property tramped down by the
rum traffic. They want peaceful neigh
Dorhood and il don't exist where intoxi-
eating liquors are sold. The public
press, together with the clergy, have alone
the power to stop this curse when the
city officials refuse to act.
II is smpossible for a young man, who
lie cursed with an appetite for strong
drink, to walk through Division treet on
a summer Dnorning and not be tempted
many times TO break good resolutions by
inhaling the strong odor from the gutter
in front OF those places. My prayer, and
the earnest one of many a heart broken
woman, is that the time is not far distant
when the outskirts of the city will be free
from those dens; when they will be
forced to locate in the center OF the city
where they will be compelled to sell ac-
cording to the law and, above all, observe
the SABBATH.
A TAXPAYER IN THAT LOCALITY FOR
TWENTY YEARS.