The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-05-18

tottering imbecile capable only Of delir- |
ium tremens. It degrades man NOR
ally from the level Of man to the level of
the brute. It sends him on his career Of
murder, and Of lust, and Of every vile
passion that rules his being. There is
scarcely murder trial in America in
which drink does not figure in tho evil
dence affecting the life of the poor. There
is not one case in thousand, l believe,
in which 1t will be found that the saloon
plays no part. The evidence on which
Buchanan was convicted was obtained
in @ barroom. The fact which led to the
unfavorablo opinion in the minds Of the
Jurors who convicted young Harris was
his connection with drinking establish
ment. II kills the soul of the victim, de-
stroys his moral power Of perception,
and the world knows 1t.
Second-The saloon uses mans social
nature to kill him. The power Of the
saloon to destroy lies in the fact that 1t
is q social institution. 1t is not a ques-
ton of drink or the drink habit in itself
It is the question Of the debauchery of
mans whole being by direct appeal to
bis social instincts. Every saloon is
| founded upon the club idea. 1t caters
| to mans social and aesthetic nature. 1t
| appeals to his sense OF the beautiful.
| The saloons are the most magnificent es-
| tablishrents in the city Of New York.
| They are the most magnificent establish
ments in any city. 1t is this tremendous
| outlay Of genius, Of art, Of money in
their equipment that makes their appeal
SO resistless to men socially. Men begin
| to drink moderately with their compan
ions. The process is first q moderate
| drinler, then a drunkard, then o dis
eased wretch. Because Of mans social
| nature the disease Of alcoholism is con.
| tagious-it is catching. The man who
treats is tho man infected by this con-
ta9ious disease. The saloon is the pest
house in which he contracts the disease,
from which it is epread through society.
THE POOR MANS CLUB.
Third-The saloon strikes at the foun-
dation of social order in destroying the
poor man in his poverty. Rum strikes
down the rich mans son. It's impartial
In its visitation of wrath and destruc-
ton, but its reign supreme is in the dis
tricts Of the poor. They aPc apparently
the only charitable institutions that are
always open. They have a free lunch
counter in which the ragged wretch may
crafty his hunger if he can buy glass
of beer. But the fact that the men who
sell the dr.ak can own magnificent
homes while the man in rags eats his
free lunch is evidence sufficient that the
free lunch is but bait to the trap. They
give free lunch and sell a man for five
cents that which costs them less than
half a cent. 1t Is here in tho saloon
that the poor man is robbed Of his hard
earnings, and it is given to the man less
worthy to have it. In certain district
of this city which has resounded with
the cry of starving men and women
more than once one of the saloonsis paved
with silver dollars. The man that owns
it is a power in the community. He not
only owns the saloon; he owns the bodies
and souls Of the poor wretches who sup
port it.
1t has been said that the saloon Is the
poor mans club. So it is, and for that
reason it should be swept from the face
of the earth. He can go no lower. Ev-
cry saloon is not only a drinking place;
it is place where gambling is carried.
, on every day and every night in the
year. 1t is also place which is tho con-
slant resort of evil women. The reason
these things go together is because they
are birds of q feather. To separate
them is an impossibility. The one calls
for the other, and in the absence of the
other would produce its complement. II
the church itself should run q saloon
the stimulus,of alcohol would drive its
frequenters to the qualification of every
other passion.
T. V. Powderly says most vigorously
"I have had an experience,of 20 year:
among workingmen, My life so far has
been spent in working among them, and
I expect the remainder of that life will
be spent in their interests. That expert
ence causes me to say that liquor hat
done more harm to working,nen than al
|, other causes. The cry has,been sounded
and parrotlike repeated that poverty
.. makes tlrunkards of workingmen. Il
there is any truth in TINT statement, theI
it is not to the credit OF the man or mel
who willfully add crime,to misfortune
Every sensible man knows. that the liquol
: habit leads to degradation, disease, dir
and death. 1t is therefore unjust wheI
| we excuse the intemperance Of pool
man to lay the blame Of it to his pov
erty. We find drunkards everywhere
: and in proportion to their number thu
wealthy have more victims to the hquol
habit than the working people"
Fourth-The saloon as an institution
always has been, is now and alway'
, | will bea crime breederand q law defer
: The liquor associations have rules b.
,, | which they defend their members in al
! cases against them, whether they hav,
violated the law or not. The saloon 3
the rendezvous OF criminals. 1t is tn
, home of the thief, Of the tough. II I
the home of the anarchist. 1t is th,
stamping ground Of the dynamiter. L
is the open slaughter pen in which ar
butchered honor and truth and decency
integrity, love and manhood. 1t is tn,
D., source of our political degradation ani
political crime. It is in the saloon thGl
,, the dirty work Of politics is done. 1t j.
said that 40 per cent Of the Republican
caucuses and 60 per cent Of the Demo
crarlc caucuses IN our city or New ort
are held in saloons.
; The saloon becomes a Tesistless powe,
: in our political life in the city. Chris
/, tians go to the ballot box like oxen ant
vote the tickets which their masters, the
/, saloon keepers, write out,for them. AND
4 n -