Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-06-20
&c 7. u. COLUMN
THE SALOON A SOCIAL FACTOR.
otto: "God and Home and Native Land

u
. Rev. Thomas Dixon has recently
|oublished an article in Frank Leslie's
weekly on the influence of the saloon
mich is both profoundly true and
&ienificant. 1t .E1-fCsI1 81 &C it,
Id the first time, attempts to give
|so me philosohphic reason for the in
|f5hence of this important institution.
Lid. Dixon believes that it fulfills
|real need of human nature. He says:
''The saloon to-day appeals to mans
] ense of the beautiful. Beauty is an
Mai tribute of God. Man turns to it as
Lie plant to the sunlight. In crowded,
|dngy tenement roo5ts, the soul cries
|in vain for anything to satisfy this di-
|T ne aspiration. The saloon on the
|cprner hastens to meet this want of
MANS inmost immortal being. In
Washing crystalline glass, polished
mood, hammered brass, beautiful
frescoes, brilliant lights, warmth and
Cheer he is hidden welcome. Com
barred with the saloons of New York,
BUR churches are dismal, musty barns.
Ut is amazing how much money is
spent to make beautiful, cheerful and
attractive the saloons in the lowest
districts of the city. The common peo
pie appreciate this appeal with even
Inore intensity than those in more ia
Eored districts. Man is a child of
God. The blood royal flows in his
veins, find him where you will. His
soul is ever haunted by the inherited
memory of the music of angels and
the perfume of the flowers of para
disc. And he is ever yearning and
eearching to find these on earth -
This of course is more applicable to
large cities although to certain ex
tent it is true everywhere. But the
second reason is vastly stronger:
''The saloon is a social institution.
Thousands of men go simply beause it
.is open and they are welcome. They
long for companionship, and there
they find it. Gould they find the fell
Hlowship under as fair conditions with
out the drink, at least one-half of
them would prefer it. Men become
drunkards often under protest. Thous
ands of young men in New York go to
the bad because there seems to be no
where else to 60"
In other words, the saloon is to the
poor man what the club is to the rich.
There a man finds relaxation, he meets
with his friends and he partakes of
that stimulation which our feverish
civilization seems to render necessary.
Were that all, the saloon would be
useful and beneficial institution. I'm
fortunately, the very things which
men to inebriety, ending in disease
and death. DIR. Dixon's problem is to
find some institution having the sa-
looms good points without the evil.
SUPPOSE" he writes, 'sthe 10000
saloons in New York were opposed by
5000 coffee-houses on the style of the
English establishments. Suppose they
were fitted up as handsomely and sit
uated as we'll, and filled with good
cheer, would not drinking be reduced
to a minimum? / do not mean so
many dingy stores where coffee and
other temperance drinks, creams and
candies are Sold"
We're the churches as active as the
saloons, he thinks, they would attract
an equal crowd. He says: ''Ten thous
and saloons stand open, with beauty
and good cheer and companionship for
welcome, every day and every night
in the year. Five hundred churches
stand silent and gloomy, used only as
the background for undertakers'
signs, save for few hours on Sunday
and one or two hours in the week.
ssIIo..- Cr-rr. G. S,.a..l.-