New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-18
THE POOR MANS CLUB.
TAKING AWAY FROM THE SALOON ITS
STRONGEST ARGI MENT.
EXPERIMENTS IL THE ENGLISH CIT1ES-MR.
BUCHAx>N's TEA HOUSES IN WHITE
CHApEI-THE TEE-TOTUM IN EAST
>,ry TJIIyn~T

CHAPEI.-THE TEEToTUM IN EAST
TwENTY.rHIRD.sT.
70 the Editor Of The Tribune.
sir: one Of the most plausible arguments OF tho
advocate Of the liquor saloon is the "Apostuaiion.
| What would Won deprive the poor man Of hi, place
Of evening resort where he can meet with his friends
when yOu permit the rich man 10 enjoy his club
without restriction, The liquor saloon l. the poor
mans club There j. Il good deal cf human nature
in this plea. General Booth In his remarkable book
:" Darkest England emphasizes this logic and says I:
I'VE have 10 recognize that III" Gin palace, Ike
many other evils. although poisonous. * stu nat
ural OntcrOwth Of our social conditions. The tap
room in many eases j. the poor mans only parlor.
Many man takes Ia beer, not from the love OF
beer but from a natural craving for tn" light.
warmth. company and comfort which Is thrown In
along with the beer and which he cannot get except
by buying beer. Rcformers Will never get nd o'
the dink-NhOp until they can ou'bid II IN the sub
sdiary attractions which II offers to It's Customers
Here is an idea In nutshell. and II Is because most
Temperance reiormers in that hnatic'm which can
only small fact utterly ignor" III" radical
fact. the very taproot Of III" problem. that their
efforts futile ~ punching sandbag.
But the practical brains OF reform are beginning
TO put the horse before the cart. wh"r" II belongs
vast s de was made in this direction IN IN" recent
opening Of the "Tcco-Tum.7 or worhlneman'S club
house. In East Twenty hirl-si. on the I'D Of last
up in the Of news which Cypress the columns
OF the daily papers. nt To who will look nj 1t
rightly. IT has the potency 81 IN Up making event
II may b. Interesting 10 the readers OF The 1n'unr
which has always been in TN" van III IN" rau"hAi
treatment OF reform questions to know something 81
the magnificent experiment, In England. Though "N
pertinent IS an unworthy mlsnomcr. which Law" been
the ,tcppinc-ston,, leading mp TO the American
movement.
England has always been the bywor1 Of civilza
ton for It's habits Of excessive drinking fn'm the
Rotten Row dawdlcr 10 Hob nj the plough ta from
the lady Of fashion to the c)'licry wench III nor
dirty smoCk. II lcntting tat clear Name o'
light should be first kindlcd whore the social con
ditons were The darkest. II began W ISL in
small way I'm the city Of Liverpool. which, Win IT,
great swarm Of salOrmen. 'long-hormrn ard d"H
laborer> surpassed even London ~ an object lesson
in drunkenness y workincmanS co Ga room' pr rs
taurant was established cOuntoraci This evil ana
rs the food coed. cheap ana plen'iini ana every
mains taken 10 make the plac" attractive lh~il'
and ont the experiment great success. -
rand was the growth Of the movement that TO-DAY
there are sixty five such place, in Liverpool. al
under one cOmpanys MANAGEMENT. and til" enterprise
paws during no year less than ten per cent on H.
capital stock. Some ~ the buildings winch INV
been erected by the company are very handsome" one
having cost vjO.Ooo. other cities hainrhlN ID
lowed In the path which lad been plainly "bla7ed
conditions OF poverty and lnt"mp"ran'".
birmingham Away, noted for the enlightened
energy Of lis municipal methods and for H. Pihl'
spirit took mp the work IN l-''. IN" CIV "'N'"'
bought great block of t"n"meniS "hl'h hHu w."
q fostering mass Of vrclchcdneSs and crime, tf"
down the rookerics ard built model tenement houses
In connection witt This public action coffee hou,"
company was formed I'm l-77. which erected h"'''r
Of attractive hotels and restaurants among them inc
wcll.Lnown "Coldcn.- the at,raciiv" Architecture 81
which at once strikes tn" eve. Inc 'omPh"N """
owns twenty three houses. and pays dNin'""' "
from 10 10 u per cent. Th"'" facts shonn DE-
empla lied. for they - To prov" mat All Prn"""
methods Of reform must BE- placed on soil b'S'""'S
basis and depart n. widely pobl" from s"Inbanc'
~ mcre charity. The primary principles OF u''''
temperance hotels and restaurants are that they -'
he as bright and attractive in their fittings dee r''o'
and service as the mot splendid ~ "" Plh l''"'
and that they shall exact the qud pro quo Win ''
same thrift London. Chester. YORK, hn''" '"''
field and other elite, rapidly kindl"i 10 III" S''o
notion and coNcotaycrn companies sprang UP III
over England for il had been settled beyond ''h''h
lion tina, .uch enterprises could be- mad" MT only
safe Int profitable and were IN no scn>" "e' n"'NarN'
The Chester Company particularly Distinguished w."
by the quaint and beautiful arclhcctIr" OF '' o'"
inrs with their ovcrlancing stor"s ana carved s'"'
and II is said that TIL, company pays :" per Gem
dividends All classes, nch and poor. are m''r'''N
IN
have "A share In the profits. II l. S'd INA, "p""'"
a. 81 900 900 Is invested in this way IN "r" hr'h'"
If WAS only II short time before the new 'ohe'
house idea blo,.omcd further rs all COCA 'mhss w
Which have living seed. To some II them religious
missions wer. attached, To others there gre" Tue
cI,l room or cafe anncy Offering com'ortaDic lo's
ing place with the reading u the papers ana has
o,inc. This expansion in the loHc OF III"
movement and jnsiAcd Itself BY results In Lohdoh
indeed II evolved itself into advancement qu'" a'hal
Ing passing through ascending seal" "i Such III
s,in,ious as Toynb.e Hall and oxford House to the
Wonderful Peoples Palace II Delight In "h''e
chanel a phanthroplc fantasy. which Is said 10 nave
be.n lorn Of the publication Of Walter irNant nov,
- All sorts and Condition, OF Men I'M. splenuu
dream Of humanitarian ldenSt ,"oh io'" ~ , "
Aladdin's palace amid the sqnaIpr ana VIC 81 ~, 80
don's worst section. built by wealthy ehlhu' IL,
whose hearts had been set anrc by The hoV'I-l
pictures. IL Utopia made r'sl W D,i,h , "
marble with such accessories OF pleasure anu hNhF
reading rooms, picture gallery music room; a,nc
lecture halls, gymnasium baths library anu c""lnt
roOin restaurants, ETC., a no rlch man 'Io ~ '
don could boast. and all for me mos, PR. re- r "a,
tha ncnnle II was a vcrablc htchlng OF IN
v.,ro, Il. a star a flight OF Icarus. with IN" h"' ~
suli Of practical failure. IL was too mRh anpN' h,
head OF The proposed bencicarcs. us rc'ui'io'' @
"a no somewhat rigid no one felt ~ home ID su'n
eorreous surroundings aud II did not appeal 10 'ia
sturdy independence and SelfreNls't Wh.m ,na
sprc Lazarus we'll rs Dives. >ch lllo,',,1 1 ,nl
Toynbee Hail. however, were more pI''''''' nnu n,
human nature int, account. IN" horses coiu ~
nniv IA. led 10 the pond. but were WILING 10 hrlnh
Palaces OF Delight" DAZZLE but they 40 not warm
n i. dangerous for philanthropy 10 0hrr 100 nin'H
IKE giving u diamond where on" Is starving lot p'''
anu ab"ui the same time rich London merchant
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