The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-06-06

NN'A'S al II CdHuOl Do Oy
any regulative or law process; that the
saloon IS in very large measure the poor
mans club; that it fills a social demand
on the part of a very large number. which
IS so strong that it is the hight of folly to
ignore It. Thus, he holds, the social ele-
ment in saloon-visitiug is the primary
and the chief one, and the drinking is
but incidental. Now the saloon, contends
this novel reformer, is conducted, not
out Of PHILANTHROPY; not to meet this
primary demand for the mere sake of
gratifying it, but to make money. The
make his saloon attractive to the class for
which he caters, in order that he may sell
the largest possible number of drinks.
His aim is to sell; but as for social enjoy
ment he leaves that to his customer, do
ing no more than furnishing him the
place and fitting it up to meet his tastes,
If this social element can be satisfied
by the buyers standing up against the
bar and conversing. so much the better
for the seller; if it requires tables, chairs,
lunch and music, then these are con-
coded simply to help the sale of drinks.
So it is. as everyone knows, if the drinks
are not ordered in sufficient number to
justify the provision made for social en-
joyment, the customers are very soon
given to understand that their presence is
undesirable.
What DR.. Rainsford would do, there
fore, is to have philanthropic effort con-
troll the saloons and conduct them with
out the element of money making enter
ing into the scheme. In other words, he
would take from beneath the saloon the
commercial basis upon which it is now
maintained. The New York Times sug-
gests:
1t is possible that men who now pay the
price of three or four drinks for the privilege
OF an hours conversation with their friends,
standing, in a warm and light and decorated
room, might be willing to pay something for
the privilege with more comfortable accesso-
games were also provided, and to which their
wives and daughters were also admitted.
This is fair description OF the old-tashioned
German beer garden or heer cellar, and we
admit that the gradual supersedence OF those
institutions by the mere "baToom" is dis
couraging to the belief that they can be sus-
tanned upon the principle OF supply and de-
mand. But the experiment Of reviving and
extending 1t is very well worth trying, and
the worst that could happen in case of its fail
ure would be that the philanthropic pro
To
small deficit. But, in any case, the expert
ment is very well worth trying.
We confess that, while not indorsing
the idea out of hand, we should very
much like to see the experiment tried.
Assuredly there is strong reason for
believing that the saloon where the
drinking would not be primary with the
keeper, but incidental-where not
mOney-makIng, but social enjoyment
would be the chief end-would run the
saloon conducted for profit very close
race. Men who visit saloons are as sensi-
BILE to comfort, the pleasures of order and
good conduct as others, except it be a
very low and degraded class of men; but
these did not sink to their low levels at
once; they began, as a rule, in the Or
derby, quiet and well-conducted place of
entertainment.
1t certainly does seem that if food, the
least harmful liquors, plenty of harmless
beverages, seats, music, books, papers,
games, light, warmth and comfortable
surroundings were provided. at a very
much less price than the money-making
saloon can afford, an exceedingly large
class could be drawn away from the lat
ter and be brought under influences that
would withdraw them from greater
danger, and many of them to sociability
without drink.
OF course the radical temperance man
will hold that this is temporizing; and
that no evil was ever throttled by such
policy. But this is not altogether GER
tain; there have been maintained places
of entertainment in which the keepers
were salaried, and the idea of gain was
not predominant. 1t has been success
fully tried by employers OF large num-
bers of operatives; railroad companies
have provided clubhouses for their men
for the express purpose of Withdrawing
them from the saloon and to induce them
to seek social communion with their fell
lows in a better place than the drinking
house supported by tax upon their
earnings. So, in some directions, the
idea is not wholly an untried one.
1t remains to be seen whether DR..
Rainsford can prevail upon philanthropy
backed by means to an extent that will
enable him to give his experiment full
trial in one town or city. If he can, and it
succeeds there under fair conditions, we
shall have something definite and practical
to go upon so far as small cities and towns
are concerned-but DR.. Rainsford can
scarcely expect that his system would
ever be made successful in great cities,
seaport towns and the like.
4 SPLENDID SHOWING.