Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-12-04
LICENSE OR NO LICENSE.

A Timely and Aggressive Sermon by
Rev. DIR. mcLane-The saloon
Crying EVIL In New Haven-Nota-
BILE Points Made by This Eloquent
and Able Divine on she Subject.
Rev. DR.. W. W. McLane, pastor of the
College street Congregational church,
preached very interesting and instructive
sermon yesterday morning entitled ga
Question on Safety" His text was 'Is
the Young Man Absalom Ssfei" II Samuel,
xviii, 81. After giving general outline |
of the question with some very interesting
statistics added, he spoke as follows:
Let US copoe now little nearer home.
The secretary of the "Anti-Saloon League"
says: The saloon people Themselves esti-
mate their income in New Haven county
at ten millions of dollars annually. The
license fees received by the county amount
to $32, 200.
In the town of New Haven, exclusive of
druggists licenses, of which there are 81,
there are granted 81 beer licenses and 37S
full liquor licenses. That is to say in the
town of New Haven there ara over 400 Ii
oenses TO sell beer and liquor. If we esti-
mate the population at 100, 900 this gives one
saloon for every $50 people. And If We
l estimate the adult male population
as one hfth of the whole num-
Der of people, that gives a saloon for ev-
| cry fifty men in the town.
| The revenue which the town receives in
license fees is $145, 315. Il and police re-
serve fund of 81 ,64s, making in all $751;
962. "A. Is not a saloon for every fifty
I maj ia tnnnn0a
men of New Haven't Does it not mean
poverty in many homes. Does 1t not mean
drunkenness and crimsa Does 1t not mean
degradation and deathi Where are these
four hundred saloons located Not on Hill
| house avenue, nor on Prospect street, nor
on Elm street, nor on West Chapel street,
nor on Howard avenue, nor, unless 1T be
l an exceptional one, on any street noted for
beauty and for comfortable homes and
well-to-do citisens. The saloons are found
on Oak street and portions of Con
gress avenue and East street and
other streets whose character corresponds
to the effects of the saloon. In addition to
these saloons, whose location have indi,
Gated, there are certain semi -gilded saloons
where men who have more money, and
who think that, therefore, they have more
| character, assemble.
The open saloon il the constant tempta
ton of tho idle boy, the dissipated young
man, the tired and thirsty workman anc
the drunksrd, who has becoms a slave O.
his apostle.
What shall we do with the saloon? Ii
cense 1t, ia the annual reply. This has beef
the prevailing theory since Colonial times
The value of license consists In its prohih
itory clause. But no one is 30 ignorant a
| to believe that the prohibitions are oh
served and that liquor is not sold durin
forbidden days and hours, or that it is no
sold to minors and drunkards. No one ca
! believe that license Is checking the drink
ing habit The enormous growth of tn
? liquor business is proof that it is not.
Multitudes of young men find that til
open saloon is the open way to dr1nker
Q ness and dishonor.
9 - Multitudes of broken hearted parent
b. have found that young men are not sal
with an open saloon for every fifty men.
Multitudes of overworked women an
!. underfed children have found that ii
open saloon 10 the bottomless abyss
which the wages of husband and fsths
. are sank, leaving them in poverty, hung
L | and want.
Shall we license the saloon9 Shall v
J. protect ita Shall We preserve it, We hay
g | done 80 in the past and 1t has not been
our profit. We might try something ell
. | In the tuturo.
Many of the towns and cities of Co
o | necticut have voted no license. 1t mig
q be we'll for Us to try 1t.
am not fsnstical am not sanguine
10 to speedy results. I am, however, in fsv
of moving along the line of prohibitit
and of moving along that line just
10 rapidly as possible, and am hopeful f
=, the future.
y know that law cannot cure evil or ga
70 men. But individual principle, the pow
,e of moral suasion and the prohibition
a law may all play part in the promote
>, of temperance.
There are certain things which make I
Ia favor prohibition statutes and a no-licen
y, system. These are some of them: M
ID | say prohibition does not prohibit.
a much or more liquor is sold, relative
III population, in Maine as in Conuectic,
at | But I observe that liquor dealers W
a sell and liquor dealers who buy
ID not go about organizing prohibit
an societies and seeking prohibitory statut
a Liquor dealers and liquor drinkers oppt
he prohibition. What they approve pre-
re to favor.
e, would have our streets highways
n. safety for our young men and boys.
.er No license Is worth trying. 1t has be
said: IF the liquor traffic ia morally rig
it should have the largest liberty; if M
ally wrong, 1t should have no liberty"
Mr.. Gladstone has said: "It is the du
SGT of government to make 1t easy for the p
pie to do right, and difficult for the peo
Is to do wrong"
7er 1t has been said: "No license rests
three arguments namely: The econor
ed argument-we can't afford the saloon;
in moral srgument-the ruin of eharac
caused by drink; the political srgumen
n. the domination of the saloon in politics.
, ed The question of license or no license
chiefly question of the safety of
homes, the business, the health and
ISL character of people. I have given so
an plain facts to you who are patriotic. pl
anthropic, Christian men. Think of tn
of facts, and this week when you vote
Of your intelligence and your COINCIDENCE i