Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-05-24

| License bar. The boy was III years OLD
He went to The saloon and Aslrchased hil
! bottle Of whisky. He drank part of the
bottle IL the presence of witnesses in the
saloon. He left the place half crazed
staggered around for awhile in the
neighborhood and finally fell across the
track of the Chicago and Northwestern
railroad. Here he lay for two hours
when nc was picked up still insensible
by passerby. lie was very i'll for sew
eral days, but finally recovered. The sa-
loon keeper was arrested and fined a
nominal fine. The boys father has
damages, and the respectable Liquor
Dealers association will defend their
brother saloon keeper, guilty or not
guilty. Thieves thus hang together and
have their code of honor.
Mr.. Jacob Riis says that in New York
some time ago he saw boy entering a
saloon ON cold November night, SO
small that he could scarcely carry the
pitcher. He entered the saloon and for
babe the barkeeper to serve the boy un-
der penalty of the law. The man was
as astonished as if he had been told to
shut up his shop and go home. And he
might have told him that with good au-
thority, for it was after o'clock in the
morning. The saloon keeper was indig-
nant and told the reporter to mind his
business and get ont of the saloon, while
he filed the pitcher. The law against
selling to minors is about as much re-
spected as the ordinance against swear
ing.
A little more than a year ago boy,
after carrying beer a whole day for a
shop full of men over on the east side Of
New York, where his father worked,
crept into a cellar TO sleep off the effects
Of his own share in the riot. 1t was
Saturday evening. On Sunday his par
ents sought him high and low, but it
was not until Monday morning when
the shop was opened that he was found
killed and half eaten by rats that over
run the place.
Saloons are forbidden to harbor disso-
lutte women. and yet scores Of saloons
keep regularly all the way from 25 TO 3j
of these women practically in their EN-
ploy. a license law is roaring farce.
Ii has never been enforced; il never can
be enforced.
What, then. shall be done with it? The
forces Of civilization are rapidly dividing
into only two classes ON this question
those who believe in the saloon, that il
is good thing. that it should be protect
ed, and those who believe that it is an
curse and must be DESTROYED !
and outlawed Regulation has been
tried and found wanting. License is a
dismal failure The idea that the saloon |
as an institution can be improved is a I
iream of madness. 1t has been said by
he church taking charge of the saloon
he evil of the drink traffic can be miti- /
gated. The difficulty is that alcohol is
/ poison which produces disease. The
is that no man ever becomes d
irunkard except he first becomes mod
rate drinker. The road to drunkenness
$ the way of moderation.
The church cannot afford to cultivate
he appetite for drink and create habits
hat kill the majority of those who form
hem. France and Belgium, the two ma
ions where light alcoholic drinks are
most INDUCED in by so called moderate
now lead the world in the
lumber Of drunkards. They are the
most drunken nations ON the face Of the
arth. To say that God made alcohol IS
rue. We must also remember that he
made strychnine and arsenic: that he
made Benedict Arnold and William NJ.
weed and Tammany Hall. In like man.
or God made hell and hurled the devil
hto it. II may be said you cannot
weep out darkness with broom. You
an Danish it with a candle-mesaing
hereby that you can mitigate the drink
urse by making the saloon better. The
Touble with this proposition is that you
ropose TO sweep out alcohol with alec.
ol. ! repeat, how can you sweep out
arkness by turning ON the hose pipe
harged with ink? Can weeds be rooted
ut by sowing weedsf | do not see how
GU can sweep out hell by flooding the
arth with liquid damnation.
IT MUST BE CRUSHED.
The plea is absurd. The saloon as am
lstitution must be crushed and outlaw.
4. Men viii drink? Yes. They will
neak round the corner and find it? Yes.
tut the weak and the young will be pro- ,
scted. The poor will be rescued from
s clutches. All that is necessary 10
ring this question home to the hearts of
very citizen is for it to touch his own
fe. An old man. says the Chicago
ournal, recently applied TO a peniten-
airy for the position of a guard. He was
I'D that he was too old. He said that he
ad his second sight; that he had been a
cad shot in his youth; that he was bet
r shot now than ever; that no convict
luld escape him. Finally after long
rgument he was given trial. He told
le keeper that he had lost all his people:
rat he must have the job, or nothing
Dened before him. He was in despair.
e was given gun and put on duty.
The next day the convicts were taken