Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-03-10
STRENGTH OF THE SALOON
Upheld by the Class Known as ..Re,p.c,,.
BILE Citizens"


BILE Citizens"
We often hear remarks about q.
vote of the liquor element. or Tho a..
loon vote, as it is Familiarity GALA
In many cases it seems to be no incos
siderable fraction of the entire vo,,r.
population OF what class or classes !.
citizens does this saloon vote eonsis,s
II is plain that II is larger than n.
number of persons engaged, both Il.
rectly and indirectly, in the saIa ].
liquor The voting strength Of tbs,.
in any specified locality. is but ir,.'
tional per cent of the total number j,
voters In an entire state, these mon
are not numerous enough TO affect m.
result in any case, If voting by them.
selves, without aid from others.
From whom does this aid come. Then
which gives to the saloon vote lts mn.
merical strength? Who compose n,
sometimes numerous class Of citizen,
who show their sympathy with n.
liquor traffic by giving it their suppor
at the polls? This is question which
has not had the attention given thah
deserves at the hands of Temperance
men. II at the polls the line ysr,
drawn with only those who are en-.
gagged in the traffic on the one nspd
and all other citizens on the other il
is plain that rum would meet with
a crushing defeat every time.
Probably the thought Of those whose
attention is drawn TO this point for ii,
first time is that the allies Of the a.
loon are composed of the low and Vi.
cious class of men who are hangerson
around the lower sort of gin mills ana
beer saloons. But their numbers ar
not sufficient. even when combina
with the votes named above, to give
the voting strength that the saloon Dis.
plays far too often, when it is menaca
by legislation.
The real strength of the saloon ne.
only at the polls but in the community
is in a more or less numerous class q
people who belong to the category 4
respectable citizens. They do nd
want the saloons abolished. nor inter
fered with in any way. They are the
backbone of the saloon vote. and theJ
are a large factor in public opinion
hostile TO the execution of all reguls
tive or restrictive measures, such as
Sunday closing laws, or other statutes
of that nature.
1t is obvious that a saloon cannot
long exist unless it has patronage As
soon as it ceases to be profitable, it il
closed. To be profitabl it must have
enough customers to make it So They
must be men who have money which
they are willing to spend over the bar
II is these respectable drinkers who
keep up the saloons; it is they who
give the saloon their moral support It
is they who are largely responsible for
the evasion or open defiance Of re-
strictive or prohibitory laws; and j IS
they who must be largely brought over
to the support of temperance legisla,
ton in any community before IL VIII
or can be made thoroughly effective
for the purpose it was designed to ei'
feet.
There is no use of prohibitory legs
lation so long as this element IS at al
in a community. With rs
tacit encouragement, the law will Dc
defied or evaded. according to the
strength of this element OF oppos'S9n.
The work which must be Ue initM
effort of friends of prohibition mus
an educational one, with this very cas-
for its objective point We know ths
is difficult slow and unpleasant w
so much easier for your professiooA
agitator to stand in pulpit or on
platform before an audience WhVn
sympathizes with him, and abuse W
ters because they do not abjure tnen
political affiliations and join the poh''
ical prohibithonists. II is sweet 70 N
ceive the incense of applause nun
those who think in the same way =
so much easier and pleasanter than
20 to a man and. in a Christian spf's
to head him to see the erro,
Of his ways. But this work. even
is the first in line Il
are to be successful in the effor. Y
Dulverize the rum power -loieu'
Blade.